On Thursday 6 February 2025, 30 of our GCSE Music pupils joined young people from many other local secondary schools at Gloucester Guildhall to watch a live performance of some of the set pieces they are studying as part of their GCSE Music. The event was organised by Gloucestershire Music and performed by members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO), plus a flautist from one of the other schools.

Not only were there some great performance pieces, but also an analysis of how the pieces were put together by the composers. This format really engaged the pupils and gave them the opportunity to get an inside look at the compositional techniques used; re-establishing what they have learnt in lessons and hearing how the same techniques have been applied to unfamiliar pieces.

The BSO Key Stage 4 Concert opened with a performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Our pupils were sat near the front with a fantastic view of the instrumentalists, bringing them a new appreciation to the virtuosic nature of the piece. The varied programme also included a Beethoven Symphony and Steve Reich's 'Clapping Music'. They also performed and analysed music by William Goodchild, a film composer, for a Netflix documentary called Surviving Paradise. The musicians played along with the video, just as would be done in the industry. Pupils were highly engaged with this segment as it gave them an insight into the thoughts of a film composer.

After the performances, there was a session on how to develop compositional ideas, utilising the musicians to bring this to life. This was especially insightful for Year 11 pupils who are working on their final composition in lessons.

Ethan (Year 9): "The musicians were brilliant, the music was so tightly played which takes a lot of skill and practice. I really enjoyed diving in deeper with the analysis as it gave me an insight into GCSE Music which I am really looking forward to starting in June this year."