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Performing Arts Faculty

Friday 13th January 2012

As in every school, Christmas was a busy time for Manor College of Technology’s Creative and Performing Arts Faculty.

The season started with a fantastic concert on Tuesday 29th November. The first half was all non Christmas music with both the Junior and Senior Choirs singing, the windband played and many solos and small group numbers were performed. There was also the inaugural performance from the ukulele group which is sure to be a feature looked forward to in future concerts.

After the interval the tinsel appeared and we were in the throws of Christmas. A highlight was a version of White Christmas sung by Matthew Appleyard and accompanied by the ubiquitous ukele group. The concert ended with a sing a long for the audience led by the combined Junior and Senior choirs after which Mrs Davison was presented with a present as the concert had fallen on her birthday.

On the 1st December the Senior Choir performed at Oxford Road Baptist Church to raise money for one of their charities supporting children in developing countries. A number of the pupils in the choir attend the church with their families and all they all performed fantastic solos, some of them for the first time. The church hosted the choir wonderfully and drinks, mince pies and biscuits were enjoyed in the interval before the second half commenced. The concert was a great success with the audience seeming to enjoy themselves and the choir certainly did.

On the 4th December over 100 pupils and staff found themselves in school on a Sunday ready for the technical rehearsal of Fame. It was the first time that the whole cast, directors, band and tech team were together to rehearse the college production. As ever, there were a few technical difficulties but overall the rehearsal went well and everyone felt prepared for the next day. more.

Fame The Muscial

On Saturday 10th December the Senior Choir was again asked to take part in the Light up a Life ceremony at the Historic Quay for Hartlepool Hospice. Thirty members of the choir attended and lead the carol singing within the service as well as performing some music before the service and Angel’s Carol as part of the service itself. It is always an honour for the choir to be asked to take part in this commemoration at this time of year and we are very proud to have taken part.

On Tuesday 13th December the annual Carol Service took place at Stranton Church. The Junior and Senior Choir members and instrumentalists along with students who were reading rehearsed in the church during the day ready for the service on the evening.

The Service started with a prayer of dedication read by Y11 prefects as they lit a candle before the congregation heard the prophesy of Jesus’ birth. This was followed by the traditional singing of Once in Royal David’s City before the processional of the choir.

The service continued with the usual mix of musical interludes, congregational carols and readings. Beautiful solos were sung by Shannon Hogg, Jessica Adams and Emily Hanlon whilst readings were given by many different pupils. The service finished with a heartfelt wish for a Happy Christmas by Kate Lawson, Head Girl, on behalf of Mrs Malcolm and the staff, pupils, and governors of Manor College.

It was a service that was different to those which have gone before but was felt by all who attended to be the true start to Christmas.

On Thursday 15th December, members of the choir were asked to perform on HMS Trincomalee for the Christmas Crackers celebration at the Historic Quay. The choir performed in the Captain’s Cabin and the tenor and bass sections (or at least Mr Carroll and Mr Wallace) tried to avoid the low beams whilst singing.

The concept of the evening was that the choir would sing three sets of thirty minutes whilst the audience could wander in and out, visiting the rest of the ship or come and sit and listen.

The evening again was a great success and many members of the public sat and listened and joined in the carols and Christmas songs. At the end of the evening the choir were pleased to know that this was their last engagement over the Christmas period.

The final performances of 2011 took place on the last two days of term. Each year Manor College produces a Christmas Revue where any pupil can audition to perform on stage in front of the rest of the school. Y11 students had been rehearsing for quite a few weeks and had produced ‘Manor; the musical’.

They had produced dance routines to go with each subject (including detention) and involved over 20 Y11 students. The sight backstage as they organised themselves for the next number was reminiscent of the organisation of the staff panto – more on that later! The rest of the revue was made up of pupils from Y7 to Y11 and produced dancers, singers and musicians all linked incorrigibly together by Brandon and Connor in their own inimitable way!.

The audiences got into the spirit of things and really supported the acts, waving their arms, singing along and cheering. They certainly enjoyed the Ooh and Aah’s which the hosts introduced in true panto style. Each revue concluded with the staff panto which this year was based on ‘Glee’. A number of staff from many different departments from Science, English, Music, Humanities, ICT amongst others were involved and sang along to Don’t stop Believing, danced to 9-5 in a ‘country’ style, whilst the Y11’s helped out to make Sue Sylvester’s Vogue look at least halfway decent! It was all performed in good spirits and the pupils seemed to enjoy themselves.

So finally, at the end of a very long month we were finally ready to celebrate Christmas, ready for a good holiday, before starting work again, in what will hopefully be, a very successful 2012.

 

Manor College of Technolocy