Lower School news

Lower School steel pans given an MOT by visiting expert

27 April 2023

Pupils from Lower 3 were treated to a rare sight, as the Lower School Steel Pans were tuned in the Hall by visiting Steel Pan expert Mr George Clarke. Mr Clarke travelled over 11 hours from Trinidad & Tobago to visit the Lower School and make sure that the steel pans were in tip top shape, the musical equivalent on an MOT! The students watched as he very carefully manipulated each section of the pans with small hammers and extra tools to slowly tune each portion back to pitch. He also gave some of the Lower School Steel Pan players some tips and technique advice on how to play the pans correctly to achieve the best possible sound. Head of Music Mr Vine said "it was a wonderful experience to watch a true master of his craft at work. Something I have never seen personally, and myself and the children found it fascinating to watch. A big thank you to Mr Clarke for spending time talking to the children about his work."