On Sunday 9th October, seven unusual Oundle School venues played host to seven different ensembles.
Performance spaces included both large and intimate arenas, a few off the beaten track, and pupil tour guides led audience members from venue to venue.
The black walls of the Fives Court were dramatically lit in subdued colour with a water-like effect projected onto the roof as Schola Cantorum sang Duruflé in the Cathedral-like acoustic. Their second piece was Whitacre’s Lux, a piece about light, for which the singers placed the lights of their mobile phones on the floor in an otherwise pitch-black space.
Director of Music, Quentin Thomas commented, “These aural amuses-bouches flowed seamlessly as each group – hitting each quarter of an hour – were given a little history of each building, a musical performance and a carefully considered walk to the next venue on their unique carousel of a journey.”
Pupil musician, Michael Woo (16) played Schubert’s Gb Impromptu on the piano in Crosby House’s Library, the School Chapel was host to OSJO2, and the Yarrow Gallery – with its associations with WW1 – played host to three war songs, offered by Jack Wallace-Woodroffe (16), Coco Brown (18) and George Cobb (18).
Oundle’s recently newly extended SciTec building was home to a number from a Brass ensemble, followed by the Cripps Library hosting a Moldavian Folk number performed by bristling strings. The audience assembled in the newly refurbished Patrick Engineering Centre with the OSJO1 offering a finale from the Car Pit.
We have the pleasure of working amongst some of the greatest resources in the most beautiful buildings – Quentin Thomas, Director of Music
This was a fresh take on music-making, and the idea came from the Director of Music, Quentin Thomas. “We have the pleasure of working amongst some of the greatest resources in the most beautiful buildings. This was a chance to celebrate our glorious surroundings with our music, and for the ensembles and pupils to experience acoustics and atmospheres wholly different from the norm. We are grateful to every member of staff who allowed us to roam so freely in to their work-places. It must happen again,” he said
