Confucius once said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”.  This pleasure came to ACS Hillingdon recently when we hosted the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) International Honor Jazz Band and Jazz Skills Workshop. Students from 13 schools as far away as China and Japan auditioned for places in the Honor Jazz Band and they came together in Hillingdon  for 3 days of music making in October. The talent expressed by these young people was simply amazing.

Our campus was bursting with the sound of music. Rehearsals were conducted in every available space in the school and on Friday, the twenty-five members of the  AMIS International Honor Jazz Band performed to the High School students. This was followed by a performance from three smaller combos after school. These combos worked with the big band as well as having intensive sessions with their clinicians; Jim Yarnell from The American School of The Hague, Neal Yocom from the American School of Paris and our own David Harrison.

It wasn’t all work as we all went to see "We Will Rock You" in the West End in London in the evening, followed by a night tour of the city.

A new feature this year was the introduction of a Jazz Skills Workshop. Jon Hodge, of Heidelberg High School, and David Beckstead, of the International School of Beijing, offered music theory training, ensemble skills and improvisation sessions for fifteen students. The students efforts in the classroom were put to practical use  when they presented a performance for the members of the Honor Jazz Band on Saturday afternoon. Also new this year was a Jazz Vocal Workshop presented by Natalie Craan of the International School of Beijing.

On Saturday evening, following another day of rehearsals, the ACS Hillingdon community were treated to a wonderful concert by these very talented students. Under the baton of guest conductor Peter Lutkoski from the American School in London, the band shone in every sense of the word. Members of the audience remarked how professional the groups were and the applause at the end of the concert showed just how much we all appreciated the gift that these young people gave back to us.

A special thank you goes out to  to Mrs Apple and the Administrative team for their support of this event and to Mrs Vershonn McIntosh for organising the housing and food for the participants.

I was very proud the way all the ACS community got behind this Festival and our visitors remarked that the hospitality extended to them was very special indeed.