SongFest, Eton’s annual festival of singing, took place earlier this month. Across three nights, Head of Singing Nicola-Jane Kemp provided pupils with the opportunity to show off their singing skills and demonstrate their love of music.
The first concert was the ECMS Music Theatre Concert in the Parry Hall, organised and performed by pupils, which was a celebration of classical musical theatre pieces, from Chicago to Beauty and the Beast.
A workshop with Neil Fisher followed, a well-known choreographer and director who has worked on numerous productions in many countries. Attendees learned new choreographies which they would perform in the final showcase performance.
Saturday evening saw the Open Mic Night, where pupils performed their favourite songs, ranging in genre from jazz and pop to opera.
The final concert, the showcase performance, was held in the Concert Hall as the culmination of SongFest 2022. Press Officer James M told us “as soon as I walked inside the Concert Hall, the atmosphere was electric, with the whole venue packed with people who were eager to see the performances.”
N-JPK introduced the concert, explaining that SongFest’s purpose was to “celebrate and encourage singing, no matter what kind of style”. Indeed, the Provost reminded us recently that “singing is the heart of Eton’s foundation”.
SongFest celebrates and encourages singing, no matter what style
N-JPK, Head of Singing
The incognitos, Eton’s A Cappella group started by singing Stacy’s Mom, a pop-punk song sung brilliantly with beautiful vocals by all the group members. This was followed by several solo performances singing opera-like pieces that the audience appreciated. The Pop Choir (the only choir in the school that requires no prior musical knowledge to join) then proceeded to sing their hearts out, and their performance was conducted by a pupil.
The final act was performed by those who attended Mr Fisher’s workshop. They performed and sang ‘Welcome to the Rock’ and ‘You Will be Found’, resulting in a big round of performances from the audience. All in all, it is safe to say that SongFest 2022 was a great success, with many thanks to N-JPK and the Music Department for all of their hard work to make it happen.
