William SevenokeMemorial Concert

William Sevenoke

According to local legend, William Sevenoke, the founder of Sevenoaks School, was a foundling, abandoned as a baby in Sevenoaks around 1373 and adopted by Sir William Rumschedde, a local landowner.

Sevenoke grew up to become a successful politician and businessman. He was apprenticed in London to an ironmonger, Henry Bois, becoming a freeman of London in July 1394 and being admitted to the Company of Grocers three years later.

Between 1404 and 1426, Sevenoke served as Warden of London Bridge, Warden of the Grocers’ Company, Alderman of Bishopsgate Ward, Alderman of Tower Ward, Sheriff of London and Middlesex, Surveyor of the King’s works at Isleworth and Mayor of London. He gave financial support to Henry V’s second expedition to France and remained an active member of the Grocers' Company for most of his life.

Sevenoke died in July 1432, leaving property in London to the people of Sevenoaks, with instructions that it should provide an income to establish almshouses and a grammar school. Both have served the people of Sevenoaks continuously for nearly 600 years.

Alan Adler

This concert was previously named the Alan Adler Memorial Concert. Conceived in memory of Alan Adler, a past Master of the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders, the earliest concerts were funded by the Livery Company and given by professional musicians for the benefit of the pupils. Over time it became a concert given by pupils. From 2019 we have changed the name of the concert in honour of William Sevenoke.

William SevenokeMemorial Concert

Monday 25 March 2019Pamoja Hall

All of us have childhood memories and I think I can be pretty confident that for nearly everyone, these would include musical memories. Most people remember the music of the charts when they were growing up and they also tend to have incredibly strong recollections of a large amount of the music they took part in at school. Many youngsters take part in high-quality county music groups and holiday courses, being introduced to pieces and ensembles they otherwise might not get the opportunity to experience.

As a young boy, my very small prep school was not able to put out any kind of orchestra, so I attended holiday courses, playing music very much like that performed by the Foundation Orchestra at Sevenoaks School. On one such course, I played a really rather clever junior arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave and what terrific fun that was! The young brass players on that course were amazing, we had a fine body of strings and, probably inspired by the then young James Galway, an even finer body of about a dozen flute players as well as other assorted woodwind. I couldn’t wait to get home and hear Tchaikovsky’s original. So, sporting my recent birthday record tokens, down I went to the local music shop to buy my first LP. Whilst my friends were purchasing the latest ABBA or Slade albums, there was me buying ‘March’ from the wonderful ‘The World of Great Classics’ series.

Pieces of music become like friends. I have certainly known Marche Slave longer than any school or university friend – for over 40 years. This is one of music’s incredible values. A piece of music has roots that go deep within us. It has enormous revival powers; when we are feeling both up and down, it can transport us. Music is there for us unconditionally; the effect of a piece of music on our psyche can be both huge and transformative. The case for affording young people the opportunity to experience live music as both performer and listener as part of their wellness education can never be made too strongly. And yet, across certainly the Western world, this is under-acknowledged – and our charges are the poorer for it.

In the case of my Marche Slave LP, I got not merely one friend, but ten. This was one repeatedly played vinyl record in our family. It is a work that I have used three times during my years at Sevenoaks. I programmed it for my first Alan Adler concert, and also for the gala opening of The Space in 2010. Ordinarily I prefer not to repeat repertoire more than twice, but in the case of this old and trusted friend, I am more than happy to make an exception.

Christopher DyerDirector of Music

Welcome

Programme

Interval

Recipes for descant recorder and string orchestra Alan Bullard (b 1947) 1. Coffee and Croissants 2. Barbecue Blues (when the fire goes out...) 3. Prawn Paella 4. Special Chop Suey 5. Fish and Chips

Soloists: Helena Kiggell, Jess Downton, Amelia Ross, Mika Curson, Alistair Williamson

The Sevenoaks StringsConducted by Mr Michael Heighway

I Will John Lennon (1940-80) Paul McCartney (b 1942) Arr Nell Norman (b 1998)

My True Love Hath My Heart (no 2 of Three Birthday Madrigals) John Rutter (b 1945)

The Snow Edward Elgar (1857-1934)1st violin: Meg Ishimitsu; 2nd violin: Serena Thomson; Piano: Mr Michael Heighway

Senior Girls’ EnsembleConducted by Miss Tegan Eldridge

Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Aram Khatchaturian (1903-78)II AllegroClarinet: James KingViolin: Valerie HuangPiano: Malek Marar

Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers Howard Shore (b 1946) Arr Douglas E Wagner (b 1952)The Incredibles – Main Theme Michael Giacchino (b 1967) Arr Johnnie Vinson (b 1944)Sounds of Sousa John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) Arr James D Ployhar (1926-2007)

Sevenoaks School Wind Band Conducted by Mrs Julia Kiggell

Marche Slave Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-93)

The Symphony OrchestraConducted by Mr Christopher Dyer

Birdwatching Michael Henry (b 1983) I Swallows Fleeting II Sparrows Bickering III Vultures LoomingClarinet Quartet: Theo Duke, Sachi Gwalani, Kai Hayashi, James King

Three Negro Spirituals from A Child of Our Time Michael Tippett (1905-98) 1. Steal away 2. Nobody knows 3. Deep River

The Bluebird Charles Villier stanford (1852-1924)

The Sennocke ConsortConducted by Mr Michael Heighway

Recipes for descant recorder and string orchestra 1. Coffee and Croissants 2. Barbecue Blues (when the fire goes out...) 3. Prawn Paella 4. Special Chop Suey 5. Fish and Chips

Alan Bullard This is a humorous suite of five pieces depicting five famous dishes from France, America, Spain, China and England. Written for the unusual combination of string orchestra and solo recorder, Bullard’s writing evokes the individual dishes with great humour and ingenuity.

Programme notes

I Will John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arr Nell Norman

This six-part arrangement of Lennon-McCartney’s ‘I Will’ was written last year exclusively for female voices, making it a favourite of the Senior Girls’ Ensemble. The original Beatles version was composed while the group were in India and released on The White Album in 1968.

My True Love Hath My Heart (no 2 of Three Birthday Madrigals)John Rutter

The legendary jazz pianist George Shearing was John Rutter’s inspiration for Birthday Madrigals. Rutter composed five moments for mixed choir with double bass and optional piano to celebrate Shearing’s 75th birthday. The present three madrigals are upper-voice arrangements of numbers 1, 4 and 5 from the original suite. The second madrigal, ‘My True Love Hath My Heart’, is a moving four-part arrangement with words by Sir Philip Sidney.

The Snow Edward Elgar

‘The Snow’ is an evocative setting of a poem by Alice Elgar, which Elgar set to music in November 1894 for women’s voices. The piece is accompanied by two violins and piano and dedicated to a Malvern friend, Mrs EB Fitton. ‘The Snow’, an andantino, moves between E minor and E major, before reaching an impassioned G major climax and fading away into E major at the end. It is a beautiful setting, epitomising Elgar’s secret way of undermining our emotional defences.

Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano; II AllegroAram Khachaturian

Aram Khachaturian was a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor and is considered one of the leading Soviet composers. He was famous for his ballet music, having composed the first Armenian ballet music but also composed extensively for film and orchestras. He only composed two chamber music works, one of which is this trio while the other is a string quartet. He wrote both these pieces whilst he was still a student at Moscow Conservatory. His music is heavily influenced by traditional folk melodies, which is evident in this second movement of his trio for clarinet, violin and piano. The movement shows elements of folk dances throughout with unique rhythms and rich colours.

Birdwatching I Swallows Fleeting II Sparrows Bickering III Vultures Looming

Michael HenryBorn in London of Jamaican parentage, Henry studied composition and clarinet at the Royal College of Music. He has written wind music for a variety of forces, ranging from solo instrument with piano through to full symphonic band, and solo instrument with orchestra. He moved into work as a vocalist and is now also a songwriter.

Tonight we will hear three out of the six movements in this suite. They are both challenging to play and appealing to audiences. The musical material is quite repetitive with each part constantly passing on musical ideas to each other, mimicking birds in conversation.

Programme notes

Three Negro Spirituals from A Child of Our Time 1. Steal away 2. Nobody knows 3. Deep river

Michael TippettA Child of Our Time is a secular oratorio composed at the start of the Second World War. It was inspired by two events that had a profound effect on Tippett: the assassination of a German diplomat by a Jewish refugee, and the violent retaliation by the Nazi government against Jewish communities, which became known as Kristallnacht. Tippett used Bach’s Passions as his structural models, and he replaces the chorales with negro spirituals – songs from an oppressed people with universal themes.

The BluebirdCharles Villiers Stanford

Stanford was a titan of the British musical landscape at the turn of the 20th century. He was a celebrated composer, teacher and conductor, and at the tender age of 29 he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music. Nowadays he is best known for his choral output, of which The Bluebird is perhaps the jewel in the crown.

Lord of the Rings – The Two TowersHoward Shore, arr Douglas E Wagner

Containing ‘Rohan – the King of the Golden Hall’, ‘Forth Eorlingas, The March of the Ents,’ ‘Evenstar’, and ‘Gollum’s Song’, this medley features some of the best themes from Howard Shore’s ambitious scoring for The Two Towers. The seamless arrangement by internationally recognised composer and arranger Douglas E Wagner brings these familiar themes to life. The Incredibles – Main ThemeMichael Giacchino, arr Johnnie Vinson

The soundtrack of The Incredibles was Giacchino’s first arrangement for a Pixar movie and he later went on to score other Pixar favourites, Up, Inside Out and Coco. His work for The Incredibles earned him two Grammy nominations, one for the entire soundtrack and one for this piece in particular. Johnnie Vinson’s arrangement highlights the jazzy brass sections, supported by steady clarinet ostinati.

Sounds of SousaJohn Philip Sousa, arr James D Ployhar

Known as the ‘March King’ (or the ‘American March King’), John Philip Sousa was an American composer, celebrated for his passionate military marches. These are considered symbols of American patriotism and his magnum opus, ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’, is the official National March of the United States of America. Ployhar, famous for his compositions and arrangements for concert band, starts off this Sousa medley with ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’, followed by other Sousa favourites.

Marche SlavePyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March in B flat minor is commonly known under its French name, Marche Slave. In June 1876, the Balkans were once again at the centre of political conflict. The Turks were keen to add Serbia and Montenegro to the Ottoman Empire and there was a universal outcry in the Eastern European states. The Russians, keen to support their fellow Christian Slavs, sent in troops to assist the Balkan resistance. Tchaikovsky was approached to compose a piece to be performed in a concert to raise money for the wounded Russians. Marche Slave was the product. In a typical blaze of creativity, the piece was finished within the week of its commission.

Marche Slave is highly programmatic in its conception and structure. In 19th century fashion, the piece moves from B flat minor, representing oppression, finally to B flat major, representing triumph. One can almost hear the Russians coming over the hill to defeat the enemy in the penultimate section. Tchaikovsky fills the piece with what would then have been very well-known Slavonic folk tunes. The main theme, heard at the very start, is the Serbian folk song, ‘Come my dearest, why so sad this morning?’; the Russian national anthem ‘God save the Tsar’ makes two appearances later, as the piece draws to its triumphant close. In between there are other jaunty tunes, some indigenous Slavonic folk tunes and others composed by Tchaikovsky to complement them. Collectively, they make for one of the finest showpieces in the orchestral repertoire and the work finishes with a virtuoso coda for the full orchestra.

Programme notes

The Sevenoaks Strings Senior Girls’ Ensemble The Sennocke Consort

Jemima AlstonVenetia BarkerValery BogdanovaErika ChanMarcus ChoyMika CursonJess DowntonTheodore GodfreyAlex HallValerie HuangMegan LawrenceNicholas LeungElla McCarthySofia MelamedChristian NuijensAndrea OlsenAmelia RossSerena ThomsonAlistair Williamson

Mitika AgarwalGeorgie AndrewGrace AnnettsTavy BeadleIsabel ChildLouisa ChildFlorence CoumbeMika CursonTasha DambacherVita de MunckJess DowntonCeline DriessenEllie Gilbert-BairGrace HallDaisy HargreavesMaisie HollandHolly IngramMeg IshimitsuMeera JLily LanderKajsa LenzEmily MahoneyCaitlin ManchesterEve MayesMojola OlarinmoyeEllie PetryDarcey PhillipsAnna PowerMartha ReeveEmily RigneyTilly RobsonRosie SharpeAnnabel StaffordStacy StepanovaAmy ThomasSerena ThomsonAdvitha VasudevanRiya WaderaMeghan WatsonOrissa Welsh

SopranoAria BakerTasha DambacherVita de MunckCeline DriessenInci GurunGrace HallElla McCarthyMojola OlarinmoyeEleanor PetryLouisa PhillipsTilly RobsonRosie SharpeStacy StepanovaSerena ThomsonEllie Wild

AltoGrace AnnettsIsabel ChildLouisa ChildFlorence CoumbeJess DowntonDarcey PhillipsAnna PowerMartha ReeveAnnabel StaffordAmy ThomasOrissa Welsh

TenorSebastian CoddingtonDiego del SerBen Hancox-LachmanDarcy Lambert

BassFerdinand BeierTheodore GodfreyAndrei GolovanovNicholas LeungOliver LewisJacob RobinsonPeter WestbrookeTom Williams

Orchestras and Ensembles

The Symphony Orchestra

1st ViolinJackson Wen, leaderLouisa ChildMarcus ChoyRay HayashiValerie HuangMeg IshimitsuNicholas LeungAlistair Williamson

2nd ViolinJemima AlstonValery BogdanovaRachel ClewsSimi FagbemiEleanor GwytherLakshmi KandasamyEve MayesSian McAllisterLouisa PhillipsSerena ThomsonRiya WaderaJustin YanMrs Jane DawsonMrs Kathryn Ashwell

ViolaTom BristowClaudia DochodaAnna PowerAnnabel StaffordVincent Wong

CelloChiara CalcagniniMika CursonNatasha DiederenJess DowntonGabriela Horn MontoyaDuncan MillsJulia RickettsAmelia RossCarrie ShiJing Hui TanMr Manuel Capelo

Double BassJacob Robinson

FluteAria BakerMartha ReeveAgnes Wu

OboeDarcey PhillipsMeghan Watson

ClarinetIsabel ChildSachi GwalaniKai HayashiJames KingHarriet St Pier

BassoonMalek Marar

HornHelena KiggellCatherine RedmayneMrs Becky Craig

TrumpetRonan HallinanTom LangfordKitty LavercombeTom WilliamsMr Matthew Down

TromboneZafar Khan-BourneDarcy LambertMrs Julia KiggellMr Christopher Yelf

TubaMrs Alice Yelf

PercussionGrace AnnettsTiffany LauPeter Westbrooke

Orchestras and Ensembles

Sevenoaks School Wind Band

FluteLauren AllenIsla BhatnagarSimi FagbemiIsabella HallTess HargraveTara RadiaAva WhitefoordMadeleine WhiteleySophie Wilkinson

ClarinetKate BrackettRebecca Cain-RenshawIsabel ChildGeorge CoxTheo DukeSachi GwalaniAmber HoltWill IdeJames KingAlfie Marr-JohnsonEllie PartonAmy ThomasElena TsangMr Chris Potts

BassoonMalek MararMrs Jackie Hendry

SaxophoneLuca CalcagniniMarcus CookJocelyn SmithMrs Audrey Franks

TrumpetMark AllenAlexander BirtKitty LavercombeThomas LaytonGeorge MylodSophie RaymentHenry SmithRose SpurlingOphelia Warghusen-UsherMr Matthew DownMr Tim MacBain

TromboneZafar Khan-BourneArchie McCullochNoah Saleh

Tenor HornAidan Durant

HornBetrys GalloniHelena KiggellCatherine Redmayne

EuphoniumMrs Lin Sandys

TubaMr Chris Yelf

PercussionMatt DawkinsXavier Drewell

Future Events at The Space

La Forza Del Destino Sunday 7 AprilPamoja Hall2.00pmTickets £18.50 (concession £17, Child/Student £10) A drama of obsession, vengeance and tragedy. Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko star in Verdi's epic La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny), directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera.

Faust Sunday 5 MayPamoja Hall2.00pmTickets £18.50 (concession £17, Child/Student £10) There are many versions of the story of Faust, who trades his soul with the Devil for youth and power, but Gounod's opera remains one of the most enthralling. Michael Fabiano stars as Faust, with Diana Damrau as his beloved Marguerite and Erwin Schrott as the diabolical Méphistophélès. Virtuoso leading roles, a large chorus, sensational sets, ballet and an ecstatic finale make this the epitome of theatrical spectacle - the lavish scale of French grand opera is wonderfully in evidence in this production by David McVicar, set in 1870s Paris.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ENCORE CINEMA SEASON

Within the Golden Hour / World Premiere / Flight Pattern Sunday 19 May Pamoja Hall2.00pmTickets £18.50 (concession £17, Child/Student £10) The contemporary face of the Royal Ballet is shown in works from three leading choreographers: Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour, Crystal Pite's Flight Pattern, revived for the first time with Górecki's familiar music from his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, and between them, a new work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake Tuesday 21 MayPamoja Hall7.15pmTickets £15 (concessions £12.50 & child/student £8) A new production of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake comes to The Space with a fresh look and is as daring and beautiful as ever. This thrilling, audacious and witty production is perhaps still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turned tradition upside down and took the dance world by storm. A powerful interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece and contemporary Swan Lake for our times.

THE SPACEPerforming Arts Centre

Sevenoaks School, High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HUTelephone +44 (0)1732 467765

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