Informal Concerts are the backbone of Farleigh’s Music Department. They are performance ‘nurseries', where less experienced pupils learn to manage the inevitable nerves they face when performing in front of a live audience, and where more seasoned performers have the opportunity to try out new repertoire. The beauty of Informal Concerts lies in the fact that performers of all ages, all experiences and all genres come together in one short performance. 

On average, these concerts take place approximately every two weeks and usually feature approximately 25 soloists, lasting around 45 minutes. As well as being a benchmark against which progress can be witnessed, they are great for the children’s confidence, from the clearly spoken introductions to the final bow acknowledging the audience's applause. At least that’s how it should happen; you’d amazed how quickly the children want to leave the stage having performed, yet they should be immensely proud of their achievement.

Each term features a ‘Pop & Rock’ Informal Concert specifically for drummers, acoustic and electric guitarists. Why do we separate these from other concerts? A good question! It simply comes down to logistics as none of these disciplines usually requires a piano accompaniment, relying on backing tracks instead. This brings its own challenges for the performers, who have to be completely secure in what they are playing as, unlike a live accompanist of Mrs Rockhill’s calibre, a backing track will not compensate for any mistakes.

This week's concert featured a number of drummers and guitarists, who acquitted themselves admirably in front of an appreciative audience. The performances were, without exception, assured and confident, with barely a beat dropped or a wrong note played. There were many highlights, with each pupil performing to the best of their ability, but a few stand in the memory a few days later: Scarlett Butterworth accompanying herself on the guitar whilst she sang Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah; Caspian Valdes-Scott’s concentration when performing Z, a regular of these Informal Concerts; the potential shown by Isobel Perry and Harry Thavenot on drums, as well as guitarists Holly Cowley, Eloise Hill and Amber Boldt; and accomplished performances from Miles Yates, Jacobi Bradley, and a number of Year 8s who have been doing this for a few years now. These are the performances to which the younger pupils aspire, another aspect of these concerts which are so vital to the lifeblood of music at Farleigh.

Marcus Reeves, Director of Music