music

M Stars!

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What a night! Following on from the stunning performance of our dancers at Dance Live! with their Let Her Speak piece, Team Performing Arts hit the stage again with the annual celebration of musical theatre that is M Stars!

Expertly hosted by Max, Betty and Madison, the sold-out evening showcased dance, singing and acting; solo, duets, trios and groups; songs from stage, screen and stadium; and students from Year 7 to 13. As a big musicals fan myself, M Stars really hit the spot, including songs from Hamilton, Wicked, Matilda, Grease, Mary Poppins, Tick Tick Boom, Tangled and Frozen amongst many more.

We welcomed back Churchill performing arts alumni Lorin and Tia as our expert guest judges, who awarded the prizes. It really was an impossible choice, such was the array of talent on show – but choose they did! The deserving winners were:

  • Superstar Winners: Anna and Mia
  • Dance Star: Leah, Mati and Flo
  • Rising Star & Audience Award Winners: Billy, Joe and Joey
  • Acting Star: Will
  • Group Star: The Year 7 Dance Club
  • Singing Star: Maisie
  • Music Star: YUNC (The Band)

Thank you to all the performers for a great evening of entertainment!

And, if you haven’t had a chance to see the Dance Live! extravaganza, feast your eyes on this:

Young Musician 2025: practice doesn’t make perfect

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On Monday of this week I was honoured to be present at Churchill Music!’s annual Young Musician of the Year Competition. The standard was incredibly high, with prizes going to Molly Blundell (Junior Prize), Toby Wilson (Audience Prize), Maisie Vowles (Raymond Hayter Song Prize) and Freddie Maitland-Round (Young Musician of the Year). You can read the report on the Academy website here. To close proceedings, I gave a speech on the theme of “practice doesn’t make perfect,” which is reproduced here.

Practice doesn’t make perfect

I’d like to start by thanking Churchill Music! for all they do to support the music education at our Academy. How lucky we are to have them working alongside us. Thank you, as ever, for all you do.

We’ve been treated tonight to some wonderful performances by some of our finest young musicians. As I’ve been watching these assured, technically skilful performances, bursting with emotive musicality, I’ve been aware that what we are seeing here is really only the tip of the iceberg. What I would like to do this evening, if you will permit me, is to think for a moment about what lies beneath.

In 1992 psychologist K. Anders Ericsson undertook a landmark study at the Music Academy of West Berlin. He asked the music professors at the Academy to select the very best violinists studying there – those that the professors thought had a strong chance of careers as international soloists. He also asked them to identify a group of “good” violinists in the same department – those who were impressive musicians, but perhaps not of the calibre of the “best” group. Finally, he also asked for a group of violinists who were not studying the violin at the Academy – they were specialising in music education – but who also played. So he selected the best, the good, and the teachers.

He asked all the participants in the study to keep a practice diary and also carefully studied the amount of practice they had completed in the years before they had joined the Academy, as well as interviewing them about their practice routines, their love of playing, and their leisure activities.

The findings of the study were quite remarkable. The stories of the “good” and the “best” violinists, and the “music teachers” who also played the violin, started out very similar. They all talked of a love of playing, the joy of music-making, and the feeling of exhilaration they got from performing with their instrument. In fact, there was very little to distinguish between the stories and approaches of the three groups, except in one vital area – the amount of practice they had done. Over their lifetimes prior to joining the Academy, the music teachers had averaged 5,000 hours of practice in total. The “good” violinists averaged 7,500 hours. But the very best – those that had a future ahead of them as soloists – had averaged 10,000 hours of practice. Each.

Ericsson and his colleagues were able to replicate the findings of this study for pianists, and others like Matthew Syed and others have found a similar pattern for elite sportsmen and women. What they have found over and over again is that talent can only get you so far in your chosen field. What marks the true expert out from the enthusiastic amateur actually has very little to do with talent – it’s practice. And tons of it.

The family and friends of the performers here tonight will bear witness to the hard work, the hours of toil that have gone into the performances tonight – the huge bulk of ice sitting beneath the surface of the glittering peaks that we’ve witnessed. But practice isn’t usually – in and of itself- enjoyable. Running through that C# minor arpeggio again can actually – I apologise if I’m breaking a big secret here – be a little bit boring. But what marks out the truly great performers from the enthusiastic amateurs is the grit and determination to keep going when it gets tough, knowing that by really nailing down the fingering and timing in that arpeggio, they will help themselves to be a better, stronger, more accurate and flexible performer. And, as we’ve seen tonight, that perseverance and determination has paid off.

Practice won’t make you perfect – but it will make you better

Mark Sanborn

I’d like to finish tonight, however, with one final reflection on performance, whether it be in music or sport, or drama or dance, or painting or sculpture or literature. In any of these fields, it’s not actually as if we’re striving for perfection. Because – and this is certainly true in music – there is no such thing as a “perfect” performance. Two performances of exactly the same piece will never be the same. They will be subtly – and sometimes dramatically – different from one another, and they can be equally good. The musician’s interpretation of the piece, the sound of the room, the atmosphere and feeling of the audience, will all exert their influence on every performance and make it unique. Practice doesn’t make perfect. As the author Mark Sanborn said, “practice won’t make you perfect – but it will make you better.” The musician, or the artist, or the sculptor, or the gymnast, is not actually striving for perfection. They are striving to be the very best that they can be – and that work is never done. There’s always room to improve. And that’s what makes the practice worth it.

I’d like to thank all the performers here for all the hours of practice they’ve put in, not just to the pieces they performed tonight, but to making sure their technique, their musicality and their understanding of their instrument has reached such impressive levels. I’d also like to thank all the families who have supported them – and, I suspect, occasionally nagged them – to get that practice done. Because, as we’ve seen tonight, all those scales and arpeggios were worth it in the end.

We Will Rock You!

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What. A. Show! The casts, crew and team behind our Key Stage 3 musical, We Will Rock You, have been working hard for months, and it certainly paid off. Over four stunning performances, the two casts, live band, and hard-working behind-the-scenes crew thrilled audiences in the Academy Hall with a hilarious, moving and exciting show that everyone involved will remember for a lifetime!

The musical uses the songs of Queen and Freddie Mercury to tell a story of a dystopian future world under the ruthless control of the Killer Queen, where musical instruments are outlawed and only manufactured, pre-programmed pop is allowed. Against this background, rebel Galileo Figaro teams up with no-nonsense Scaramouche and a ragtag team of Bohemians to reclaim “real” music and set everyone free.

The performers gave their all on stage, performing words and music with real confidence and assurance. The script was full of great humour and the audience was laughing along with them all the way through. There were also moments of real poignancy, and Oz’s solo of No One But You (Only the Good Die Young) moved me to tears. The lead performers – Joey Clausen, April Cashman, Billy Cargill and Brooke Austin – were stunning, and special mention must go to Isabelle Gilbert-Avison who stole the show as Brit! But every single performer on stage had a moment to shine, and they took it with both hands. It was a true ensemble performance.

We Will Rock You was directed and produced by our Sixth Form Performing Arts students. Directors Betty Clarke, Ash Shipton and James Hart, musical director Lily Spry, producer Gemma Seymour, dance director Bela Bradshaw, Chorus Lead Ceci Brumby and Stage Manager Adam Corke deserve a huge credit for their leadership, vision and commitment in bringing the show to the stage, and giving our younger students the opportunity to shine so brightly. They capture the essence of what student leadership at Churchill is all about!

My final word of praise must go for the live band. You would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a professional pit orchestra, but these were Churchill students without a member of staff in sight! From face-melting guitar solos to chopping rhythms and delicate moments of tenderness, the band – under Lily Spry’s excellent direction – matched the action on stage and supported the performers brilliantly.

Many of these young performers will now be looking forward to the much anticipated Legally Blonde, our full school musical which is hitting the stage in 2026. Judging by the talent on show here, it’s going to be quite the show!

Transition 2024

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The music festival under the canopy has kept us entertained this week – including a guest spot from the staff band!

It has been a week of transitions at the Academy. We welcomed current Year 6 students – next year’s Year 7 – for their induction day on Tuesday and their drama day on Wednesday. The new cohort really impressed staff and students alike with their kindness, curiosity and determination as they overcame any lingering nerves to settle in well to the Academy. The threw themselves into their lessons and activities with real enthusiasm and certainly made a great first impression!

The drama day was also really impressive. Our Year 10 student leaders did a terrific job of guiding our newest students through their activities as they developed their skills and completed their devising task, leading to some really impressive performances.

On the same day, we also welcomed new staff into Churchill for their induction. We have some fantastic colleagues joining us in September, and I’m delighted to confirm that all teaching vacancies have filled with fully qualified, expert teachers who will be a great asset to the school and to our students. Many of them were able to stay on and meet the parents of next year’s Year 7s at our parent information evening the same night – despite the warm evening, we had a fabulous turn-out and really lovely feedback from families.

Finally, on Thursday, we welcomed next year’s Year 12 students for their induction. Now in their well-deserved post-exam relaxation season, it was a helpful reminder for our new Sixth Form students of the expectations and preparation required for a positive start to A-levels in September. Needless to say, they were an impressive bunch!

Meanwhile, our current students were excelling themselves with three days of summer music in the festival under the canopy, Duke of Edinburgh teams out on their expeditions, and Strictly Dance Fever wowing the crowds on Thursday evening. Our future staff and students have so many great opportunities to look forward to! And after this week of transitions, I feel like I have a really good understanding of the students and staff who will be joining us in September, enriching and strengthening our Academy even further.

High School Musical – on stage!

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What a show! Three casts featuring over 150 students wowed audiences over four performances at Weston-super-Mare’s Playhouse Theatre last week. I was lucky enough to go to see it twice, but I would happily have gone again…and again!

Firstly, a confession. I love High School Musical. I was a fan when the first movie came out in 2006, to the point that I had a HSM calendar in my classroom which my tutor group bought as a Christmas present! I’ve watched all the films, and I even watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney Plus…so, yes, I am a bona fide fan. So, I was a little nervous about our production. Would we be able to do it justice?

I needn’t have worried! The show wasn’t just good – it was brilliant! The acting, the singing, the dancing, the sound, the lighting, the performance…just brilliant! The leads have a lot of work to do, bringing these huge characters to life, with some really challenging singing and a lot of lines to remember, but they did a fantastic job. From Sharpay’s self-centred narcissism, to Troy Bolton’s struggle to be true to himself against the expectations of those around him, to Gabriella’s struggle to re-make her identity, the lead actors managed to bring depth and emotion to their performances.

High School Musical is also funny – really funny. Comedy is really difficult to do on stage, but our students really committed to the script and brought it fully to life, with hilarious results! Ms Darbus’s thespians, for example, showed how the background cast, with no lines to speak, could steal a scene with a dramatic representation of, for example, an earthworm on stage. In fact, the chorus and background cast were so brilliant that I often found myself watching them (and cracking up!) even whilst the leads were performing in front.

The key to the show, of course, is the music. The band were incredible, totally on point from the big showstoppers to the short interludes, giving a really strong platform for the singers and dancers to shine. And wow, did they shine! The solos, harmonies and chorus numbers blew the audience away. There were so many great tunes that it’s impossible to pick a favourite, although “We’re all in this together” is the number I’ve found myself humming in my head all week.

The Dance teams showed why practice makes perfect, nailing every move with energy and commitment – and some pretty impressive acrobatics! It was also great to see our performing arts captains taking lead roles in the production, with dance captains Matilda Nicholson and Lydia Wilson leading their teams with great distinction. And the younger students, learning from the senior students’ example, showed that the future is bright!

I also need to pay tribute to the staff who made it happen. The amazing team in performing arts have put everything into building the platform that enabled our students to shine on stage, and they have been supported by a whole-school effort to get the show on the road. The performances this week have shown that all those hours, the sacrifices, and the struggles have been worth it.

I could go on and on about how brilliant the show was, and I almost certainly will for months and years to come. The memories that our students have made will last a lifetime, and the experience that they gave the audiences will do the same. But what the show really did for me, in a time of stretched budgets, narrowed curriculums, and a challenging educational landscape, was reinforce why the arts really, really matter. A show like this does everything that education should do: its shows students that hard work pays off; that a team that works together is stronger than the sum of its parts; that full commitment leads to a better performance; and that you can be anything you want to be, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary. The students have learned a million lessons through the experience of High School Musical, and they are all walking taller as a result.

In the words of the song:

Everyone is special in their own way
We make each other strong
We’re not the same
We’re different in a good way
Together’s where we belong

We’re all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We’re all stars
And we see that

We’re all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true

I can’t say it any better than that!

The power of music to change lives

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Last summer, the government published “A National Plan for music education.” Whilst schools are crushed under the weight of non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education, telling schools they should be doing this, or they should be doing that, this was one plan that I could fully support. The ministerial foreword says:

Excellent music education opens opportunities, but it is not simply a means to an end: it is also an end in itself. It gives children and young people an opportunity to express themselves, to explore their creativity, to work hard at something, persevere and shine. These experiences and achievements stay with them and shape their lives.

From The Power of Music to Change Lives: a national plan for music education, June 2022

I found myself in the unusual position of being inspired by a piece of government guidance!

I grew up playing instruments, having lessons on the piano and guitar throughout my school days. I was in bands and ensembles from primary school, through university and beyond. When I completed my newly qualified teacher year, I bought myself a saxophone as a “congratulations” present to myself, alongside a challenge to learn to play it well enough to be in the band for my school’s production of Bugsy Malone in the next academic year.

Since then I have played in pit bands for school productions of Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Return to the Forbidden Planet (three times!) and more. I’ve directed – and even written! – musicals. I’ve played in big bands, covers bands, rock bands and jazz groups. There’s nothing quite like playing with others, sharing never-to-be-repeated moments in live performance, where the interactions and interplay between the musicians and the audiences create that unique moment in time for all involved.

This is why I am pleased to see the Department for Education prioritising music education. There is a recognition of the contribution that music makes to the economy, and the careers that can be pursued within the music industry; this is, after all, a government document. But it is also clear that a good quality music education is a right for all our young people.

We are fortunate at Churchill to be building on a firm foundation, with an established strength in the musical life of the school, supported by the North Somerset music service and, more locally, the amazing support of Churchill Music. Our partnership with Churchill Music continues to thrive, not least in the Churchill Young Musician of the Year competition which took place on Monday.

This competition, along with the wealth of musical activities across the school, shows that music is at the very heart of our education at Churchill – and will continue to be there, whether or not the government issues non-statutory guidance to tell us that it should be.

Rock of Ages

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There are many, many privileges in being a Headteacher, but one of the unparalleled joys of the role is seeing your students absolutely smash it out of the park. I’ve seen it on the sports field, I see it in classrooms, I see it in exam results; this week, I saw it as the casts of Rock of Ages melted the faces of enthusiastic audiences from the stage of the Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare.

The musical – which ran in its original version for 2,328 performances on Broadway – is set in the Los Angeles rock scene of the 1980s. Big hair, big egos and rock’n’roll excess are the order of the day, as aspiring rock star Drew (Brett Kelly/Matt Lucas) and wannabe actress Sherrie (Ivana Eamesova/Nina Campbell) try to make it big. Along the way they are variously helped and hindered by the big characters of LA’s Sunset Strip, against a backdrop of a threat to the Strip’s very existence from the wrecking ball of arch efficiency-enthusiast Hilda (Emma Cekaj/Maddie Pole). The whole affair is punctuated by songs from the classic hair-metal bands of the period – Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Journey and more.

These are some big songs, with big tunes and big notes, which need big performances – and the students delivered. In fact, such is the talent on display that the show had two casts, each as fantastic as the other. Each performance also featured two bands – one on-stage, and one in the orchestra pit – and those bands were different each night as well! They were note perfect, nailing every riff and solo in perfect synchronisation with the on-stage action.

The main cast were simply amazing, but what made the show for me was the strength in depth. The dancers, chorus, and hilarious cameo performances had the audience in raptures. The costumes, make-up and hair (there was some REALLY big hair!) were all amazing, and the behind-the-scenes crew ran the production like a well-oiled machine – sound, lighting, props and set were all exemplary.

One of our priorities over the past few years has been developing leadership skills in our students. Well, here it was: students selling programmes, students directing scenes, students running the bands, running the backstage, running the show. Students working with one another across years, across houses, across friendship groups, supporting one another in a massive team effort. It was no surprise that the other cast was packing the back row of the balcony to cheer on those on stage when they were “off” – that is the spirit which this production has created, and it ran through the theatre like electricity.

I did have a word with Mr Buckley, Director of Performing Arts and this production, about the propensity for his shows to coincide with major incidents. You may recall that Singin’ in the Rain was almost derailed by the Beast from the East snowstorm in 2018; Sweeney Todd went on stage in 2020 just before we were all locked down by the pandemic; and this year’s show coincided with Storm Eunice bringing a red weather warning and winds of over 90mph. Mr Buckley reminded me that correlation is not causation, and that the third Academy value is determination, and that I should take Journey’s advice – “don’t stop believing.” Quite right – the show must go on!

And go on it did – a thrilling, professional-standard performance, sizzling with energy and joy and the release of being on stage in a packed theatre again. I could not be prouder of everyone involved.

Christmas Concert 2021

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Christmas always comes early at Churchill, as we hold our Christmas Concert in late November! This year we were back at the Playhouse theatre in Weston-super-Mare, where we last performed Sweeney Todd in February 2020. It was great to be back!

Junior Choir in action

The Performing Arts team have been amazing in keeping music, dance and drama going through the pandemic last year, where there were restrictions on choral singing and playing woodwind and brass instruments. Thankfully, this year those restrictions have been lifted and the team have been unleashed! As a result we had performances from Brass, Flute and Clarinet ensembles, along with Concert Band, Big Orchestra and String Orchestra, giving us fantastic pieces from their repertoire including classical, modern and festive music.

There were also four choirs on the bill: the classical Chamber Choir, our Youthful Spirit gospel choir, the Year 7-10 choir and the massed ranks of the Year 7 and 8 Junior Choir which closed the show. There’s no doubt that the Junior Choir was a great way to finish the night, telling the Christmas story through music (and synchronised actions!) There were some incredible soloists fronting the choir, with Lucy Donovan, Anna Pope, Ella Phippen, Ben Marks, Ben Payne and Joe Armfelt wowing the audience!

The concert also showcased our student leaders, with Peter Skeen (Year 12) conducting Big Orchestra, Bori Gunyits and Miyah Barker (Year 13) conducting the Year 7-10 choir, Toby Wilson (Year 10) arranging pieces for Big Orchestra and String Orchestra, and the highly efficient backstage crew led by Mimi Mendl and Mia Wakeling (Year 13). All of the songs performed by Junior Choir were also composed by our students!

The first half concluded with an early showcase for next spring’s production of Rock of Ages. The stage was fizzing with energy and the double cast gave us a taste of what to expect when we return to the Playhouse between 16th and 18th February 2022 for what promises to be a spectacular show.

A huge thank you goes out to all the staff from the Academy and the Playhouse who helped get the concert together, to the wonderful audiences across the two nights, and to the amazing students who owned the stage. It felt good to be back!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

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Sweeney Todd 27th Feb 2020,What a show! Audiences last week were treated to spectacular performances of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It’s not every school that could manage a production this complex, this musically and theatrically challenging, this dark…but Churchill’s students didn’t just manage it, they pulled it off in style. Sondheim’s complex score was performed note-perfectly by the pit orchestra. On stage, the singers delivered the overlapping, rapid-fire songs with such confidence and gusto that the audience were carried along with the story, the characters and the experience of grimy, backstreet Victorian London, brought to life by the wonderful sets, costumes and production design.

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But, my goodness it was dark! Sweeney Todd is exiled for a crime he didn’t commit so an evil judge could get his hands on Todd’s daughter. The judge has Todd’s daughter committed to a lunatic asylum rather than allow her to see another man. Todd, returning, sets up a barber shop with the sole intention of using it as a trap to murder his enemies. Pie-shop-owner Mrs Lovett, allowing Todd to think his wife has died, uses the bodies of Todd’s victims as the filling for her gruesome produce, selling them to enthusiastic and unsuspecting customers. It sounds horrendous, but the show trod that delicate line between horror and humour perfectly, so that the audience were entertained throughout, even as the body-count mounted.

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The performances were professional-standard, from the lead actors to each member of the chorus. The show was double-cast, meaning that each audience got to see different combinations of actors in the lead roles. When I saw it, on the Friday night, Brett Kelly was a brilliant Sweeney. On stage for almost the entire duration of the show, his performance maintained intensity and drive from the first moment to the last. He was matched by Kornelia Harasimiuk’s Mrs Lovett, whose knockabout comedy was a horrific mask for her selfish plotting. The young lovers, Johanna (Evie Tallon) and Anthony (Bobby Rawlins) were both compelling. I must make special mention of Will Truckle’s gloriously over-the-top Pirelli, whose Italian accent was trumped by his excellent Irish; and Jessica Bailey as The Beggar Woman was a compelling presence on stage, causing gasps of realisation from the audience as her true identity was revealed.

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The supporting cast were also note-perfect. The villainous Judge Turpin (Bede Burston) and his sidekick The Beadle (Charlie Tyler) were so evil, they made the audience sympathise with the murderer-and-cannibal duo of Todd and Lovett! But the image that will stay with me is that of the young Tobias, a role shared between eight young actors across the performances. In a world of twisted morality and selfishness, Tobias’s final scene was chilling indeed.

Sweeney Todd 27th Feb 2020,What came across to me was the tremendous team effort that goes to make a production. Sound, lighting, costume, props, stage management, choreography, musicians, staff, students, parents, families…everyone contributed to the success of the show. I know how hard everyone has worked, and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into it. Well – it was worth it. Hearty congratulations to everyone involved – it was a spectacular show.

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Music at Churchill

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Over the past week I have had the pleasure of two wonderful musical experiences at Churchill. On Thursday night, I watched the culmination of the annual composition project. Our students worked alongside musicians from Worle School to write for a professional string quartet, under mentorship from composer-in-residence Sadie Harrison. Thursday’s recital saw their work performed by the Asana String Quartet, and it was a wonderful showcase of their creativity and skill. The pieces were by turns witty, melodramatic, spiky, smooth, and inventive. I was amazed!

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Last week I was at our Christmas Concerts at St Paul’s Church in Weston-super-Mare. This was a new venue for us, but we had a wonderful time there being entertained by all manner of music and musicians. See the Academy website for my full review!

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The Junior Choir rehearsing at St Paul’s ahead of the Christmas Concert

We are so fortunate to have a thriving music and performing arts department at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form. In schools up and down the country, this part of the curriculum has been cut back and reduced. We are not one of those schools! At Churchill we have four music teachers and a team of instrumental teachers keeping music well and truly alive in the school! In the Christmas Concert Programme, the music team wrote about a year in the life of the Music Department throughout 2019. This shows you how much the musical life of the Academy has to offer!

A look back at the Music Department in 2019

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The 12th annual Churchill Young Musician of the Year competition took place on Monday 28th January at St John’s Church, Churchill. This fabulous event is held in partnership with Churchill Music. The audience was treated to a varied programme by eight of the Academy’s most promising musicians, with pieces from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century from composers including Handel, Chopin. Telemann, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Kapustin. The distinguished judging panel, chaired by Susanna Stranders from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, had the difficult task of selecting the winners. More important, however, was the specific feedback the panel provided to the performers, to help them improve and develop their stage presence, engagement with the audience, and musicality.

After much deliberation – during which the audience were treated to a performance by the Academy’s Chamber Choir – the Young Musician of the Year prize was awarded to pianist Jordan Walters. Jordan, who joined Churchill in Year 12 from Priory School, played two contrasting pieces by Chopin, holding the audience spellbound with his musicality and technical prowess.

The Ursual Dornton Vocal Prize – a new award, sponsored by the Trinity Singers in memory of the much missed Churchill Music trustee – was awarded to George Derry, who also won the audience prize which was voted for on the evening. His spirited rendition of “My Name is John Wellington Wells” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer brought the house down!

The Raymond Hayter Song Prize was won by Naomi Blowers, whilst the Churchill Music Junior Trophy was awarded to Ella Hutchinson for her performance on the cello.  The other competitors – Molly Sprouting (voice), John Skeen (piano), Maisie Slingsby (flute), Molly Johnson (voice), and George Skeen (violin) – also received awards for their participation in the finals.

Following the performance, all the winning students were invited to play at the Young Artists Showcase at St Georges, Bristol.

In February, Youthful Spirit Gospel Choir gave a performance in the school hall for the charity CentrePoint. The choir also gave a performance in late March for the Friends of Axbridge Church and also supported the RNLI by giving a joint concert with Joyful Spirit Gospel Choir. Weston Hospice Care has been supported by both Chamber Choir and Youthful Spirit – Chamber Choir sang at a Charity garden party in June to help raise funds for Weston Hospice; Youthful Spirit were invited to sing at the Anniversary Service for Weston Hospice Care’s 30th year at Christ Church.

In March, members of the Music Department were fortunate to attend an open rehearsal with Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason before their recent concert for Churchill Music! Sheku played cello at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and his sister Isata is an accomplished pianist.

The visit of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) LEAP Ensemble in March was a real highlight of the Music Department’s year.  The LEAP Ensemble are all advanced students from the RBC and they wowed hundreds of people with their playing over the two days.  They worked with Year 12 and 13 A Level Music students on their compositions, impressed with their Monday evening concert at All Saints’ Church, Wrington and then entertained 300 primary school students. In January 2020, our Music Technology A level students are looking forward to visiting Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

In April, Churchill Academy GCSE students were involved in composition workshops with New Music South West; this is a venture that allows our young students to have their compositions performed by professional musicians. In addition, the workshop allows composition tutors to work with our students to experiment with different techniques and arrangement styles.

Congratulations to Chloe Phipps, Year 10, Peter Skeen, Year 9, Molly Johnson, Year12, Holly Stoneman, Year 11, Matthew Lucas, Year 8, Molly Axtell, Year 9 and Martha Withers, Year 9  who all performed and won their classes during May’s Weston Festival of Music & Drama. In addition, Chloe played in three classes on her clarinet and she won each one, with Honours, and then won the overall Senior Wind Player prize and was presented with a cup. Peter was awarded an Honours mark for his performance on the cello. Both of them played in the winner’s concert in Weston Methodist Church.

The Music Department held a 3 day Summer Music Festival in the sunshine in late June. Bands and duos from year 7 – 10 took to the stage to an appreciative audience who also enjoyed ice-creams!

Gospel Choir Lake

July saw the Gospel Choir head off on their annual tour to Austria. As always this was hugely successful and saw audiences in excess of 1000.

Many congratulations to Junior Young Musician of the Year (2018) Kimi Powell who has been awarded a Robert Lewin Scholarship from the AYM Young Musicians’ charity. He has also been awarded a place on the South West Music school’s Performance Development Programme. Kimi is an accomplished drummer and percussionist, preparing for his Grade 8 this year. We’re sure he has a bright (and loud!) musical future ahead of him.

In August, we were very proud teachers of our Year 13 Music Class who achieved 100% B Grades at A Level.

In September, we welcomed the newest member of staff to the Music Department – Miss Dalwood. Miss Dalwood is a multi-instrumentalist who has really made an impact on the department!

September also saw the start of the rehearsing for the Christmas Concert alongside the whole school musical production of Sweeney Todd, which saw around 100 students audition to be part of a cast of 50.

In November, Chamber Choir gave a very successful concert of their full repertoire at All Saints Church Weston Super Mare alongside the Trinity Singers.  This choir welcomes students, teachers and parents and really focusses on demanding sacred and secular vocal music.

All of our GCSE and A Level Music students were treated to a visit by the Lyra Trio comprising 3 Royal Academy students who gave stunning performances and then answered questions about “life as a conservatoire student”.

Our Year 10 GCSE students are currently working with the Asan String Quartet and professional composer Sadie Harrison alongside Yr 9, 10 & 11 Worle students on an annual composition project. We are very lucky to have Churchill Music! supporting the Music Department at Churchill financially for these projects and enabling our students to experience life as a musician outside a departmental setting.

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Churchill’s annual Junior Young Musician of the Year competition took place on Thursday 24th October. Congratulations to Rhiannon Allen-House, winner of the Music Maestro Junior Young Musician Competition was awarded the Colin Undery Trophy for 2019. Rhiannon alongside Oscar Vince and Aislinn Shipton are performing as part of the Christmas Concert.

This Christmas Concert is really our highlight of the year and we welcome full inclusion. The Year 7 and 8 choir Junior Choir is a great way for our younger students to enjoy the community of the Academy in a fun, sociable way. It is definitely a Churchill tradition.

Thanks to the Music Department 2019:

  • Alison Cooper-White – Leader of Learning
  • Paul Harrison
  • Jeff Spencer
  • Jessica Dalwood