The Barbershop made the first music tour of the year with their annual visit to sing for the former Chaplain, The Revd Dr John Paddock in Gloucester; singing mass and a concert to an appreciative capacity congregation.

Having only just sung particularly well at the Advent Carol Service, the Chamber Choir made a return visit to Gloucester in December prior to their concert tour of Thailand. The Thailand tour comprised of a choir of seventeen current and former students. They gave a concert at the American Embassy and sang Mass in Chiang Mai, went white water rafting, elephant riding and trekking in the mountains on the Burmese border at Chiang Rai in addition to giving a joint concert with a local school. In Bangkok they performed at the British Embassy for the Ambassador and his guests, as well as performing in local schools, experiencing the delights of tuk tuk transport and were back home in time for Christmas.

The Chamber Choir continued their success with a performance of Brahms’ Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall where they were Finalists in the Big Choral Challenge and were one (and the youngest!) of only four choirs to perform there on stage to an audience of over three and a half thousand people. They ended their year with an outstanding performance in Chapel of Purcell’s opera ‘Dido and Aeneas’, accompanied by orchestra. This was of such a high standard that it is to be performed twice more in Shirley and Gloucester in September 2007.

The Choir and Barbershop have also been very busy with Charity Carol singing for the homeless in Croydon’s new shopping centre ‘Centrale’. They presented two ‘Musical Dinners’ this year; namely My Fair Lady with Mr Tanner appearing as a confused Dr Doolittle and all his animals, and Joseph in which he, worryingly, was Mr Sutton No 2. As usual, Mr Riches and Mr Sutton were unaware of most of the changes to the score but carried on regardless of the antics of Mr Moseley and the Barbershop. Fine performances were heard from Ben Edwards, Helen Knight, Oliver Fernandes and Jonny Verrell to name but a few.

The major ‘classical’ choral concert of the year was given in Chapel in March. The combined choirs performed two demanding works with great skill – Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs. These works gave our pupils the opportunity to work with top class professionals. In particular many had not heard a professional counter tenor sing before.

It was also good to hear our own musicians give numerous high quality performances during the year. Mr Riches continues to exact extremely high standards from the Orchestra, as heard in the Christmas and Spring Concerts, the Reception for new Yr 7 pupils and on Royal Russell Day. St Andrew’s House gave a most enjoyable tea time concert with particularly good performances from Matt Waters and Alex Phillips. Mrs Hoare’s clarinetists gave spirited performances in their concert while the guitar and drum pupils of Mr Hill and Mr Rich, respectively, packed the Music Room with an audience of over ninety people to hear fabulous playing.

Many students were extremely successful in the Croydon Music Festival, notably our Organ Scholar and Head of Barbershop; Christopher Knight won the Aurum Hall and Manton Cup for his performance in the ‘Advanced Organ Playing’ class at Croydon Parish Church. This year we have welcomed Mr Robinson to the Music Department as a piano teacher and Mr Bunce who amazed Yrs 7 and 8 with his ‘Brass Taster’ session, when he encouraged pupils to take up one of 6 different brass instruments and he demonstrated them all (not at the same time!) We are indeed very fortunate to have such a dedicated, talented and expert team of visiting music specialists who teach at Royal Russell.

Eighteen Yr 11 GCSE students were amazed and delighted by their visit to play the instruments of the Gamelan orchestra and learn about sound recording and mixing at the home of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the City.

Last summer, 2006, the Choristers visited Holland, giving outstanding concerts and receiving standing ovations for their singing in and around Amsterdam. Summer 2007 saw them journeying to Prague for their latest exciting international tour. On the day before they departed, they gave a joint concert with Ryelands Primary School pupils with whom Mr Sutton has been working to raise funds for music in their school. There is never a dull moment in the Music Department!

H R Sutton
Director of Music & Precentor