Simon Johnson Jubilate.mp3
Jubilate by Simon Johnson, organist of St Paul's Cathedral, commissioned to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Rugby School in 2017 and performed by the Choir of Rugby School, Bliss Sinfonia Brass and Neil Taylor (organ), directed by Richard Tanner
Rugby School
- Working with around fifty professional musicians, Richard's role as Director of Music at Rugby School has enabled him to further develop his skills of leadership, motivation and management
- A considerable amount of his time is spent recruiting excellent music scholars to the school. This has involved a carefully targeted, yet far reaching national and international marketing campaign
- In his second term at Rugby, Richard introduced the annual Concerto Concert. The school's best performers audition to play with a professional orchestra. Former Headmaster, Patrick Derham wrote of the inaugural Concerto Concert in his end of term letter to parents in March 2013: "This was without doubt the finest concert in my twelve years at Rugby." A year later he wrote that the second Concerto Concert: "surpassed last year's concert". He has also introduced the following annual competitions: Music Theatre Singing, Rock & Pop, Guitar, Instrumental and whole House singing.
- He has championed the work of student composers, performing five of their works with professional orchestras, including a Concerto for Marimba, written by a student who went on to read music at Cambridge, and a full forty minute setting of the Requiem for choir, soloists and orchestra.
- The Choir recorded its second CD in April 2017 and regularly broadcasts for the BBC. In September 2015 and May 2017 it broadcast Sunday Worship live on BBC Radio 4 from Rugby School Chapel. In 2018 the choir will be heard on BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong on June 27th and BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship on July 15th. It performed at the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup from Twickenham stadium. In February 2017 it toured to USA, performing in Connecticut and Carnegie Hall, New York. In March 2017 the choir recorded Jubilate by Simon Johnson, organist of St Paul's Cathedral, commissioned for the 450th anniversary of Rugby School. In the past year, members of Rugby School Choir have won the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year competition and have gained a place in the prestigious Genesis Sixteen choir.
- He has established a number of new positions to strengthen the breadth of music provision in the department. The appointment of a Head of Rock and Pop has resulted in the formation of a number of bands and a rock choir. A full-time sound recording engineer records every performance. An annual post for a recent music graduate provides an opportunity for a young musician to learn and develop teaching skills and enriches the department in a variety of ways. The Symphony Orchestra is now conducted by a specialist in the field of youth orchestra direction.
- Academic results have been consistently excellent, there have been some outstanding instrumental and vocal exam results including a number of successful diploma candidates. Pupils have gained places to study at music colleges and to read music at Cambridge. A number of former pupils are currently singing in choirs at Oxford and Cambridge and in cathedrals on choral scholarships.
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