At their most recent performance on Friday 17 October, members of Harrodian’s Auditioned Choir once again brought the joy of live music to the local community, singing at St Michael’s Retro Café - an event organised by the neighbourhood charity FiSH for those living with early-onset dementia. Led by music teacher Claudie Baum, the concert featured a rich mix of ensemble pieces and individual performances. Notably, the 14s (Year 10) pupils took the initiative to prepare their own solos and small-group numbers, a process that has helped them grow as independent, confident, and professional musicians as they work towards their Music GCSEs.
Seeing the 14s take the initiative to prepare their own pieces and perform so confidently shows how far they’ve come as young musicians.
Music teacher Ms Claudie Baum
Audience members expressed how much they valued the energy and warmth of having young singers perform for them, with many joining in for the choir’s renditions of Loch Lomond and Light a Candle, creating a shared musical moment.
Find a copy of the full programme below:
Earlier this year in April, the choir performed for the first time at the Castelnau Community Centre, just around the corner from Harrodian. The Centre runs a variety of groups and activities for all ages, from toddler sessions and youth clubs to community lunches and homework clubs, and the visit was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to connect with local neighbours through music at their monthly 'Goldies Lunch' event. The concert was warmly received, and the choir looks forward to building on this new community link.
Last December, the group also performed in a special intergenerational Carol Concert, where they sang alongside the FiSH Good Afternoon Choir – made up of older local residents – and took part in A Merry Lyric Christmas concert at the Hammersmith Lyric Theatre, performing alongside the adult Barnes Olympic Choir.
The Auditioned Choir was founded two years ago by Ms Baum to provide talented Harrodian singers from the 11s to 14s (Years 7–10) with new opportunities to perform, both within school and beyond. Inspired by the success of the Rhineland Choir Tour in 2023, the initiative aimed to create a versatile group capable of representing Harrodian at short notice while deepening pupils’ choral experience. Supported by Director of Music Ms Kay Le Doujet, the choir has since grown to around 30 dedicated members who have performed at more than a dozen events, including school concerts, remembrance services, and numerous community gatherings.
Through a repertoire spanning classical, traditional, folk, and contemporary styles – from Shoshone Love Song and Down by the Salley Gardens to City of Stars and I Wish You Christmas – these pupils have developed exceptional musicianship, teamwork, and confidence. Their performances have not only strengthened their musical skills but also built meaningful connections across generations, enriching both the singers and the communities they perform for.
Choral singing supports so many aspects of musical learning – but most importantly, it brings people together.
Ms Baum
The success of the Auditioned Choir stands as a testament to the power of choral music. It has brought together pupils, teachers, and members of the wider community in harmony – quite literally – and shown how music can make a difference well beyond the classroom.