Harrogate, St Aidan’s musicians are accustomed to working amongst the stars of the musical world, and at the dizzy heights of local, national with international recognition.
Ten of the school’s most advanced woodwind, brass and percussion players were recently privileged to be invited to travel to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to rehearse with the superb Band of the Royal Air Force College.
These fortunate students sat alongside their RAF counterparts as they worked their way through such music as Star Wars, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and Verdi’s ‘Force of Destiny’ Overture. It was a wonderful experience for the young players and paves the way for a joint concert with the RAF College Band, St Aidan’s Junior Band and Symphonic Wind Band at the Royal Hall, Harrogate, on Saturday 4 March 2017.
The St Aidan’s musicians, numbering in excess of 120 will take the stage for the first half, before the RAF Band presents their high quality and entertaining second half programme, with the 10 St Aidan’s players in amongst them.
It will surely be an inspiring evening, driving St Aidan’s young musicians to further heights; as the RAF’s motto has it, ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’ – ‘Through Struggle To The Stars”!
Tickets are available from www.positickets.co.uk (£10 adults, £5 under 18s)
Director of Music at St Aidan’s, Mark Pallant, said: Our students received such a warm welcome from the RAF band members, and learned a huge amount from the precision and dynamic range of their playing. Their own playing and that of their fellow band members will certainly be influenced in a highly positive way through this unique experience.
