Slideshow: Academy’s Spring Concert 2014

Audiences in The Braid were last week treated to three jam-packed, entertaining evenings featuring variety and talent in equal measure at Ballymena Academy’s 2014 Spring Concert.

Once again demand for tickets outstripped supply resulting in pupils playing to full houses from Wednesday to Friday.

From jazzed up Bach to ‘musical’ broom sweeping, flapper-style dance to concerto classics, the outstanding musical mix added much to what was yet another highly polished programme.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Once again Senior Orchestra got proceedings very definitely underway each night, and really got the audience going with their selections from ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ while the 170-plus members of Senior Choir were in fine voice to provide the traditional strong finish to both the first half and finale with a range of crowd pleasers including Raglan Road, Let the River Run and September.

The applause was simply never permitted to lose its momentum throughout the concert’s three hour nightly run and among those who pushed the clapometer to its limits was renowned cellist, NI Young Musician of the Year 2013 Eva Richards; singing duo Erin & Evelyn with their original song, Little Lies; The Senior Dance Team’s Great Gatsby tribute; upbeat percussion performances from Wazo Bato and BAPE; the note perfect members of Chamber Choir; and, not least, Spring Concert newcomers, the broom bashing ‘Clean Sweep’.

Performers aside, as the curtain came down each night audiences also audibly recognised the outstanding contribution made to the 2014 concert by teaching staff both in continuity and musical direction and the students who ably took on the role of stage hands.