On Sunday February 14 over 50 former pupils from all over the country gathered in the impressive, new Trinity Concert Hall to pay their respects to David Squibb, former Director of Music at Trinity School from 1964-2001, and to support him in his recuperation from serious illness.

 

Former Trinity musicians now perform in theatres, concert halls and opera houses in London and throughout the world, including Glyndebourne and the Royal Opera House, which have been closely associated with Trinity Boys Choir for many years.

 

The large gathering included over twenty professional musicians, two of whom are seen every year in the last night of the Proms: Stephen Bryant, Leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Stephen Jackson, Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus. Others attending, and known to a wide audience, were Nicholas Whiting (Associate Leader of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales), Ken Burton (twice winner of the BBC Choir of the Year with the London Adventist Chorale and currently Director of Croydon SDA gospel choir), Alan Brown (concert pianist) and Robert Prizeman, (Founder and Director of the celebrated boys choir, Libera).

 

Trinity’s musical reputation remains high and has built on David Squibb’s legacy. The Trinity musicians of today, under their present Director of Music, David Swinson, continue to perform widely, most recently at the Barbican, Fairfield Halls and on GMTV whilst also continuing to fulfil operatic roles with the Royal Opera, Glyndebourne and Aldeburgh. It was fitting that this group of former students showed real appreciation for the performances of two talented musicians currently benefitting from the continuing culture of musical excellence at Trinity: Sixth-former Daniel Benn played the 1^st movement of Benjamin Britten’s 1^st Cello Suite and Sarabande from J S Bach’s Cello Suite in G major;  12 year old violinist Andrew Samarasekara received a standing ovation for his performance of Ballade et Polonaise by Henri Vieuxtemps.