Written by students in year 11.
On Sunday 16th November, students took part in an unforgettable concert at the Sheldonian Theatre, marking the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Oxford High School. Participating in the concert were members of the OHS community of all ages, from alumnae to Prep school students. Hundreds of audience members filled the Sheldonian to listen to music written exclusively by female composers, or written to empower women.
The concert began with Schola Cantorum singing ‘O virtus Sapientiae’, a haunting piece of plain chant written by the 12th century nun, Hildegard of Bingen.
This was followed by the world premiere of ‘Futures’, a piece for choir and orchestra, commissioned by the renowned choral composer and conductor, Bob Chilcott. This inspiring work featured a libretto by Year 11 student, Lisa Buse, and alumna, Maria Oancea, describing how OHS girls see a future where celebrating the achievements of women and girls is at the forefront of our society.
As part of the event, we were lucky enough to be joined by Anna Lapwood MBE, an OHS alumna and the official organist of the Royal Albert Hall. She accompanied her own piece, ‘An Irish Blessing’, which was sung by members of the Prep School Chamber Choir, Senior School choirs and the alumnae. She later described the evening as “extremely special” on social media and many students expressed their admiration at having met such an exceptional musical pioneer and inspiration for many women across the world.
Next, Senior Orchestra performed ‘the wife; the Woman’ which was composed by Georgie West, another OHS alumna. This piece acts as a way of highlighting the injustice of Alma Mahler’s composing career and sense of personal identity having been overshadowed by her husband (the famous orchestral composer, Gustav Mahler) when they were married.
The second half of the concert commenced with two contrasting pieces written by Ethel Smyth as part of a collection called ‘Songs of Sunrise’ to empower the suffragette movement. ‘Laggard Dawn’ is a gentle song, which was sung a capella by the Alumna and Senior Choirs. This was followed by the official suffragette anthem, ‘The March of the Women’, accompanied by Concert Band, which felt an extremely suitable song to sing at a concert celebrating women’s voices.
After hearing the Alumna Choir sing the five-part motet ‘Veni sponsa Christi’ by Leonora d’Este, the choirs then performed ‘Hymne Au Soleil’ by Lili Boulanger. Although ‘Hymne au Soleil’ was at first a challenge to learn, it definitely felt rewarding to have performed it well in the concert after so many hours of rehearsals spent learning it. A particular highlight was our own alumna, Lucy Ballard, singing an amazing mezzo-soprano solo during this piece.
Senior Choir and the alumnae continued with a piece by a more recent alumna, Susannah Foster. ‘The Road Not Taken’ is a choral work set to the poem by Robert Frost, with its simple but beautiful melodies and imitative textures creating a tranquil and reflective mood.
The evening culminated with a memorable piece performed by Senior Orchestra: ‘The Wreckers’ by Ethel Smyth, which ended the night with a feeling of pride and achievement.
Finally, Dr Foster led the audience and ensembles in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the school – a final HURRAH to OHS!
Overall, the concert was a triumph, celebrating inspirational women. It was fantastic to be surrounded by so many fellow OHS alumnae and current students and we feel that the event fully encapsulated the spirit of Oxford High School.
From us, we also wanted to say a huge thank you, on behalf of everyone involved, to Dr Foster, Miss Bastin, all composers and performers, including students and alumnae, and all other people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this concert such a success!
