Ten years on from when I joined Royal Russell as Director of Music, there is very little of the Music Department that is recognizable, apart from the bricks and mortar. There are forty-five pupils in the Choir, twenty-five boys in the Barbershop, the Orchestra is thriving, almost half the pupils in the school receive weekly instrumental lessons, Associated Board practical and theory results are excellent and there are now twenty-five members of the Choral Society.
The Choir and Barbershop have now performed in every major European country and have released three highly acclaimed CD recordings. Locally, they have appeared at Fairfield Halls, including singing with Croydon Philharmonic Choir, on numerous occasions, and they have been privileged to sing in the presence of our patron, HM The Queen, and HRH The Princess Royal, in addition to raising thousands of pounds for charity.
Regular lunch-time and tea-time concerts have become a popular termly feature, and many pupils now perform in the Croydon Music Festival. Professional orchestral players, including some of our own extremely talented visiting music specialists, now combine with Royal Russell’s instrumentalists to present a high standard of termly ‘classical’ concerts. The Music Dinners have also become an annual night of musical fun in the School calendar. Today, the Music Department even has its own termly calendar available from: music@royalrussell.croydon.sch.uk.
Once again the Barbershop, which is being joined by an ever-increasing number of Old Russellians when it goes on tour, began the academic year in September 2006 by singing splendidly at a Gala Reception and Concert in Gloucester and also at a packed service for Mass the following day. We were delighted to welcome The Reverend Steve Padfield as our new Chaplain at his licensing service, which was led by the Bishop of Croydon. The tradition of the Choir and Barbershop making Christmas puddings and cakes was also maintained after the Remembrance Day Service.
Mr Riches conducted an excellent performance by our Orchestra at the Croydon Champions awards, attended by the Mayor, at the Clocktower in Croydon. One of the musical highlights of the year was the St Cecilia Concert with all the choirs and members of the orchestra performing Haydn’s Nelson Mass, as well as Faure’s beautiful Pavane and the Cantique de Jean Racine. It was good to hear the Chamber Choir perform at this concert with such controlled singing, as well as at the Advent Carol Service. Singers at the Christmas Carol Service numbered over eighty this year.
Before swapping dinner jackets for beach wear, the Barbershop looked and sounded particularly suave as they sang ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ to a Great Hall packed with diners for the South Pacific Evening in February. However, with the appearance of Mr Tanner in a skirt and make-up, the evening degenerated somewhat! As usual, I had not been informed of the additional routines which the Choir had plotted, led by Head of Barbershop Darrel Shand and Mr Moseley; but I should have known better than to lend water pistols to the Barbershop! The choral singing was fabulous and you could literally hear a pin drop during Jonny Verrell’s moving solo, ‘Younger than Springtime’. Other highlights of the term included the Spring Concert, which featured many excellent performances from soloists, the Choristers, Barbershop, Choral Society and especially the Orchestra, which goes from strength to strength.
The Choristers and the Barbershop gave concerts in and around Amsterdam this summer. We were fortunate to be joined by former RRS Director of Music Christopher Dowie (1973-1977) as our excellent accompanist. We were the only occupants of our hotel; and with the beach less than five minutes away, it was no wonder that leisure time was focused on this haven of tranquility. There were record numbers in the audiences and the Choir received standing ovations at each concert. There was also time to visit a farm manufacturing cheese and clogs, a chocolate factory in Bruges and a theme park, too.
Special mention should be made of retiring Head Chorister Victoria Jordan and Head of Barbershop Darrel Shand, who have both given sterling service throughout the year.
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