From the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester to the Royal Albert Hall in London, Xaverian Music students have had some unforgettable experiences and put on some amazing performances in this busy half term. 

On the 27th of November 2024, the Xaverian College Orchestra was invited to perform at the Music for Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, after a captivating and successful performance impressed judges at the Music for Youth Festival, held at Birmingham Symphony Hall in July this year.  

The 125-piece orchestra, which included current students, Alumni, staff, and Peripatetic Tutors, performed four pieces – Johannes Brahms’ ‘Hungarian Dance No. 5’ and the music from ‘The Incredibles’ by Michael Giacchino, directed and conducted by Andrew Levendis, Director of Music at Xaverian.   

The orchestra was also part of a Collective Project totaling 1500 musicians and singers from all around the country. Together they performed a worldwide live premiere of ‘The Colour of All Things Constant’ by Cassie Kinoshi, with lyrics by the famous poet, Belinda Zhawi, and they were directed and conducted by Sarah Freestone. The piece was commissioned by the BBC, ABRSM and Music for Youth.  

To end a spectacular concert, Sarah Freestone conducted all the musicians and choirs once again in a performance of Hans Zimmer’s ‘Earth’.   

Andrew said: “It was an honour and absolute privilege for the Xaverian College Orchestra to perform at The Royal Albert Hall. This was an unforgettable experience, one which will remain forever etched in the hearts and minds of all the musicians involved.” 

Shortly after returning to Manchester, the Music department celebrated Christmas in style with their sold-old concert in the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).  

The compères for the evening were Year 13 students, Anna Metcalfe and Sam Bishton, and the audience was filled with family and friends. We were also delighted to welcome special guests on the evening and the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham.  

Below is a full synopsis of the performances on the evening: 

• The Jazz Band dazzled the audience with a pre-concert performance of all the classics on the mezzanine above the Carole Nash recital room. 

• The concert started with fire, energy, and enthusiasm with the Concert Choir, directed by Ged Marciniak, they performed ‘Fire’ by Katerina Gimon, a thrilling piece accompanied by students playing five drums from within the choir, and a beautiful heartfelt performance of ‘Gaudete’ by Jacques Cohen.  

• Following the Concert Choir’s vibrant start to the concert, the College’s Sax Group, directed by Anthony Brown, performed ‘Lost In The Stars’ by Kurt Weill and ‘Tico Tico’ by Zequinha de Abreu. 

• The Brass Band, directed by Andrew Farrow, started their set with ‘Nimrod’ from Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, arranged by Andrew Farrow, and they finished off with the famous ‘Libertango’ by Astor Piazzolla.  

• The Clarinet Choir, directed by Ben Pinto, then played two pieces, a Movie & TV Medley, and the seasonal ‘Jingle Bells’, both of which arranged by G. Muolo. 

• Next on show were the String Orchestra, directed by Duncan Reid, the first piece they performed was the first movement of Edward Elgar’s ‘Serenade for Strings’. Following this, the String Orchestra played ‘Oblivion’ by Astor Piazzolla.  The solo violin part was performed by the leader, Khrystyna Halatiuk, she dazzled the audience with her beautiful tone, phrasing, passion and exhilarating technique.  

• The penultimate performance of the first half saw the Flute Group, directed by Jenny Dyson, perform ‘Dance of The Reed Flutes’ and the ‘Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy’ from ‘The Nutcracker’ by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  

• To end the half, the Big Band, directed by Anthony Brown, gave spectacular performances of ‘Spain’ by Chick Corea and ‘Count Bubba’ by Gordon Goodwin. 

• The second half started off with groove and swagger with the Soul Band, they were directed by Adam Hutchins, the students performed ‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’ by Etta James, ‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’ by Simply Red and ‘Sir Duke’ by Stevie Wonder.  

• The Chamber Choir then filled the concert hall with their sweet sounds, directed by Eleanor Jarvis and accompanied by Louis de Satgé, they sang ‘In Bethlehem Above’ by Yshani Perinpanayagam. After their first song, Sam Bishton, an exceptional music student, conducted the choir with one of his own compositions, ‘I Will Wait’. The Chamber Choir ended their set with ‘Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day’ by John Gardner.  

• Next to perform were the Latin Percussion Ensemble, directed by Laurie Agnew, they dazzled the audience with ‘An Exploration of Rumba’, Cuban’s Folkloric by Laurie Agnew, and ‘Oye Como Va’ by Tito Puente. 

• Preceding the last performance of the night, the Gospel Choir sang ‘Amazing Grace’, arranged by Kingdom Choir and ‘Joy to the World’, arranged by Lydia-Faith Smith. The Gospel Choir have two musical directors, Lydia-Faith Smith and Peniel Amegee.  

• The Orchestra, fresh from performing at The Royal Albert Hall at The Music for Youth Proms, ended a wonderful concert with powerful performances of ‘Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ by Hans Zimmer, ‘Hungarian Dance No. 5’ by Johannes Brahms and ‘The Incredibles’ by Michael Giacchino.  

• Before the audience gave a standing ovation, the Orchestra played Leroy Anderson’s Christmas classic, ‘Sleigh Ride’, as an encore.   

Music performances are a notable feature of life at Xaverian for students who are interested in music as an enrichment activity or who study Music A Level or Music Technology BTEC as one of their subjects.  

As one of the largest providers of post-16 education in the region, Xaverian College offers an extensive range of A Levels in addition to several BTEC courses.