Gala Concert 2018

Beau Soleil Music Centre held its 35th GALA concert in the newly refurbished City Hall on Sat 15 September. Among the highlights of the concert were the Senior Strings’ rendition of Grieg’s Holberg Suite and the Senior Band’s performance of Ravel’s Bolero, which concluded the evening. In attendance were the Minister of Education in the WCED, Mrs Debbie Shäfer and several high-ranking officials from the WCED’s Chief Directorate.

Beau Soleil String Quartet performed at the Matric farewell function after the GALA concert. They are Jordan Brooks, Bevan Snyders, Kristin Leith and Isaac van der Merwe. 

Small Ensemble Concert 2018

On 20 June 2018, Beau Soleil presented it's Small Ensembles Concert in the Main Hall at the Music Centre. This is the main concert for the 2^nd term at Beau Soleil focuses on Chamber Music and a variety of ensembles performed representing all the instrument families offered at Beau Soleil. Performance groups were the Flute Quintet, the Senior Percussion Ensemble, the Beau Soleil String Quartet, the Beau Soleil Brass Ensemble and the Beau Soleil Woodwind Quartet. In some of the ensembles, there was an opportunity for students to perform alongside their teachers.

There was also a performance from the Franschhoek Chamber Music Workshop, which featured 2 Beau Soleil students and 2 guest musicians. They presented a fine performance of the 1^st movement of Mozart’s Piano Quartet in g minor(watch here). A high performing standard was displayed throughout this interesting and varied programme.

Big Band Festival 2018

It was the 20th Anniversary of the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival this year, and Beau Soleil Stage Band was invited to perform on the last evening of the Jazz Festival.  We were 1 of only 4 schools that were to chosen perform on this prestigious evening. The other three schools that performed were Heathfield High School, Bergvleit High School and Wynberg Girls High School.

We played a variety of Soul and Jazz music namely: "All of Me" by John Legend, "A Change Gonna Come" by Sam Smith, "Together Again" by Dave Koz, "If I Ever Lose this Heaven" by Jonathan Butler, featuring Maysa, and "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" by Thelma Houston. All the arrangements were done by Mr Merlin McDonald. Also present was the Alumni Band from UCT, directed by Mike Campbell and international  jazz trumpeter, ensemble director and educator from Georgia State, Gordon Vernick and many other international jazz musicians from Sweden and the UK.

The entire concert was broadcasted live on radio, 101.3. We were very well received with positive feedback from the audience and we received a framed certificate of appreciation from the orginaisers.

Photograph credit: Geila Wills

Staff Recital March 2018

The Beau Soleil Jazz Quartet performed a selection of Jazz standards is this staff recital. Items included Swing and Latin tunes by well-known jazz greats like Dizzie Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, and two South African items. One of these, “Grazing in the Grass” was composed by Hugh Masekela, a highly influential South African Jazz performer and composer. Masekela succumbed to cancer earlier in the year and it was performed as a tribute to his contribution to South African music. The other South African item was “Nants ‘Inkululeko” by Bheki Mseleku, an entirely self-taught jazz musician and composer. The Quartet featured Claire de Kock on saxophone, Victor Tichard on piano, David West on drums and Marc Röntsch on bass guitar.