A winter celebration of music in the Hallam Hall
The Hallam Hall glowed with warmth as the school’s magnificent musicians performed a string of stunning pieces at the 2026 Winter Concert.
Rows of chairs filled quickly as families, friends, and teachers gathered, their quiet conversations buzzing with anticipation ahead of a wonderful celebration of music.
The concert opened with the Junior Percussion setting an energetic tone straight away. Their sticks rose and fell in perfect synchronicity as they launched into ‘X Force’, a bold piece created by peripatetic staff member Mr Mark Landon that saw pupils move around the set of drums.
The ensemble then transitioned into the instantly recognisable ‘The James Bond Theme’ (John Barry), a song that had the audience tapping along.
Next the spotlight turned to Shirts Untucked, who delivered a trio of excellent pieces. Their set began with ‘No One’s Watching Me’ by Ezra Collective, a song from the London jazz quintet that features the exquisite vocals of Olivia Dean.
This was followed by ‘All of Me’, a popular jazz standard that was written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931 and the ensemble’s set concluded with a rousing performance of ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder, which brought an unmistakable burst of energy and applause.
Junior Woodwind then took their places at the front of the hall. They produced a superb instrumental version of Rod Stewart’s 1975 international hit ‘Sailing’ before moving on to Bill Haley’s well-known and infectious rock and roll classic ‘Rock Around The Clock’.
S Club Diminished Seventh were the fourth ensemble to display their dazzling musical ability on the night. Their rendition of ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Joseph Kosma and Johnny Mercer was exceptionally delivered in French, and they continued with the European theme by performing ‘From The Start’, a 2023 song by Icelandic singer Laufey.
The audience were then transported from Europe to Latin America as Junior Strings thrilled with spirited and engaging performances of ‘El Pajaro Carpintero’ and ‘El Guillo’ (both by Peter Martin).
To conclude the concert, Junior Chamber Choir beautifully sang three lovely pieces.
They started with Cristi Cary Miller’s ‘A Joyful Sanctus’ before lending their excellent vocals to Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’ – the second, but absolutely welcome, time this song made an appearance on the night.
The final song performed by the First and Second Year singers was Emily Crocker’s ‘Exsultate Justi’ – a beautiful and fitting end to a great night of music.
A selection of videos from the concert can be found on the school’s YouTube channel.
