Spring Concert showcase

A display of musical talent 

Loughborough Schools Foundation’s annual Spring Concert returned to the De Montfort Hall stage this weekend, with over 250 pupils taking part in the gala concert. Featuring a myriad of musicians, performing in a wide variety of styles and in many combinations of different ensembles and groups, it was an incredible display of our pupils’ musical talent. 

Year 7 choirs from both Loughborough Grammar School and Loughborough High School performed music from the hit film, based on the songs of Abba; Mamma Mia! And we also witnessed fantastic solo performances from nine of our Year 13 Music Scholars, including piano, voice, oboe, violin and cello. Soloists, Cloe and David, reflect on their experiences at Spring Concert; 

Chloe, Year 13, who is the principal cellist of LSF String Ensemble and a keen member of the Senior Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra, said: “In my two years at LSF as a Music Scholar, the Spring Concert at De Montfort Hall has been the highlight of my school journey. The event comes with a strange sort of melancholy this year, as it marks the last major concert that I will play with the School (aside from Al Fresco) and the beginning of the end of my school journey.  
 
“At the first annual Spring Concert that I played with the School, I felt prepared; I knew my notes, lyrics, where to stand and what to do. This year was different. Yes, I knew the notes and the rhythms, but I didn’t know just how bittersweet that last applause would feel. Taking a bow stood beside my peers brought an overwhelming sense of pride to know that I was a part of something bigger than me. I will carry the memories from the first rehearsal to the last performance with me for the years to come. 
 
“I’ve always thought of music as a method of universal communication, I now know that isn’t true. The meaning of music ebbs and flows, the mood of a performer can change the definition of a piece, just as the emotion of an audience member can change their interpretation. One piece may have two meanings, just as one note will never sound the same to two people. However, I believe that music can bring people together. It is whatever we make it; a home, a family. It can be the mark of a meeting or a passing. The Spring Concert captures this feeling in such an indescribable way. It allows us to convey our own feelings and experiences, and for all involved to make new memories.” 

David, Year 13, is a current Music Scholar, Music Prefect, Drama Prefect and Head of House at Loughborough Grammar School also reflects on his experience with pride: “The lead up to the concert was a magical experience. Having never performed with an ensemble of that size, first listening and then working with the Symphony Orchestra was truly a unique experience.  

“The whole day was such a brilliant experience too. I really enjoyed listening to the rest of the ensembles, seeing the whole inner workings of De Montfort Hall and meeting loads of new people throughout the Foundation. The performance was amazing; the rush of being on a stage as big as that while singing an epic song, with the choir and the band behind me, was a beautiful thing to behold.” 

Thanks go to all the pupils, scholars and staff involved in the Spring Concert for not only making this event possible, but for making it such a wonderful showcase of what music at Loughborough Schools Foundation is about – community, ambition and inspiration.