London Mozart Players
On the 17th December, Grace and I had the amazing opportunity to sing with the London Mozart Players and professional singers in a rendition of ‘The Messiah’ by Fredric Handel. We only had three rehearsals; two before the big day and one the day of the concert. They were short but intense which made us appreciate the amazing professional singers who sang with us. The concert was a revamp of Handel’s classic with a brand-new presentation, and the audience was seated in the main stalls, in a circle around the orchestra and in the choir stalls – making it an immersive and intimate experience. The choir (which comprised of us, professional singers and three other sopranos chosen from other South London schools) sang each movement from a different spot in the auditorium. Singing with a professional choir and hearing the magnificent solos, and singing in a less conventional form, was an incredible experience that we will never forget. Zaynah, Year 12
BBC Radio Broadcast From Croydon Minster
On the 20 December 2022, The BBC held a radio broadcast at Croydon Minster which celebrated the feast of the Holy Innocents. A selection of older students from the Minster Choral Foundation were chosen, including twelve from Old Palace. Some musical highlights included a magnificent piece called ‘Lullaby’ by the late Martin How, sung by a full chorus of sopranos at the start of the broadcast. The closing piece ended in high spirts with Mack Wilberg’s joyful arrangement of the carol ‘Ding Dong merrily on High’ celebrating the music of the Christmas season. It was my second BBC Broadcast and a really exciting experience. Mayowa, Year 10
Concert at Westminster Cathedral
On 10th January, students from the Croydon Minster Girls’ Choir and Whitgift Chamber Choir were given the amazing opportunity to sing in a concert at Westminster Cathedral along with the Gabrieli Consort and students from other London schools. The event was called In Dulci Jubilo, celebrating Christmastide and the 400th anniversary of the great composer Micheal Praetorius’ death. The project consisted of 2,000 young singers participating in eight performances alongside the Gabrieli’s world-class musicians. It was really interesting to hear several unusual Baroque instruments and fun to be part of such a huge performance. Grace, Year 10
