Various ensembles took part in Taunton School Music Department’s inaugural Contemporary Music Concert on 12th June. The concert was a celebration of music written in the 20th and 21st centuries and included pieces ranging from experimental performance art to film music and minimalist hallmarks, as well as two world premieres by members of the department.

The concert opened with the string orchestra performing a medley of music by Joe Hisaishi from the renowned Studio Ghibli animated films. This was followed by violinists Anthony (Y13) and Matilda (Y9) performing “Atlantic Drift” by the current Master of the King’s Music, Judith Weir. The clarinet quintet then finished their successful year of music making by playing Max Richter’s famous “On the Nature of Daylight”.

Freya (Y10) provided a solo performance of Danish composer Agnes Obel’s “Chord Left” before the Chamber Choir took to the stage. Firstly, the choir performed “Balloon Game” which involved inflating balloons and letting them go, before singing Arvo Part’s haunting and minimalist “A Deer’s Cry”. This was followed by works by graduate music assistant Orlando Grant’s setting of words by John Donne, and co-ordinator of vocal and instrumental studies Zach Reading’s setting of Lord Byron’s “She walks in beauty”, written especially for the school choir. Finally, the percussion ensemble performed Philip Glass’s aptly named “Mishima/Closing”.

Congratulations to all the performers involved.