House Music Competition!
On Wednesday 2 July, we were delighted to welcome Rock Choir to Caterham for their third House Song competition.
The Houses spent the morning rehearsing their songs, which had been assigned in a “names out of a hat” draw by the Heads of House five days earlier, and developing their harmonies and choreography. There were plenty of opportunities for soloists and small groups of singers to take leading roles, and for each House to incorporate a dance troupe into their performance.
After a final early afternoon run through, everyone made the long walk to the Marquee and took their seats for the joint greatest musical event of Wilberforce Week.
Mr Terrell’s introduction brought an end to the suspenseful pre-show waiting, and Newington was promptly granted the illustrious “first in show” performance slot. Their charming rendition of Rachel Platten’s empowering Fight Song made for a fantastic start to the most crucial stage of the competition.
Harestone furthered their credentials as rock stars when they took to the stage to perform The Killers’ Somebody Told Me. The Boarders knew that they would be performing third before Mr Terrell announced it, as an excerpt of their song was sneakily played just after the end of Harestone’s! Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ was a brilliant curtain-raising crowd pleaser for the Boarders’ performance. Ridgefield, the dark green House, delivered their version of Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble (from an album called Red) right in the middle of the show, and in doing so, they achieved the incredible feat of outperforming their Head of House with a Swift song.
Lewisham’s rendition of Jessie J’s Price Tag included lots of superb singing, plenty of paper money, some lyric-inspired signs, and – best of all – a clock, which a Lewisham Sixth Former inconspicuously held up for the lyric “…you can’t even have a good time.” Underwood, the light green house, then sang their ode to an almost bygone technology (Payphone, by a band called Maroon 5), demonstrating lots of House friendship along the way. Aldercombe concluded the show by singing Rihanna’s Umbrella, bringing their spirited take on this iconic tune (with several umbrellas appearing in their performance on this slightly rainy day).
The judges (Mr Froy, Mrs Wallace and Mr Mason) were left with a particularly difficult decision after having watched and heard all the Houses. Their final verdict was that Lewisham had won the bronze medal, Ridgefield silver, and Harestone gold. Any combination of Houses could realistically have been in the top three, such was the closeness of the competition and the great sense of purpose with which everyone approached their routines. The Harestone mascot (Larry Pebbles the Dragon, in his House Competition debut) congratulated his fellow mascots after most people had left the Marquee.
Many thanks to everyone involved in creating this most special of days – an annual fixture that always celebrates our House communities and Caterham friendships in general, and which is such a fantastic opportunity for everyone to experience the magic of the performing arts. Our Rock Choir leaders were the leading heroes of the day, with Mrs Rounds, Mrs Parker, and the Music Department also taking starring roles in the rehearsals, and the House staff stepping right up to the plate – even when the song/album and band names did not always match their corresponding House colours!
Here’s to another fantastic year ahead in Music and the Houses.
Mr R. Evans
Head of Ridgefield, Teacher of Chemistry, Taylor Swift tribute act
