By Mr Page (Director of Music)

Last week, hundreds of years of cultural and scientific progress were forgotten as the Year 4s and 5s were transported back to the Middle Ages for their musical production, Blondel: Minstrel on a Mission.

Throughout the Spring term, all girls in Years 4 and 5 worked hard learning the show’s ten songs in their music lessons with the show’s Musical Director, Mrs Jones. Once they had mastered the tricky lyrics and demanding vocal parts, they added suitably medieval choreography.

At the same time, they were learning solo speaking lines and bringing to life wonderfully named characters such as Bella the Jailer, Baron Bonefat, Wilfred the Whittler, and Court Jester Number 3.

On Wednesday, the cast had just one day to put the whole show together. Despite the challenge, they rehearsed with impressive focus and dedication, and it quickly became clear that the performance was going to be something special. When the girls finally appeared in their (anachronistically) colourful costumes, they looked every bit as impressive as they sounded.

Thursday afternoon brought the first of two performances, this time for Years 3 and 6. The audience laughed in all the right places and rewarded the cast with enthusiastic applause and cheers throughout, ending with thunderous applause at the final curtain.

That evening, it was time to perform for parents in a packed Randle Hall. From the opening number, “The Middle Ages”, with its crystal-clear lyrics and beautifully sung melodies, the audience knew they were in for a treat. The parents laughed in even more of the right places than the Year 3s & 6s had, and gave the girls a rapturous ovation at the end of the show.

It was a joy to work with the Year 4s and 5s, whose commitment, enthusiasm, focus, and comic timing were outstanding. The future of musical theatre at BGS is certainly in very safe hands.