British youth music groups offer free concerts across Andalucía

Culture

Leighton Park School Orchestra from Reading and The Westminster Boys' Choir are both giving concerts this coming week

Jennie Rhodes

Two youth music groups from the UK are offering concerts in Andalucía in early July. Leighton Park School Orchestra from Reading and The Westminster Boys' Choir are both giving concerts this coming week.

Leighton Park School Orchestra is giving its first free concert on 5 July on Nerja's Plaza de España at 9pm. It is then in Almuñécar on Monday 6 July in the town's Majuelo park at 10pm, before the orchestra heads to Cadiz for a concert at 9pm on Wednesday 8 July in the Claustro de Santo Domingo in Jerez de la Frontera. They move on to Plaza de España in Medina-Sidonia for the final concert at 9.30pm on Thursday 9 July.

The Leighton Park School is bringing 56 student musicians with orchestra, choir, jazz band and several soloists, offering the public a varied programme.

The repertoire includes Andalucía by John Glenesk Mortimer, selections from the musical Cabaret, Viva La Vida by Coldplay, excerpts from In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance, Tico Tico, Friend Like Me by Alan Menken, and Children of Sanchez by Chuck Mangione, among other pieces.

Conducting the groups will be Rosemary Scales, director of music and media at the school, who told SUR in English ahead of the trip that while the school has regularly toured other countries in Europe since 2008, this is the first time they are performing in Spain.

“The idea is that it's cultural as well,” she explained, adding that the international student and teacher community at the boarding school is looking forward to “making memories through music and friendships for life”. As well as the concerts the group will be experiencing a flamenco workshop and visiting the Alhambra palace in Granada, among other planned activities.

Westminster Boys' Choir

The Westminster Boys' Choir, one of the most renowned young choral groups in the UK, is offering three concerts in Andalucía this July, with performances in Marbella, Malaga city and Granada Cathedral.

The tour begins on Tuesday 7 July at the Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación church in Marbella at 8.45pm. It will continue on Wednesday 8 July at the María Cristina hall in Malaga city at 7.30pm and conclude on 11 July at Granada Cathedral, where the concert will also start at 7.30pm.

The concerts will allow the public to enjoy one of the most prestigious youth choirs in Europe, linked to the historic Westminster School in London. Under the direction of Rebecca Thorn, the ensemble will offer well-known choral pieces together with contemporary compositions by some of today's most prominent composers.

The programme includes Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, and pieces by Howard Goodall, John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Will Todd and Eric Whitacre and organ accompaniment by Alex Aitken. Admission is free until capacity is reached.

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