On Sunday 2 March, more than 100 pupils from Oundle School presented a classical concert at one of London’s leading concert halls.

A total of 106 pupils from Oundle School’s symphony and chamber orchestras, brass and wind ensembles and the chapel choir performed at St. John’s, Smith Square, in the heart of Westminster.

Upper sixth pupils Peter Morton (tenor), James Russell (baritone) gave solo performances, conducted by Oundle’s Head of Music Andrew Forbes and other music department staff – Angus Gibbon, Richard Kauffman, David Milsted and Alastair Tighe.

“The School last performed in St John’s in 1999 and we hope this will become a biennial event in future,” said Mr Forbes. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to perform in one of London’s major concert venues that is valued for its superb acoustics.”

Built in 1728 and restored after damage in the Second World War, St. John’s, Smith Square, is one of the finest examples of English Baroque architecture. It is known as ‘Queen Anne’s Footstool’ because its four towers perpetuate the legend that when the architect, Thomas Archer, consulted Queen Anne on the design she petulantly kicked over her footstool and snapped ‘like that!’

Oundle’s chamber and jazz orchestras have also been invited to perform the annual David White Memorial Concert at St John’s, Cambridge, in commemoration of a former pupil on Saturday 8 March. The jazz orchestra also played at a charity concert for the chairman of East Northants District Council at the Pemberton Centre, Rushden, on 7 February and will be playing at Orwell Park, Ipswich, on Thursday 6 March. Other dates include the chapel choir singing choral evensong at Ely Cathedral on Wednesday 12 March.