December 2014 – London Concert Day-Trip

 

London Concert Day-Trip

14th December 2014

Eight students aged 13-16 participated in this project to experience the Philharmonia Orchestra performing in the Royal Festival Hall.  After an early start the first visits of the day upon arrival in London were Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey:

The walking route from Victoria to the Southbank also gave the group the opportunity to see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament:

The rest of the morning incorporated some free time at the Southbank Christmas Market, and a trip on the London Eye:

After a picnic lunch it was time to enter the Royal Festival Hall for the concert, featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra and an outstanding programme of Smetana, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky.  Arguably the highlight of the concert was Smetana’s Sarka from Ma Vlast, depicting the story of a female warrior tricking a group of soldiers to their grisly fate, a truly gripping performance from start to finish:

Our thanks go to the Jersey Arts Trust for sponsoring this and many other of the academy’s projects and events, and also the Dorothy Chapman Trust for their sponsorship of the concert tickets.