After a hugely active year, the Incognitos enjoyed an end of year concert in the Parry Hall. The eight man acapella group performed a variety of songs, ranging from Oasis to Vera Lynn.
During the concert, the Incognitos performed six songs, with each member introducing a different piece, which gave a comedy twist to the evening. Etonality, a group similar but larger than the Incognitos and led by the Deputy Precentor, Dr Horseman, also performed two songs.
There are two voices on each part, with me and Rory M (B Block/Year 13) comprising the treble, Adrian L (D Block/Year 11) and Will V (B Block) singing alto, Will M (C Block/Year 12) and Paddy A (C Block) taking the tenor parts, and Luca N (C Block) and James H (C Block) on bass.
In F Block (Year 9), I’ve been lucky enough to join the Incognitos as a first treble, which was one of my dreams when starting the School. What makes the Incogs quite unique in our trade, is that we are entirely boy-led which makes our rehearsals chatty, fun and light-hearted.
As we have all known each other for a while now, we really connect as a group during performances, and we can create a stunning atmosphere as there are little creative limitations.
Keeper of the Incognitos, Will V said: “I love the creative freedom the role gives me and the chance to shape how we perform songs. It’s also taught me to listen to other people’s ideas, which has made our performances even stronger.”
Will is responsible for planning rehearsals, arranging solos, and thinking about which songs and parts will suit each singer best. “People often underestimate how much happens behind the scenes… it takes effort, but it’s really rewarding when everything comes together.”
As a group, we spent months preparing for the concert, with three rehearsals a week. We sent a promo video to the whole school, and pinned posters up everywhere, which brought the total attendance of the concert to roughly 250 people!
Reflecting on the concert, Will said: “One of my favourite moments was walking on stage and hearing the crowd cheering. Performing Goodnight Sweetheart behind the audience created such a special atmosphere.”
Will will soon be handing over the title as his last year in sixth form draws to a close. “I’m sad to be leaving,” he said. “But I’m proud of where the Incogs are now and excited for the group’s future.”
For the Incognitos, this concert was the highlight of our year. We also recently visited Japan on the Choir Tour, performing our own numbers at all of the concerts, including some in Japanese!
We hope that everyone who attended and those who may have watched it via the recording, enjoyed the evening. We are sad to part with our second treble Rory, and of course our wonderful Keeper Will, and we wish them the very best for the future.
The Incognitos are now looking ahead to our last concert of the year with the Pop Choir on the Fourth of June celebrations and hope we can continue to thrive in the coming years!
