Last Thursday, a very lucky audience was treated to the first formal concert of the year. The opening number, 'Swinging Through The Trees’, delivered with huge enthusiasm by a self-choreographed exuberant vocal nonet, set the scene for an eagerly anticipated animal themed concert.

We were transported around the world in our animal quest, embarking on a jungle safari, to the strains of ‘Wan’na Be Like You’ and ‘The Bare Necessities’ from The Jungle Book (performed with gusto by Five Foot Six and Green Shoots respectively), and caught a glimpse of ‘The Elephant’ in the Carnival of The Animals (performed by Highly Strung, featuring William W as soloist on his double bass).

We joined Savannah D in conjuring up images of her namesake in Africa, with its watering holes, as she performed ‘The Hippopotamus’ on her clarinet, better known to us as ‘Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud’, a perfect opportunity for audience participation! The pace was relentless, as we skipped a few continents, heading off for ‘Hunting Tigers in India’, a fabulous throwback tune arranged by Chuff for his ensemble, including vocals from Edward M.

After all that heat, we cooled off in the Arctic, listening to penguins sliding around over the ice, in ‘Penguin Pilots’ played by Clemmie M on the piano, before traveling closer to home, and enjoying lyrical solo performances of ‘Blanche The Owl’ by Tallulah S and 'Bird’s Lament' by Emily H, as well as solo flute performances by Emily and Audrey H, along the way.

What a magical treat of an evening! Huge thanks to all the teachers who prepared their pupils for the concert, to Chuff for his endless imagination, and to the children for rising to every challenge and entertaining us in such style!

Teresa Henderson