Whirlwind year for school musicians

CROMPTON House School will celebrate a year of musical success by jetting off to perform in Tuscany.

The momentous trip caps a period of achievement which sees youngsters play across the country and in the finals of a prestigious competition.

Tonight, the Rochdale Road school’s senior choir will be singing Choral Evensong at York Minster with former student Matthew Dunn on the organ.

The orchestra then takes part in the school’s summer concert on Friday, July 2 (7.30pm) in the prestigious Concert Hall of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Also playing will be the brass band and all the school choirs, who will be joined by the Pennine Singers. They feature a number of the pupils’ parents.

Former pupil Joe Donmall, now a student at the RNCM, will be the cello soloist in Jenkins’ haunting “Benedictus”.

After that, the orchestra and swing band will take part in the National Festival of Music for Youth finals in Birmingham on July 7 and 9.

Some pupils will be playing in Oldham Music Centre’s youth band, contemporary music and jazz group at the festival.

And to complete the successful year, the school orchestra is off to Italy to play a series of concerts over five nights in Tuscany.

Head teacher Elsie Tough said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the school and reflects the music department’s achievements over the past few years.

“Jack Pickford, our director of music, leads and inspires a talented team of teachers and pupils to produce music of a very high standard.”

Tickets for the Manchester gig are available from the school finance office or from the RNCM, priced £6.