Introduction

On behalf of the department and all the students involved, it gives me enormous pleasure to present the first instalment of our 2021 Key Stage 3 Series - our Year 8 concert, recorded on 19 May 2021.

Made up of three separate performances, the Series showcases students from Years 7, 8 and 9, performing live to an inclusive and supportive audience of their own year group. These performances are a true celebration of the variety of musical styles and interests of our students. While Year 8 and 9 have relished the opportunity to perform once more in a concert setting, this Series allows students in Year 7 to perform to each other for the first time ever, having missed out on having their own concert at the start of the school year.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all who participated, giving many hours of their time to rehearse their repertoire. It has been really enjoyable to hear our students perform at their current level as they gain valuable live performance experience. My thanks also go to Mr Johns, Miss Sturge, Miss Shipley and Mr Rommer for their extraordinary level of dedication and commitment to music at Tiffin Girls’.

2020/21 has not been a year for large-scale live concerts and as such, we have all thrown ourselves into the recording and post-production process in order to realise this series. Central to these recordings have been our new Shure microphones, which we were able to buy with monies kindly donated by former students Lucy and Jenny - Jack Petchey Foundation beneficiaries - who left in 2020 after seven years of dedication to music-making at the school.

We would like to thank them for their generous gift; the microphones are now an indispensable part of the department and have fostered the environment of a professional recording setting.

Yet again, none of this would have been possible without the support we receive from The Tiffin Girls' Music Society. TGMS have contributed so much to the department in every aspect; morally, technically and most crucially, financially. Without their commitment, the department would not have had the means to purchase the professional grade recording equipment that we've had the pleasure to use to record these performances, nor the Mac hardware vital in the post-production process.

I would like to thank them hugely; we have needed every last ounce of their support, as much now as ever before.

In order that we can continue making music to the high standards we set for our students and ourselves, I must make a heartfelt plea for your financial support. There are multiple ways in which you can help us make music an inclusive, welcoming and stimulating part of school life; the easiest is by making a donation to TGMS, the details of which are as follows:

• To donate £10, please text TGSMUSIC to 70191

• To donate a larger amount, please visit http://easydonate.org/TGSMUSIC

• You can also support us in the longer term by becoming a member of TGMS or through EasyFundraising

To all who read this, thank you for watching and also for your support and encouragement of the students in their many endeavours. Please do consider becoming a member of TGMS, as well as making a donation; all membership subscriptions and contributions go directly to the department, giving us much needed funds required to realise these amazing opportunities, and more, for all our students.

By doing so, you directly help to shape the future of music at this wonderful school.

Mr Meryon