Each September, our new and returning students bring with them an exciting and often surprising range of instruments and musical talents. In Week 1, our ‘Introduction to IC Music’ session provided an opportunity to break the ice and uncover these talents, led by a performance from our multi-talented visiting music teacher, Diego Soncin.
Before long, over half of the students at the College had begun one-to-one music lessons, some taking place in the College itself and others with instrumental specialists at the Senior School. Several bands and ensembles were swiftly formed, with students successfully auditioning for the Becket Singers or Chapel Choir, while others took on roles in Legally Blonde.
Our first ‘billed’ event of the year was Filmhouse, which involved students composing film soundtracks at the Malthouse Theatre alongside a group of professional string players and two other Canterbury schools.
From Lunar or Orthodox New Year through to Christmas, music plays a vital role in marking key celebrations at the IC. In September, we were privileged to enjoy a performance of 水调歌头 (Shui Diao Ge Tou) by Richard and Yuantong on vibraphone and piano for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Our first large-scale show was our ‘Showcase Concert’ in the Malthouse on Saturday 12th October. Memorable performances included Minnie and Iakov’s stirring ‘All I Ask of You’ from Phantom, Jacob and Laizhi’s ‘Horse Racing’ on flute and erhu, and a new original song, ‘You Beside Me’, written by Amy Liu.
Between our ‘headline’ music events this term, songs and live performances have soundtracked College life, with favourite assembly singalongs including Country Roads, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and the popular (and delightfully ear-wormy) Mango Mango. The fledgling staff choir came together for a Christmas performance of Winter Wonderland and The Andy Man—a parody of Willy Wonka’s The Candy Man, specially written as a farewell to the much-loved Head of Malthouse Catering, Andy Snook (“The Andy Man can ’cos he mixes it with love and makes the school taste good”).
Among the IC staff, we are fortunate to count several talented musicians. Mrs Socci, an award-winning flugelhorn player, delivered a moving rendition of The Last Post at Remembrance. Meanwhile, Mr Molloy, who takes a group of our students weekly to rehearse with the King’s Chorus, performed as a vocalist with them in the marvellous KSC Christmas Concert at Shirley Hall. It was a delight to see several former IC students singing in the Chorus at the same concert.
On concert trips, our students were mesmerised by Carlos Acosta’s Cuban-styled Nutcracker and enchanted by a stunning performance by leading Baroque violinist Rachel Podger, thanks to the Canterbury Music Club. Next term, we look forward to starting and continuing collaborations with other local schools, including performances for Lunar New Year at a local primary school and contributing to the chorus for Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School’s Malthouse production of Les Misérables.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the IC Spring Concert in March, when the Theatre stage will be transformed into the streets of Paris and New York for a transatlantic programme of music and dance. Looking further ahead, our Filmhouse collaboration will culminate in May 2025 with a film premiere at the Malthouse Theatre. Additionally, the IC Culture and Summer Fairs will provide opportunities to showcase students’ music ‘in the open’ amid the surprisingly resonant acoustics of the IC courtyard.