On Tuesday, eighteen of our GCSE Music students had the incredible opportunity to visit the Turner Sims Concert Hall at the University of Southampton to hear some of their GCSE set works performed live by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO).

The concert opened with an engaging audience-participation folk piece, featuring improvisation from the instrumentalists and enthusiastic singing from the audience. This was followed by performances of the GCSE set works, each introduced by BSO conductor Patrick Bailey, who provided lively and student-friendly analyses of the pieces.

A particular treat came at the end of the concert, when students were given an exclusive preview of a brand-new composition written for an upcoming Netflix documentary. The orchestra shared fascinating insights into the film composition process while accompanying on-screen footage.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly our very own Year 11 student, Annelise, taking to the stage with the BSO to perform Samba Em Preludio by Esperanza Spalding. Singing in Portuguese, Annelise impressed everyone with her confidence, professionalism and energy - her performance easily rivalled that of the professional musicians beside her. Both the conductor and orchestra were full of praise for her outstanding musicianship and dedication.  Annelise was the only school student to take part in the concert, and we are very proud of her for taking on this challenge.

Following the concert, as one of their alumni, Mrs Peckham had arranged a guided tour of the University of Southampton’s Music Department. Highlights included a demonstration in the state-of-the-art recording studio, an introduction to their music technology facilities, and an impromptu jazz performance from two third-year students in one of the rehearsal spaces. The visit concluded with a talk and Q&A session with one of the course lecturers about studying music at university and the wide range of career pathways available in the music industry.

It was an inspiring and exciting day that gave our students a real insight into life as a musician - both on stage and behind the scenes.