Joseph Cooper Concert 2025 at St George’s Bristol

The talented musicians of Clifton College returned this March for their annual trip to the concert platform of St George’s Bristol – with what Sir Simon Rattle describes as its ‘world-class acoustics’ – sharing performances of the highest instrumental and vocal standards.

A wide variety of genres and diversity of composers featured in the programme, including classical Beethoven with his Egmont Overture (Antonia our student conductor), Brahms and Moszkowski virtuoso violin works, Argentine Piazzolla (with oboe soloist Francis) and Yiddish Ragmusik with the Concert Band, Henry Mancini and the Beatles with our Big Band, and two African-American composers with our Strings Ensemble – Florence Price’s ‘Adoration’ (in a new arrangement), and the Sinfonietta of African-American composer Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.

More contemporary fare included Radiohead’s ‘No surprises’ with our Cliftones a capella group, and three vocal items with the orchestra – ‘Wishing you were somehow here again’ (from The Phantom of the Opera), ‘Unforgettable’ (as arranged by Nelson Riddle for Nat King Cole), and ‘Gimme, gimme’ (from Thoroughly Modern Millie) to bring the evening to a rousing conclusion.

Well done to all the pupils for their outstanding performances received enthusiastically by all attending.

click here to WATCH THE FULL PERFORMANCE