Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Our Final Concert

This morning the girls took part in a general knowledge quiz hosted by Dr McWatt. Congratulations to the winning team composed of Aimee, Clare, Catherine, Charlotte and Eira. After lunch they headed to Lille for some shopping and free time.
Our venue for tonight's concert was the beautiful church of Sint-Pietersabdijkirk. The choir and orchestra performed a selection of songs that showcased their range and talent. Thanks go to the concert's three conductors Jayne Thompson, Tom Evans and David Hornberger. A special mention goes to Clare Routledge as this was her last performance before leaving MTGS for university. The concert was the perfect conclusion to a successful tour of Paris and Belgium.

Monday, 13 July 2015

The Last Post at the Menin Gate

The outdoor concert scheduled for this afternoon was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. However, this evening's performance at the Menin Gate was another stunning choir performance during an emotive 'Last Post ' ceremony to commemorate fallen soldiers during WWI.
The choir was conducted by Mrs Thompson, accompanied by Mr Hornberger, Mr Evans and Miss Carr. A special mention should be given to Sophie Orr who played lead clarinet in both pieces with confidence, demonstrating her both her talent and her hard work in preparation for the service.

Notre Dame

This morning the choir performed in the prestigious venue of Notre-Dame cathedral. They sang a beautiful selection of songs including 'Ave Maria', 'Gloria', 'Cantique de Jean Racine' and other sacred pieces. The girls captivated the visitors to the cathedral with a stunning performance, including three solos from Rachel Burnett, Angelina Dorlin-Barlow and Lydia Seed. The concert was led by Director of Music Mrs Jayne Thompson.
We would like to thank Mr and Mrs Robinson and parents and family of the choir for attending the service and showing support to the students.

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Montmartre

Today the girls got to visit the beautiful Sacre Coeur basilica which stands at the top of a hill in Montmartre. They then had chance to soak up some of Paris's culture by visiting the artisan square where a variety of talented local artists and musicians were on offer.

Unfortunately, our outdoor concert this afternoon was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Back at the hotel the choir rehearsed their selected songs for their prestigious performance at Notre-Dame cathedral tomorrow morning. Staff and students are now looking forward to performing in such a fantastic venue, as well as the two concerts in Belgium tomorrow

This evening, Mr Hornberger and Miss Carr gave a spontaneous performance in the courtyard, demonstrating their wonderful talent on the cello and piano.

Saturday, 11 July 2015

Our second concert

The Tom Cats, directed by Tom Evans, played a selection of their songs to an audience in the courtyard of the hotel this evening. The concert included some fantastic solo performances which highlighted the individual talents of the group.
Miss Carr, Mr Hornberger and Mr Evans performed a variety of songs for the students and other hotel guests. The girls sang along to their selection of music and everyone was impressed. The only question is, what should the newly formed trio call themselves? 

Disneyland Paris

Today, students and staff enjoyed a sun soaked trip to Disneyland Paris. Emma and Lauren met Alice and the Mad Hatter from Wonderland and many other famous faces were spotted throughout the day, including Snow White and Winnie the Pooh! They all made the most of the weather and went on a huge variety of the available theme park rides, but still found the time to buy some souvenirs. Many of the girls, Miss Burns and Miss Ladbrook got into the Disney spirit by wearing an assortment of Mickey Mouse style ears!

Friday, 10 July 2015

Our first concert

Our first concert took place this evening in the square of Jean XXIII in Paris. The talented drum group, led by Tom Evans and Lydia Seed, opened the concert with a bang and drew in an audience. They were then treated to stunning performances by the new jazz group, the 'Tom Cats', directed by Tom Evans, the choir, conducted by Jayne Thompson and the orchestra, conducted by Tom Evans. The girls also congratulated a newly married couple who were saying their vows in the square - our students definitely made their "special" day extra special! Well done to the girls and staff!