School’s musical salute

A school is using music to mark the completion of its new buildings.

A week-long series of concerts ends tomorrow with past and present pupils of The Minster School, Southwell, performing Haydn’s Creation in Southwell Minster.

The first concert, in the school hall on Saturday night, featured the school’s concert band and members of the Arts Support Group, a group made up of young performers from Nottinghamshire.

The Newstead Abbey Singers performed at the school on Tuesday night and on Wednesday it was the turn of the Red Hot Jazz Band and Minster School Jazz Band.

Lunchtime concerts have also taken place at the school.

The school’s director of music, Mr Duncan Lloyd, said there had been good attendances at all the concerts.

“The concert with the Arts Support Group was the first partnership concert between the school and the county performers and there were around 350 people there,” he said.

Haydn’s Creation will be performed by the school’s junior department and members of the Old Southwellians’ Association.

It was last performed at the Minster School when it went comprehensive in 1976. Mr Lloyd was in the orchestra that day.

“I was playing the violin and this time I will be conducting,” he said.

“Haydn’s Creation is a great act of worship and one of the great pieces of its type.

“For me it not only celebrates the creation of the new school but also the new opportunity created by uniting the past and present pupils.”

An audience of around 450 people is expected. The concert starts at 7.30pm.

Mr Lloyd said he hoped it would lead to closer links between the school and its former pupils.

“A lot of musicians who have left the school and could not make it to the event said they would love to do something with the school in the future,” he said.

“We are hoping to set up a database of past pupils that could provide a launch pad for future events. We have a great wealth of talent among our former pupils.”