The Story of Musicamp
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17 – 24 AUGUST 2002

2002 saw the return of Musicamp to Peterhouse Girls School with yet another guest conductor from the UK, Tony Sharrocks. He conducted 1st Orchestra and String Orchestra. Both orchestras had to learn extremely demanding works by Lutoslawski and Sibelius. Many were skeptical as to whether or not the players would be able to pull off performing these pieces after only a week’s practice. A mere glance at the sheet music for some of these works was intimidating. The string players actually nicknamed the sheet music for Lutoslawski’s, Music of Mourning the “wallpaper”. They however pulled off the performances at the final concert quite admirably after hours of hard work, countless additional practices and pressure from a short tempered yet passionate conductor. The music Tony had his groups performing made some of us quite glad to be incompetent woodwind players at the time! Only having to deal with the “easy parts” in Wind band and 2nd Orchestra was a position envied by many in 2002. Others found the challenge Tony had brought with him exciting.

Evening entertainment followed the usual pattern with games, quizzes, variety show and group concert.

Marimbas were tutored by Colbert Mpofu. Classes and workshops were ironically held in the school library. I should think under normal circumstances this would have been much to the displeasure of the librarian but thankfully nobody seemed to mind.   

With 84 campers in attendance the Groups Concert was indeed a pleasant affair. Composers among the senior school going campers were at a high. Both Ryan Koriya and Tinashe Mukarati saw the performance of their compositions in the Groups Concert.

The final concert was held at Prince Edward School. It continues to be held at this venue successively in the school’s Music Center Auditorium. Performances included the following:

WINBAND 
CONUCTOR: MARTIN MAPASO
Thick and thin – Martin Mapaso
Impertinence – Handel
Ballet Music from “William Tell” – Rossini

STRING ORCHESTRA
CONDUCTOR: TONY SHARROCKS
Music of mourning – Lutoslawski

CHOIR
CONDUCTOR: JENNY BOURDILLON
The heavens are telling (“the creation”) – Haydn
Balm in Gilead – Spiritual
Hymn to the United Nations – Pablo Casals

MARIMBA
Improvisation in a minor (Baritone solo) – Tinashe Mukarati
TUTOR: COLBET MPOFU
Umakoti (the bride) – Ndebele Folk Song

JAZZ BAND
CONDUCTOR: BRIAN FOAKES
Brecon Beacon – Howard Hill
Blue Panther – Howard Hill

SECOND ORCHESTRA
CONDUCTOR: HELEN TURTON
Three short pieces – Grieg
Menuetto – Mozart
Train Blues – Christopher Norton

FIRST ORCHESTRA
CONDUCTOR: TONY SHARROCKS
Tone Poem “En Saga” – Sibelius
Little Suite for Symphony Orchestra - Lutoslawski
 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2001-2
Chairman – Beverly Hagrove
Vice Chairman – Brian Foakes
Honorary Treasurer – Chris Billin
Honorary Secretary – Sue Byron-Moore
Members: Martin Mapaso, Linda Mkandhla, Addington Mutandadzi, Colbert Mpofu, Cabby Stirling, Eric Wetherall.