Pupils from Forms I-III once again enthralled parents and friends with their contributions to the annual tea-time concert. The appreciative audience was impressed with the great variety of styles and instruments represented from classical to folk ballads and contemporary pop.

Two third form girls, Jessica and Sarah, performed their own compositions. Particularly pleasing was the number of trumpet items and very promising young vocalists. It takes tremendous courage to stand up and perform in front of an audience. Well done girls!

It was lovely for preparatory school parents and children to start July by gathering and enjoying together a delightful concert given in the Marian Hall on Tuesday afternoon by our young instrumentalists. The sun was shining and mums, dads, grandparents and siblings chatted informally over a cup of tea with some of Mrs Kennedy’s excellent home made cakes before the performance began. The audience were then entertained by an impressive group of young musicians playing a variety of piano, flute, harp, violin, and guitar pieces. There were many enchanting and memorable performances. The afternoon’s concert concluded with two delightful ensemble pieces from our clarinet band under the direction of Mrs Banks. All the performers are to be congratulated for their hard work and we look forward to another enjoyable concert next term.

From 'Orpheus and Eurydice' to 'Jinxed' and 'The power of Three'

The last Drama performances of this academic year took place on Wednesday 25 June when IV GCSE Drama presented their original work. The two groups were given the Myth of 'Orpheus and Eurydice' as a stimulus for their creativity and the two productions which were created were both rather dark and foreboding. The moods created by the groups and the skills demonstrated were a great tribute to their imaginations and focused work.

At the end of the academic year the number of different Drama performances farm September 2007 to June 2008 has been a staggering 20!

On Saturday 7 June, 34 members of the Prep and Senior Choirs gathered in Alton Public gardens for the launch of the Alton Greening campaign. It was a perfect sunny day and the audience were treated to songs with an environmental message, including the entertaining ‘Environment Round’ – the message conveyed even clearer with the aid of some props! Hannah, Amy, Rebecca and Evie also provided solo numbers in between useful advice from the MC on how we can all save energy by doing a few simple th

This year's art exhibition formed an integral part of our Jubilee Celebrations and was also enjoyed by many visitors on Open Day. The range and quality of the work on display was commented on by many, with the annual exhibition providing a unique opportunity to view art work from our youngest pupils right up to that of A Level art and photography students.

A level art pieces drew inspiration from music, natural forms, windows and faeries, whilst A level photography work was based on themes of machinery and industry or position and identity. 23 students had GCSE work on show, with themes including decoration, 'text and image' and Japan. Other senior school work included entries for the Hellenic Society's Schools' Art Competition, a number of mixed media pieces and drawings that explored proportion and form.

As part of Alton Convent School's 70th Jubilee celebrations, parents and friends were invited to an evening of art, music and dance. The evening started with a colourful display of Maypole dancing from pupils of year 5 and line dancing from year 6. Parents listened to the many musical solos from senior school girls and watched entranced as Sophie, recently named "Young Dancer of the Year", performed several ballet dances. From the Prep school, Joe impressed fellow pupils and parents alike with his interpretation of Pachelbel's Canon on the electric guitar. Joe, who has his own band, has recently won a musical scholarship to a major public school.

Drama comes in many forms and this year's final GCSE examination performances were no exception! The work was created and performed in five groups. The creative inspiration was a piece of contemporary film music by Craig Armstrong called 'Glasgow*. 'Big Brother's Watching You', a piece about the way we are all being surveyed today; 'Heaven Sent, Hell Bent', a slightly surreal comic play set in Limbo; 'Storm', the toy shop as a microcosm of life today; 'No Man's Land', a view of the world as a totally female society and 'When the Lights Go Out'.

This year forms in years seven, eight and nine performed role-plays in the theme of one of Shakespeare’s plays to celebrate St George’s day, the 444th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.
The forms either got into groups or did a whole form performance. This year we had to choose a subject themed on Shakespeare’s play ‘A Midsummer night’s dream’ and then create a story six months from when the play ended. The subjects were: The Lovers, The Mechanicals (Bottom, Flute, Quince) and The Fairies. We were given two weeks to practise our role-play, year eight a little less due to a school trip.

Alton Convent School is delighted to announce that 12 year old Sophie in Form 1B won The Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition on Sunday 13th April. Over many weeks Sophie has been training exhaustively to make her way through the various heats to reach Sunday's final at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. As one of twenty finalists, she danced before a panel comprising Dame Antoinette Sibley DBE, Sir John Tooley and Wayne Sleep OBE. The dancers performed exclusively choreographed variations, choreographed for the competition by Gillian Lynne, in front of a live audience and the judges.

There were two levels competing on Sunday and Sophie won the Level 1 competition for dancers between the ages of 10 and under 13. Dancers were judged on technique, music, performance, and a combination of strength with feminity and character. She was named as “Young Dancer of the Year” in her level and was presented with a beautiful glass trophy and £1500 prize money.

29 hours of intensive,uninterrupted rehearsal +
26 girls from forms I II and III in the Senior School +
1 producing company called Upstage Productions+
1 Drama Teacher from school+
1 Audience of 100 people+
1 set of costumes=
1 50 minute performance called 'The Dreamer'

A very jolly combination it was too, of people,acting, singing and dancing in the Marian Hall from 7to 11 April.The judgement of both the performers and the audience was that it had been an incredibly worthwhile experience and one that is worth repeating another year!

Well done to all who decided to use one week of their Easter holiday in focused creativity!