Wandsworth Music Blog – 21st Jan
WMA Saturday 21st January – Coaching with Samuel and Louisa Staples and Peter Facer and our first WMA Piano Recital.
On Saturday 21st January, we had a jam packed Saturday full of exciting new opportunities for many of our pupils. The Philharmonic Orchestra and Junior Orchestra worked with three renowned musicians, receiving expert coaching on some of their orchestral repertoire in preparation for their upcoming concerts and events, namely our Brighter Sound Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
All prolific musicians in their own right, Samuel, Louisa and Peter now perform regularly together in a chamber music setting as the Samuel Staples Ensemble for concerts and events around the world. Our new partnership and the trio’s concert that evening in Battersea, as part of the St Luke’s Music Society series, paved way to a collaborative day of coaching and mentoring for our pupils.
The musicians worked firstly with our Philharmonic Orchestra members; an intensively focused session on two of their more challenging works, Zadock the Priest and Rhapsody in Blue. The groups worked comprehensively on elements such as phrasing, articulation, dynamics and consequently how we achieve these nuances in the music.
The afternoon remained equally as rewarding; a woodwind sectional with our Junior Orchestra and a coaching session for our Senior String Quartet, newly formed and getting to grips with Borodin’s Quartet no 2 in D major.
We also held our first WMA Recital, this time for our pianists. An opportunity to each perform in front of their family and friends and showcase what they have been learning, the children all shone, giving performances at all levels and abilities. There were some duets, some arrangements and some recently prepared ABRSM exam repertoire. The children all really enjoyed an hour of all things piano! Celebrating each other’s performances and the opportunity to play to each other outside of the practice room!
