Composer watches Exeter School perform his piece at Exeter Cathedral

The Exeter School Junior Choir, Middle School Choir and Senior Choir joined together with friends of Exeter School for a wonderful Choral Society concert in Exeter Cathedral on Thursday 17 March.

The concert began with Paul Patterson’s Magnificat, conducted by Director of Music Mr Tamblyn. This was a challenging and exciting piece for the choir to learn; everybody enjoyed perfecting the rhythmic and harmonic complexities, and thrilled by the eight-piece brass band and two percussionists, who added real drive and verve to the music.

We were honoured to have Mr Patterson, an internationally renowned composer, and former member of Exeter School Symphony Orchestra, present in the cathedral to hear the performance. As former Director of the Exeter Festival for ten years, he said he had put on many concerts in Exeter Cathedral over the years but this was the first time he had listened to his own piece being performed. Mr Patterson said he was impressed with the Choral Society’s energy and felt very moved to attend the concert in Exeter.

The Magnificat was followed by Karl Jenkins' Adiemus, skilfully performed, with exuberance and a real sense of excitement by the massed forces of over 100 members of Junior Choir and Middle School Choir, under the direction of the brilliant Mrs Guthrie.
Upper Sixth Former Hannah Francis’s flute solo drifted effortlessly over the orchestra, providing a lyrical and sensitive accompaniment to the choir.

After the interval Assistant Director of Music Tom Brimelow conducted a grand end to the concert, with Fauré’s Requiem. The whole choir took great pleasure in learning this masterpiece and the standard of the performance was truly remarkable.

Upper Fifth Former Zeb Cobb delighted the audience with a mature interpretation of the baritone solo in the Libera Me while Upper Sixth Former Rebecca German sang the famous Pie Jesu soprano solo. Head of Modern Foreign Languages Mick Latimer’s performance in the Offertory demonstrated his superb musicality and a violin solo by Upper Fifth Former Oran Friar resonated throughout the cathedral, accompanying the choir with great subtlety and musicality.

The younger singers joined Choral Society for the last movement, In Paradisium, sounding just like the chorus angelorum in the text they were singing.

The concert was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by singers and audience alike. Thank you to all the staff who made it possible!