Musical Musings

The story of the music department between 1989 and 2019 often comes to mind when I come across former students still playing and singing at a local, national and international level

Vivid memories are many but I'll be brief. In 1991 we went big for the Mozart bicentennial with a concert in Rochester Cathedral - filling all 900 seats. Sixth formers performed solos/concerti with the senior orchestra, and it was the first outing for the Adult Choir (more Mozart). We followed this with a choir tour of Salzburg where we sang mass in the Nonberg Abbey after a nearly 24 hour coach drive.

We were back at Rochester in 1993 - again all 900 seats ! We set a pattern with a big outside venue concert one year and a production the next.

Productions with English teacher Lesley Whitwood started with Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience and two years later Pirates. Both working with Judd boys. But 1996 was the King & I fully staged with full orchestra and a great cast many of whom are still in the business at the time of writing. These went on until 2002 with The Sound of Music.

I always liked a themed concert so we had a series of 'The Glory of ….' Concerts. There was Christmas in St Nicholas Church Sevenoaks, and Italy where the Italian theme included Mendelssohn's bubbly symphony. …Movies was in school needing readings, tech and lighting as we explored music in film.

I was lucky to have a big senior choir but thought we needed a chamber choir with a more focused ambition TGS Motet Choir was born 1991/2 and sang in local and national competitions, collaborated with other choirs, most memorably in Somerset with Downside School and the late Benjamin Luxon.

Then in 2007 we reached the national finals of the School Choir of the Year on BBC One in a snowy Manchester and we had no idea that this would lead to over a decade of TGS being ranked amongst the top 6 school choirs in the UK. As the fame of the choir grew we were singing all over the country. We started a link with Barnardos UK singing at the London Chamber Orchestra concert at St John's Smith Square as winners of Barnardo's Choral Competition.

I affectionately recall the big alumni concert for the Centenary of the School with lots of music from around 1905.

But for me the musical highlights were the International competitions in 2015 in Magdeburg Germany and 2017 in Riga Latvia. World class choirs, friendship concerts, expert workshops and different cultures mixing through music, friendships made and to top it all TGS Motet won gold and silver medals in the Champions Competition.

So many memories and thanks to the many people who supported music over the years - the staff, pupils, and parents! May the TGS120 bring many more.

Adrian Pitts Head of Music 1989-2004

Assistant Headteacher 2004-2019