Thursday 16 January 2014 Congratulations to Sam Brockett, year 9, who hit all the right notes at auditions to win places in two prestigious national children’s ensembles. Multi-talented Sam plays saxophone, piano and violin and sings. She has received news that is music to her ears – she has won places in both the National Children’s Wind Orchestra (NCWO) and the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain (NCCGB). Both organisations offer residential courses in the school holidays, providing an opportunity for talented young musicians from across the country to develop their skills with specialist tutors and perform under the baton of professional conductors in top concert venues. It is Sam’s second year as a saxophonist with the NCWO, which runs a number of ensembles for musicians of varying experience, and she will be playing with a more senior group this year and performing in a concert in the West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge. Sam will be joined on the NCWO course by four other GSAL musicians. Saxophonist Robert Southby, year 8, his brother George, year 7, who plays euphonium, and trombonist Daniel Cockburn, year 9, join various wind ensembles, while Will Thornton, year 9, will be playing violin in a chamber orchestra. Sam has been learning saxophone for five years and is working towards her grade 7 exam next summer. She said: “It was really good fun playing at the NCWO course last year, working on getting the ensemble balance right and sight-reading difficult music straight away. It will be a great experience on top of all the music I do at school – I’m a member of about nine different groups so the music department is like a second home!” Sam is also working towards grade 7 singing and was delighted to have won a place in the NCCGB the first time she auditioned. General Senior School News
