In this, the third of our Winter Recital series of posts, we bring you a seasonal performance by Josh Vizor and Amelia Sampson – an arrangement of the traditional Christmas song 'Winter Wonderland'.
Amelia (whose solo performance we'll feature in a forthcoming post – subscribe to make sure you don't miss it) and Josh (featured earlier this week) both study Music Technology A level – which covers not only aspects of performance, but also of music recording and production.
'Puppetry' was the title of the Upper Sixth Drama Class's original piece – combining satire and surrealism, as various items of footwear were pressed into service in unusually emotive (not to mention digestive) ways. Watch the video, below (or on YouTube).
Next up, the first half of the ensemble dance performance that closed the recital. Featuring not only Sixth Formers, but also students from the International Study Centre, here's d'Overbroeck's Dance Club performing Dancin' Into Disturbia:
Passion, drama, intimacy, flirtation, virtuosity ... and one resonant belch*.
Any account of Tuesday's Winter Recital needs to acknowledge not only the high level of musical, dramatic and dance talent on display – but also its variety.
From the emotional intensity of a classical piano sonata to brilliantly understated, intimate voice-and-guitar vignettes, the audience was moved in many senses, and in many directions.
In recognition of the fantastic diversity of the performances, and their quality, we'll be publishing a series of video clips throughout the coming days. The best way to make sure you don't miss out? Receive new posts by email, or subscribe to the RSS feed.
Without ado, here's the first video – featuring Josh Vizor (guitar and voice) accompanied by Gidon Fineman (piano).
The song, Josh's own, is 'She's A Girl':
* The belch in question – need we clarify? – was delivered with immaculate taste and aesthetic poise – as part of the Upper Sixth Drama Class's piece, Puppetry (photographed at the top of this post, video to come, later in the week).
Beyond Vision is a new exhibition of paintings by Sharon Wyper – who teaches Art at the Sixth Form.
Previously shown at British Association of Science festival in Liverpool, city of culture, the work is now being shown in Oxfordshire for the first time.
Concerned with seeking what is 'beyond', Sharon's work engages with subjects such as the cosmos beyond the clouds, the molecular world beyond that which we can see with our eyes, and the spiritual beyond the physical:
'In my sky paintings I show stars that would not normally be visible in the daylight. I use star maps for precise locations and times that correspond to the making of a particular piece of work so that the painting is also a record of the painting’s history. For me the sky’s layers are metaphors for revelation and for the constancy of a Divine light that appears through a turbulent world of flux.'
As well as teaching at d'Overbroeck's, Sharon is artist in residence at Diamond Light Source – the UK's newly-build synchrotron (a particle accelerator, and the country's biggest investment in science for more than 40 years).
Dates: Wednesday 3 December to Wednesday 17 December Location: The O6 Gallery, John Mason School, Abingdon, Oxon. OX14 1JB Opening hours: 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
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