A Midsummer Musical Festival Concert will take place next Friday, June 25, at the Greenhill School, Tenby, presented by the Creative Arts Department. This will feature the 110-strong Greenhill School Orchestra, whose members will once again be setting off for London on July 9 to take part in the National Festival of Music for Youth at the Royal Festival Hall. To secure their place once more on this famous stage, the students of the orchestra had to undergo an arduous audition.

Frequent appearances of the main orchestra and the school's Symphony and Chamber Orchestras have been made at the festival in both London and Birmingham. Highly Commended Awards were received by the Greenhill School Orchestra in 1997 and 1999 and by the Chamber Orchestra in 1998 and 2000. These accolades were made all the more impressive by the fact that these orchestras were competing against those from private schools.

The success of the Chamber Orchestra culminated in an appearance at the Mozart Festival in San Francisco in 2001, organised by the American conductor, George Cleeve. The main orchestra achieved great success as winners of the Urdd Eisteddfod in both 2002 and 2003. Appearances have also been made at the Welsh School Proms at St. David's Hall in Cardiff. To the delight of the students, international conductor, Grant Llewellyn, who himself hails from Tenby, conducted the orchestra in a concert for the Tenby Arts Festival in 2001.

Foreign tours regularly take place, including a visit to Paris in 1998, with a performance at Disneyland, a tour of Germany and Austria in 2000, when the orchestra played in Salzburg, and a visit to Prague in 2003. Plans are well underway for a forthcoming visit to Tuscany.

The teaching and playing of music has long been one of the major objectives at Greenhill, and, thanks to Head of Department, Mr. Paul Rapi, the school has acquired an excellent reputation throughout the United Kingdom, and internationally, for its musical enterprise.

Mr. Rapi, who was a successful finalist in the nationwide Classic FM 'Music Teacher of the Year' Awards in 2002, has ensured that his students achieve the highest standards of musicianship, at the same time enabling them to have great fun whilst reaping rich rewards.

Besides the main orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra, there is at Greenhill an Intermediate Orchestra, a Concert Band, a Jazz Band, a Choir and several smaller ensembles playing classical, jazz and rock music.

The achievements of these students over the years indicate that they are indeed extremely talented and dedicated to their cause. Having great respect for their subject, the students take enormous pride in what they have achieved. The excitement that is generated, and the hours of work and preparation involved, result in a mature interpretation of the music and an effortless performance.

A committee, the Supporters of Greenhill Orchestra (SOGO), is comprised mainly, but not exclusively, of parents of members of the present orchestra. This was formed formally in 1998 to promote concerts, organise supporters' visits and enhance resources. Sponsorship and patronage are actively encouraged, and any interest in the committee's endeavours is always appreciated. In fact, offers of help from those who would prefer not to attend meetings are always very acceptable. For the National Festival of Music for Youth, a supporters' bus is being arranged for those who wish to travel to London.

The Midsummer Musical Festival Concert begins at 8 pm, with doors opening at 7.30 pm. Tickets, available from Miss Ellison at Greenhill School and Dales, Tenby, are priced at £5, £4 and £3, with concessions at £4, £3 and £2. Those purchased at the door on the evening of the concert will be one pound extra.

The orchestra will be playing 'Night on a Bare Mountain' by Mussorgsky, the piece that they will play when taking part in the festival in London on July 10. A varied selection incorporating classical, jazz and film music will be played at the school, so please go along and support these talented students in their musical endeavours. Not only will you be helping towards the enormous cost of transporting them to London, but you can be sure that the evening's entertainment will be both enjoyable and impressive.

JENNIFER RICHARDS