Last night I attended the Summer Concert at Baldragon Academy. This is always an entertaining evening, and last night was no exception.
A range of groups made music from a wide variety of genres; from the String Ensemble playing a movement from Dvořák's New World Symphony to the Soul Band's rendition of Jess Glynne's 'Hold My Hand'.
Interspersed with the bands and groups, senior pupils played their Higher and Advanced Higher Music solo performance pieces.
The stand out solo performance for me was TJ Douglas Welsh's moving rendition of the song 'Defying Gravity' from the musical Wicked. TJ will be performing this later in the summer with Dundee Schools' Music Theatre.
It was also good to hear younger pupils performing including pupils from Baldragon's cluster Primary Schools. I was very impressed with the Trombone Solo from S1 pupil Natasha Borsch and the enthusiasm and pounding rhythms from the P7 Samba Percussion Group from Sidlaw View Primary School.
Once again this concert demonstrated the strength of the Music Department at Baldragon Academy and the fine support from the peripatetic instrumental tutors and city wide bands and orchestras. They are clearly very effective at nurturing musicality amongst the pupils at Baldragon and its cluster primary schools.
I am just back home after attending a fun night out at the Whitehall Theatre. I had been tapping my toes to the thoroughly entertaining all singing and dancing performance of "Grease".
This was the third of the summer musicals performed in successive weeks by Dundee Schools' Music Theatre. This time it was the turn of the Back to Back older group of pupils and immediate FPs making their final appearance before heading off to pastures new.
The company maintained a high standard of singing and dancing with the chorus complementing the lead players. There was a strong standout performance from Michael Strachan, ex School Captain at Grove Academy who played Danny and Zoe Heggie who played Sandy.
Last night my wife Rowena and I took our grand daughter to a stage musical.
We had a most enjoyable night out as we were entertained by the very talented cast of Dundee Schools' Music Theatre. They were performing Andrew Lloyd -Webber and Tim Rice's, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the Whitehall Theatre.
The quality of the singing was excellent with standout performances from Zoe Heggie, Ava Hickey and Lucy Pedersen, the three narrators, who confidentally sang three part harmonies and Marcelli Guziewicz who very ably took centre stage as Joseph in dance, drama and song.
The choreographer should be congratulated for devising routines that made full use of the large company who danced and sang their hearts out on the extended stage, as well as singing and dancing their way up and down the aisles.
Every year, I attend DSMT performances, I think it will be hard to top or match that the following year, but truly the cast of Joseph have exceeded themselves and previous shows I have watched.
Making no concession to the age of the teenage performers involved, this was a polished and pacy performance that thoroughly deserved its enthusiastic reception and standing ovation at the end.
Joseph is being performed for the remander of the week Thursday 28 - Saturday 30 August 2014 7:30 pm at the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee. Catch it if you can.
Book your tickets now or call Dundee City Box Office on 01382 434940
Lovers of music theatre may not agree on which is the best musical of all time, but surely Les Miserables must be up there near the top of most of their lists? In my opinion, 'Les Mis' has it all: an epic narrative, snatches of humour and in the end redemption and hope as well as a rousing musical score and songs with memorable lyrics.
All this presents a considerable challenge to an amateur company like Dundee Schools' Music Theatre (DSMT). My younger daughter was in the last DSMT production nine years ago at the Whitehall Theatre. That production was a triumph. I wondered whether they could pull it off again?
I was not disappointed in the performance of 'Les Mis' on Friday night at the Gardyne Theatre; in fact this production surpassed my expectations and the 2003 performance. Sorry Daughter!
The DSMT cast gave the audience the performance of their young lives. It was truly an astonishingly accomplished all round performance. I particularly noticed the increase level of participation by young men in the cast and the improved solo, small group and unison singing compared with the class of 2002/3.
In such an engaging and energetic ensemble performance, it seems almost wrong to pick out a favourite moment but I will. The rousing and rumbustious 'Master of the House' was a superb blend of singing, dancing and well timed pantomime like delivery by Thenardier and Madame Thenardier. They provided a snatch of humorous relief between the darker themes woven into the script.
On the staff side, I noticed that this time Richard Waghorn was the Conductor of the Orchestra whereas he took a leading role on stage in the 2003 production. In the Orchestra I also noticed three members of the Mainds family.
A great night out from of the talented young people drawn from each one of our nine secondary schools. Their talents has been nurtured in our schools and by the staff leading and supporting this eleven month extra curricular programme of rehearsals leading up to the DSMT show nights.
The DSMT done good.
Last night I attended a most enjoyable performance of 'Me and My Girl' at the Whitehall Theatre. This was the last of the season of three shows by Dundee Schools' Music Theatre.
A large company of performers, drawn from our nine Secondary Schools, entertained us with a maturity that defied their youth. The dancing, singing and acting were all impressive and came together into an energetic and integrated performance. I especially appreciated the rumbustious performance of Lambeth Walk.
Let's hope that funding for this commendable programme is not withdrawn in the next round of cuts from the the Council's SNP administration.
