The swan (song) has landed

The Elstree School Chapel Choir had the great fortune of performing their final concert in the picturesque setting of Mapledurham Church near Pangbourne, Berkshire.

For those who don’t know, Mapledurham was featured in the 1976 movie The Eagle Has Landed, directed by John Sturges, starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall.  The Church of St Margaret, Mapledurham House and the watermill appear in the film.

Our Year 8s – some of whom have sung in the choir since they arrived – performed their swan song with passion and vigour.  Having just recorded the song the day before, under the watchful eye of Pangbourne’s Director of Music Ellie Claver, they were bursting with confidence.

The eleven sacred anthems were interspersed with two popular congregational hymns, two readings and a trumpet solo.  The church was packed with a receptive and positive audience, and the boys thoroughly appreciated singing in such a historical environment.

At a busy time of term, the hour provided a chance for everyone to have  a moment of mindfulness, and the music certainly lifted everyone’s hearts and spirits.