Putney Park School

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The girls had to spend weeks learning a series of songs and medleys by heart, ranging from the musical ‘Oliver’ and various Disney cartoons to hymns such as ‘Going Home’ and even an Italian aria, ‘Nella fantasia.’ Everyone had a different favourite, but the Pop medley proved most popular.

The concert included not only these items which included schools from all over the country, but various soloists and presenters. As well as a band led, as it turned out, by an old friend of Mr. Carlin’s, there was a young, Japanese violinist, a beat-boxer, a street-dance troupe and the Classical soprano, Summer. We were certainly treated to a wide range of musical experiences, and the girls had a great time, which, thanks to a DVD being available, they can revisit again and again.

Thanks to Mrs. Myles, Miss Nee, Mrs Thorne and Ms Roper who accompanied us.

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Christmas Cantata

Wednesday, December 10th saw the performance at St Margaret’s Church of ‘The Infant Boy’, a Christmas piece given by Years 4, 5 and 6. Telling the Nativity story in word and song, the girls sang and narrated the Cantata faultlessly from memory. There were some outstanding solo contributions from Catalina (Year 6), as Mary, Naomi (Year 6), as Herod, Seoyeon and Megan (Year 4), and Meg (Year 5) as Innkeepers, and Fatima, Olivia, Weronika, Mabel, Eloise and Haruna (all Year 5), as the Wise Men.

The musical, written by Richard Hepburn and Alison Hedger, features seven musical numbers unfolding what it calls ‘the best-known story in the world.’ To this we added a Christmas favourite, Howard Blake’s ‘Walking in the Air’, which I think everyone enjoyed learning and singing, and indeed, hearing! Well done to all the girls who took part, and many thanks to all the parents who came along to hear it, especially to the Class teachers who helped with all the preparation and performance.

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Informal Concerts

In April and May we had three informal concert evenings in which we invited anyone who is having instrumental lessons to play or sing for their parents and relatives. The three concerts served Lower and Upper School.

We had a varied programme in each concert with many brave souls being prepared to perform, sometimes for the first time in front of an audience. Singers, violinists, pianists and flautists came on stage one by one, introduced by either Mrs. Black, Mrs Viney-Mitchel or myself and showed us just what a talented bunch they are! Everyone did very well and they were received by enthusiastic and appreciative audiences on both evenings.

Wandsworth Music Festival

Congratulations are in order for three Year 8 girls – Tiffany, Georgia and Rebecca – who took part in a Borough-wide talent contest and were talented enough to get into the final!

Wandsworth’s ‘Performer of the Year’ contest attracted over a hundred entries of all sorts, from singers and dancers to magicians and comedians. The three girls from Putney Park made it to the final with their band, TRG, and received warm praise from the judges for their rendition of ‘Hot and Cold.’ With Tiffany on vocals, Rebecca on guitar and Georgia on drums, they had to get through three rounds and past many older and more experienced performers to get through to the last round. Well done, girls, for your musical efforts!

Mr R Carlin
Music Department

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