Last Friday, a group of Prep School instrumentalists visited BBC Hoddinott Hall at the Wales Millennium Centre to attend a concert performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
The concert, entitled Lift Off, was attended by hundreds of excited Primary School children and was live-streamed to schools. It took the audience on a musical journey to the moon and back in a rocket. The BBC NOW performed many evocative pieces such as Anna Clyde's Masquerade, Ron Grainger's Dr Who Theme, and Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. One of the highlights was a performance of Hans Zimmer's Earth, featuring all of the students in the audience singing the mesmerizing vocal line.
It was great for Howell's students to experience the incredible sound of a full-scale symphony orchestra live and close-up, and to see and hear some of the instruments they are learning being played on stage. A bonus was spotting quite a few of the school's Visiting Music Tutors, who teach at Howell's during the week and play with the BBC NOW!