The air was filled with electric anticipation on the morning of Thursday October 21st, as this day marked the first Acoustic Picnic in Belmayne ETSS’s history. An eclectic group of talented musicians assembled to perform. The gig included a variety of performances including breathtaking piano pieces, compelling solo acts and a heartwarming duo. This event featured talented musicians who were ready to put on a show and put everything into their performance.

The show opened with Miguel on the piano performing a sea shanty. He gave a brilliant, energetic rendition of the song, the crowd loved it! His performance was followed by Vinayak who played a beautiful classical piece, Bach’s Prelude in D minor on the piano which had the crowd amazed by his virtuosity. Matt McCarthy was up next performing his version of Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton- his combination of singing and guitar playing perfectly conveyed the emotion of the song whilst grabbing the crowd’s attention. Nayan followed Matt’s performance with his piece on the trumpet, it was note perfect and had the crowd humming along. This led to the closing performance of the concert with Jack and Tammy, two of our 3rd Year music students, performing their duet of Blackbird by the Beatles. With Jack displaying a gentle finger picking style on the guitar and Tammy with sweet vocals, their performance wowed the crowd and finished the concert on a high. 

With 20 plus students in attendance (and more listening outside the window!) the show was a success, it was the talk of the school the following day. Belmayne ETSS is full of talent and only a small part of it was showcased at the Acoustic Picnic. The next lunchtime concert takes place on the 18th of November and it just can’t come fast enough. (…Jack Winkless)