Last night saw the culmination of the Online Inter-House Music Competition, held remotely over Teams and attended by over 180 members of the King’s community.

Each House selected two entries from Round 1, held remotely last week, to go forward to represent the House in the Final. The variety of performances included was incredible, ranging from opera and folk song through to popular music, DJ and sampling! I was particularly impressed with Houses who had managed to record an ensemble remotely, and particular congratulations go to the pupils involved in the editing and mixing of these items in preparation for the competition. It was wonderful to have a whole school community event happen once again, albeit remotely, and to feel the tangible sense of community at King’s that we all love and miss during this period of national lockdown. Our esteemed adjudicator was Lt Gen (Ret'd) Anthony Palmer CB CBE, a former Senior Warden at King’s who happens to be an excellent musician.
Ashley Marshfield - Director of Music

“It was a great pleasure to judge the Inter-House Music Competition. With such a varied selection of styles and talent on display, it was no easy task. There were some excellent individual performances, but the Houses that provided ensembles scored highest, especially when combined with a high standard of musicianship. At the end of the day, the judgement of musical performance is subjective. A different day and a different judge might well have produced a different result. As the Headmaster said, the point of the competition is more about participation than winning.”
Lt Gen (Ret'd) Anthony Palmer CB CBE

“My thanks go to our former Senior Warden, Anthony Palmer, for adjudicating the Remote Inter-House Music Competition, and to Mr Marshfield for all his organisation. It was a wonderful evening, showcasing both the musical talent of our pupils, and their willingness to contribute for their House. The Inter-House Music Competition has always been a key event in our school calendar, and I am delighted that we managed to produce such an enjoyable remote version this year.”
Ian Wilmshurst - Headmaster

The performances were:

• Wellesley House:
  Charlotte - Somewhere only we know (arr. Charlotte)
  Juliette - Writing’s on the wall (Smith)
• New House:
  Dylan - The Sacrifice (Nyman)
  New House Ensemble - Inside Out (Sweeney) 
• Staff Guest Entry:
  Mr Jeffrey - Seems so exciting (June Days)
• Old House:
  George - Improvised solo
  Old House Ensemble - I want it that way (Carlsson & Martin)
• Blackford House:
  Jack - See you again (arr. Jack)
  Toby - Rosyln (Bon Iver)
• Staff Guest Entry:
  Messrs Higgs, Marshfield, Stainton & Walker - And so it goes (Joel)
• Arion House:
  Constance - Nefeli (Einaudi)
  Arion House Ensemble - Dream a little dream of me (arr. Sophie & Constance)
• Lyon House:
  Lyon House Ensemble - Africa (Toto)
  Hugo - Sonata in E minor, 1^st Movement, Adagio (J S Bach)
• Priory House:
  Elizabeth - O mio babbino caro (Puccini)
  Amelia - Skye Boat Song (arr. Amelia)

The results of the competition were:

1^st - New House                 2^nd - Arion House                3^rd - Priory House

Well done and congratulations to those involved in both Round 1 and the Final last night.