On Thursday 21 st September 2021, the Gentlemen of St John’s, choral scholars from St John’s College Cambridge, performed a concert in Chapel at Haileybury to raise funds for the Mandalay School for the Deaf. £4,500 was raised by the concert and we should like to thank everyone who came to the concert and all those who donated funds to the charity. It was a huge success and a wonderful concert.
The evening’s event was introduced by a trustee and former Haileybury teacher – John Parsons who was a lifelong friend of David and Sandy. John gave particular thanks to the Master, Martin Collier for allowing use of the Chapel and to Simon Bland, Director of Music for making the event possible. He also thanked the Haileybury Society for a grant of £300 which enabled Haileybury choristers to take part in an afternoon workshop with the Gents and to perform alongside them in the evening. He went on to thank trustees Anne Dearle and Jane Everard (who is also Haileybury Society Secretary) for their work in arranging the evening.
The Gents, noted for their versatility and range of repertoire, gave a programme which included beautifully sung world-renown pieces Civitas sancti tui (William Byrd 1539/40-1623) and O pastor animarum (Hildegard of Bingen 1098-1179). They also performed some of their own arrangements, notably Salvator mundi (Alex Hopkins, b 1998) and a beautiful organ recital by first-year undergraduate and music scholar Alex Trigg, against the backdrop of Haileybury’s glorious Chapel.
During the interval, guests enjoyed sandwiches and drinks in the Attlee Room and the opportunity to buy raffle tickets and CDs. During the second half, the audience were whisked from the polyphony of the early Renaissance right through to a close harmony arrangement of modern-day classics, including superb renditions of When I’m 64 and Goodbye to Love. This part of the evening was accompanied by individual performers each giving an entertaining commentary on the various pieces and their connections to them. The concert culminated in a standing ovation by guests who were clearly delighted to have the opportunity to hear live music and mingle with friends.
Please help us provide the vital support that is needed for these children by DONATING HERE.