Covent Garden - Saturday 2nd February

Date: Monday 4 February 2008

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous parent, it proved possible for the whole of the Middle Fifth GCSE Music class (19 pupils), with Mr McDade and Ms Ockenden in charge, to visit the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, for a Saturday afternoon of ballet, rather than Grand Opera.

A swift and easy coach journey left a little time for Saturday shopping before three separate productions evoked different responses from the SES members of the audience. Performance One was a setting of 'Chroma' by Joby Talbot, described by JJVO as a modern, minimalist piece, both 'sinuous' and 'sensuous'. Then came Schoenberg's 'Different Drummer' - 'painful'!!!

The highlight was the finale, a staging of Stravinsky's 'Sacre du Printemps' - 'Rite of Spring' described universally as 'fantastic'.

An equally easy return journey brought the party back to School by 5.00pm - in time to watch England collapse against Wales at Twickenham.