Congratulations to Upper Sixth Former Murray Silk, who organised and performed in an evening celebration of folk music to raise funds for the Bedfordshire Music Trust. 
Held in the Music School Recital Hall, the concert brought together a range of talented musicians to perform both traditional and lesser-known folk music from around the world, while raising £371 for the charity in the process. Attendance was far greater than Murray had anticipated; he even had to bring in more chairs to accommodate the burgeoning audience.
Murray explained, “I organised the concert as I wanted to create an event dedicated to folk music, which wasn’t really a thing at the school until now. I also wanted to create an event which was open and informal, fitting with the community nature of folk music.”
The audience enjoyed solos performed on the violin, double bass and trumpet, as well as songs in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. The audience was also treated to a delightful medley of Danny Boy, Green Grow the Rashes and Loch Lomond sang by ‘The Masters of Bedford School’.
Murray himself sang The Parting Glass, a song with both Irish and Scottish roots, and the concert’s finale was another medley, this time from the Folk Choir, comprising upbeat sea shanties Bones in the Ocean, Wellerman and Drunken Sailor.
Murray said after the event, “The concert was important for me to do as it was one of the last things I could take part in as a member of the school. Hopefully, it will inspire others to do the same.”
If you were unable to make the concert in person, you can watch all the performances in the highlights reel below.