The Christmas Carol Concert 2022 was in many respects one of the most successful we have had in recent memory. It was one of the best attended concerts, with a capacity audience of parents and friends in the Assembly Hall and offered the most varied selection of music. Alongside the traditional carols, the festive readings were read with great poise by Isla O’Hara, Rhiann Guy, Michael Devlin and Daniel White. Many of our ensembles of long-standing performed with great effect: Senior Choir and Junior Choir sang with clarity and energy, and the Junior Choir joined with Traditional Group in music including a Christmas Medley arranged by Mrs Watson, Ukulele Group performed Last Christmas and Happy Christmas war is over, and Languages Choir sang the French carol Quelle est cette odeur agréable.
There were many accomplished soloists in the programme: Ewan Masson on Button Accordion, Charlotte and Catherine Neill playing clarinet, Oscar McMichael playing flute, Anna Maguire playing harp including a beautiful arrangement of Moon River, and Ryan McNeill played piano. All had prepared diligently, and it was very rewarding to see their confidence in performance grow. We had a memorable, and poignant reminder of wider events, when Kateryna and Yuliia Makariuk recently come to the school, sang a carol in Ukrainian, On Christmas Day. Many of our senior singers gave very enjoyable and polished performances: including Azura Rice with Mary did you know?, Holly Deane with I wish you Christmas, and Tiana O’Kane and Malachy Kitson with the duet Baby its cold outside. Quite unusually for the Christmas concert, we had songs from each end of the year groups: the Senior Boys, ably abetted by Mr Lee, sang Swing Carol with considerable style; and the entire Year 8 sang Let it snow! and Winter Wonderland with much festive energy.
One of the most positive developments in Music at school in recent years has been the growing number of rock bands, and this was reflected with the four bands that performed. The Year 8 Band, Jude Holmes, Lewis McIlmoyle, Jack McGookin, Nathan Maguire and James Donaghy played Rock Medley. The Year 9 Band, Caleb McKenzie, Benjamin Cromie, Charlie Kingsbury, Kady-Rose Smithson and Grace Semple performed Riptide and Chasing Cars. The Year 12 Band, Scott Hawthorne, Ethan McKinney, Adam Thompson and Joshua Hunt, performed Born to be wild and Fairytale of New York. The Senior Rock Band, Reece McDonald, Ben McCurry, Charlie O’Kane and Leo Collins performed Life is a Highway. Each of these bands brought a great buzz of excitement to the concert and it bodes well to see this aspect of music in school flourish, and in a wider sense, to see performance in school being re-established so successfully in the wake of the pandemic. We should be delighted and thank each individual performer for playing their part, no matter how small, and for attending rehearsals and preparing their contribution to making this event and all the others in school such a success. Their efforts are supported by the many staff who give generously of their time and talent directing rehearsals. Without their support such events would not be possible, and we thank Mrs Gamble, Miss Hughes, Mrs O’Brien, Mrs Watson, Mr Lee, Mr Parke and Mr Sampson.
Dr D Collins
The successful 2022 LGS Christmas Concert raised £530.15 for LIPS (Limavady Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide).
