A Larch Celebration of Music – March 2025

19th March 2025Heather Morgan

The Larch Celebration of Music showcased our incredible Larch Orchestras & Choirs with students ranging Year 2 to Year 6!

An amazing concert last night, featuring 130 musicians from Years 2 - 6, supported by immediate and extended families (parents and grandparents!).
Please do not underestimate what the musicians are achieving in the Larch. It is incredible.

Live in Concert! – March 2025

15th March 2025Heather Morgan

A new musical experience: Simon Balle Music Live!

An incredible evening of music with our singers and string players, coming together for some pieces as the Simon Balle Concert Orchestra and Chorus.
This was unique - 130+ musicians in performance of some professional arrangements of some well known Disco numbers, as well as fantastic individual ensemble items.
Please take time to watch the videos here. You don't get this anywhere else!

Please click in the top right hand corner to see the playlist.

"All I can think about is what a fantastic time I (and all of the Take Note singers) had on Saturday night.

I’ll never forget seeing the expressions of sheer delight and surprise (and a bit of shock!) on the audience’s faces when we all blasted out that first line…..”Ahhh… Freak Out”

No other school can generate the enthusiasm and energy that we do, thanks to you, and I am so thrilled to still be a part of it after all these years."

"A truly superb concert! Incredible! Loved all of it"

"One of the first comings together of so many musical groups - choirs, strings, rhythm section, wind and brass. The quality of each and every part was incredible - moving, professional, with commitment from every young person so evident. And everyone there simply had the best time!"

Piano Recital – March 2025

11th March 2025Heather Morgan

Our Piano Recital showcased our incredible exam candidates in the upcoming exams. 

There was much to be enjoyed at our most recent Piano Recital where our March Exam Candidates took the opportunity to prepare by performing some of their pieces to an appreciative audience of family and friends.  It was great to see such a range of years (7-11) and Grades (1-6), so that parents could see the range of musical progression and I'm sure our less experienced players were inspired by the performances of others.
Well done to everyone and good luck with your Exam later this month!

Congratulations to all performers, and please enjoy the videos here:

Click in the top right corner for more videos!

An All-through Celebration of Brass – March 2025

6th March 2025Heather Morgan

Our All-through Brass Celebration was a real success for students from Year 4 to Year 13. 

It was inspiring to see so many ages involved and great to see so much variety in musical repertoire.

Thank you to Mr D Taylor for organising students and arranging music that pushes them to the next level in Brass Ensemble.  Thank you to Mr Peach for coordinating our Larch Brass students!

Congratulations for all of our performers, please enjoy the videos here:

Click in the top right corner for more videos!

An Evening with the Simon Balle Big Band – March 2025

1st March 2025Heather Morgan

The Simon Balle Big Band Evening showcased the incredible musicians in Big Band 2 and The Big Band.

What an incredible night it was.

The quality of music was simply off the scale. We must never, ever take it for granted that this takes place at Simon Balle, even though it is achieved year on year.

 

I played tenor saxophone in Big Band 2 which was such an incredible experience! We played multiple pieces which I think went really well and it was so fun to play in front of an audience with the lights. My highlight of the night was either doing a solo, which was nerve-racking but also such an amazing memory, or dancing and singing with my friends. The whole evening had such a wonderful atmosphere and it was so nice to see the audience of all ages singing along!   

Holly, Big Band 2

Click the top right corner for more videos

Singing Recital – February 2025

11th February 2025Heather Morgan

Our Singing Recital showcased our incredible vocalists! 

Well done to all of the performers; there was some incredible singing, and such a brilliant array of confidence. We are very proud of all the students who participated!

Please enjoy the videos here:

 

Click in the top right corner for more videos!

Piano Recital – January 2025

28th January 2025Heather Morgan

We welcomed family and friends of some of our talented players for an Evening of Piano Music.

We were lucky to have performers from Years 8-11 playing a variety of styles. There was plenty of Rock and Pop on display with Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars amongst the artists featured, whilst, in contrast, the audience were also treated to music by Claude Debussy, Richard Rodgers and Joe Hisaishi.

Well played everyone, it was all thoroughly enjoyed!

Click the top right corner for more videos

Celebration of Woodwind Starters – January 2025

28th January 2025Heather Morgan

Our Woodwind Starters’ Celebration showcased all of our Larch students who started learning the Flute or Clarinet in September. 

32 musicians tonight astounded their families with their first performance on the clarinet and flute after 4 months of learning. The performance was the epitome of our unique and special all-through ethos.
Please do congratulate the musicians, they have worked so hard to get to this point!
Musical. Reading notation, in time. A huge sense of community. Confident. An inspiration.

Primary Carol Services – December 2024

17th December 2024Heather Morgan

Our Larch Carol Service showcased:

  • Larch Wind and Brass (Year 4, 5 & 6), 

  • Larch String Orchestra (Year 4, 5 & 6)

  • Year 4, 5 & 6 Choir

  • Year 2 & 3 Choir

We must never take for granted the standard of musicianship at our Carol services. We all know that the number of students engaging is simply off the scale, and, once again, so evidently highly inclusive with the breadth of young people playing and singing. From choirs to strings, wind, brass and percussion; from Year 2 all the way to Year 6; from traditional carols to innovative, engaging and bespoke arrangements.

Secondary Carol Services – December 2024

16th December 2024Heather Morgan

Our Secondary Carol Service showcased: 

  • The Simon Balle Concert Band, 
  • Senior Strings (including Y6)
  • Secondary Choir, 
  • Chamber Choir, 
  • Saxidentals,
  • Brass Ensemble. 

We must never take for granted the standard of musicianship at our Carol services. We all know that the number of students engaging is simply off the scale, and, once again, so evidently highly inclusive with the breadth of young people playing and singing. From choirs to strings, wind, brass and percussion; from Year 6 all the way to Year 13; from traditional carols to innovative, engaging and bespoke arrangements. It was fantastic to see so many students involved in so many ensembles and musical activities!