Prep Schools Choral Day

Thursday 10th February, 2011

The College chapel rang to the wonderful sounds of 390 prep school students from 12 schools singing under the direction of Alexander L’Estrange.  Alexander is a composer, arranger, singer, jazz double bass player and pianist, and he has carved a successful career working in a variety of musical fields and with respected musicians around the world. For example, he has conducted thousands of children at the Royal Albert Hall for the Primary Proms, musically directed the National Youth Music Theatre in shows on Broadway and in Edinburgh, Japan and London, has shared the stage with jazz greats John Dankworth and Kenny Wheeler, as well as touring the world with The Swingle Singers. On the day, he patiently managed to create a real enthusiasm for singing and performing and, through pieces such as Si njay njay njay and Hamba Lulu from ‘Songs of a Rainbow Nation’   arranged by himself and his wonderful song This is our world, written with his wife Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, he created an exciting and moving performance. Congratulations must go to the students who worked so hard during the day, through the sectionals with Simon Williamson, Xavier Iles and Sean Farrell, and on to the performance at the end of a long, tiring, exhilarating (and wet!) day.

Many thanks to pupils, staff and parents from