By Katerina D, Year 11 Music Scholar

The Chineke! Orchestra concert was a privilege to attend. There was a wide range of musical styles and instruments introduced to us, and it was overall a unique experience.

The concert began with Karl Jenkins’ Rhapsody No. 1 (Charlestonia), which was full of energy and strong rhythms. The brass and percussion really stood out and gave the piece a lively, almost jazzy feel that immediately caught our attention.

One of the most memorable parts of the concert was Jasdeep Singh Degun’s Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra (Arya). It was fascinating to hear the sitar as a solo instrument alongside the orchestra. The delicate plucked sound of the sitar contrasted beautifully with the strings in call-and-response sections, and there were moments where the orchestra became very quiet so the sitar could be heard clearly, alongside an extensive and virtuosic sitar solo.

After the interval, Degun’s Lament, arranged by Ashok Gupta, was particularly moving. The combination of sitar, tabla, and string ensemble created a reflective atmosphere, and the tabla rhythms added subtle energy without overpowering the serene mood.

The second half of the concert included Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, which was exciting and colourful. This was the first piece I was already familiar with. The woodwind solos were especially impressive and helped bring out the folk-dance character of the piece. The concert ended with George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, which was fun and lively, with busy rhythms and bright orchestral colours that gave a strong sense of movement and city life. What I particularly enjoyed about the Gershwin was the inclusion of saxophones, the large percussion section, and the taxi horns.

Overall, this concert was a great experience and made it interesting to hear how different musical traditions can be brought together in an orchestral setting.