You do not usually expect to be able to listen to a recital given by an internationally renowned concert pianist on a run-of-the-mill Monday lunchtime, but that is exactly what boys, staff and parents were treated to on Monday, when our Piano Music Fellow, Steinway artist Simon Callaghan visited the school on Monday 7 November.
During the morning, Simon took masterclasses with groups of solo pianists from across the school, where he listened to them play and gave his expert feedback on various aspects of performance.
During the lunch break, he played a varied repertoire to a packed Recital Hall. Before he began playing, he introduced the three pieces, putting them into a historical context and giving the listeners an insight into why he picked them in particular, and what to look out for in his playing. Beginning with Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 Op. 13 (Pathetique), he played with tremendous flair and emotion – you could have heard a pin drop in the quieter passages. The programme ended with extracts from Schumann’s Carnaval, Op. 9, which he explained was one of his very favourite pieces to perform, and which closed with a fortissimo finale, an ending which he said would be “impossible to miss!”.
In the afternoon, he worked with the Vivace Trio, a piano ensemble formed of Harry L’Estrange (violin), Fraser Morgan (cello) and Sam McMurran (piano), with a small audience of boys in attendance. The boys benefitted from Simon’s advice about playing in small ensembles, how to best listen to each other while playing, which parts were timekeepers and which instruments should come through at various points. The session was inspiring and a lot of fun.
Mrs Hanja Bantock, Head of Piano, commented, “The visit from piano fellow Simon Callaghan was an inspiration for the Music Department. Simon worked constructively and in detail with the Bedford School pianists and the Vivace Trio in masterclasses throughout the day. The boys performed with musical integrity and Simon commented on their positive attitude and intelligent responses. It was also a joy for many Bedford School musicians to listen to Simon’s distinguished solo piano performance at lunchtime.”
We look forward to his next visit with anticipation!