Musical surprise for Cranleigh primary schools

Musicians from Cranleigh School joined the Merriman Concert Orchestra to perform show-stopping overtures and tunes from E.T., James Bond, Fantasia, and the Harry Potter and Star Wars series. And of course no magical movies concert would be complete without a medley of tunes from Frozen.

Pupils from Cranleigh C of E Primary, Park Mead, St Cuthbert Mayne and Cranleigh Preparatory School were spellbound by the sounds of a full-blown orchestra.

Mr Marcus Pashley, Director of Music at Cranleigh School and concert conductor said: “It’s always wonderful to see the excitement of a child’s first experience of a huge concert orchestra, and especially when the music is familiar to them. We thoroughly enjoyed performing and they were a delightful audience.”

The James Bond music (featuring pupils Harrison White and George Wilkinson) was given a huge ovation and in a Harry Potter sequence Richard Saxel (Head of Keyboard) introduced the celeste, which famously features in the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’. This was one of three pieces from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ used in ‘Fantasia’. The packed hall responded especially enthusiastically to the ‘Trepak’, with the speeding up to the thunderous climax leading to much swaying in the seats.

The concentration of such young listeners spoke volumes for the intensity of the music making, which ended with ‘Star Wars’. The loud applause was earned by all the players, not least the trumpets, led by brass coach Tony Adie and with Cranleigh pupil Noah Frett by his side (Tim Ayling joined the horn section), and the violins led by Kevin Weaver, Head of Strings.

Report and picture contributed by Cranleigh School.