Oundle's Jazz and Wind Orchestras tour to Montreux

Published on isbi School News dated Thursday 5th of September 2013

At the start of the summer holidays, the Oundle School Jazz Orchestra and Wind Orchestra set off to Lake Geneva in Switzerland for a musical tour.

Although based in a delightful hostel set on the hillside above the town of Evian with stunning views across the lake there was little time to relax as their first concert was in the market square of Lugrin on the evening they arrived.

Head of Woodwind, David Milsted commented, 'Having spent some free time in Evian (for the water lovers), Gruyeres (for the cheese lovers) and the Maison Cailler chocolate factory (for everyone!), there followed an acoustically challenging concert in Fribourg where the bands had to compete with a sound-check from another band occurring at the same time!'

The highlight was undoubtedly the Montreux Festival itself, where OSJO found itself to the opening act of the whole festival performing to a large and appreciative audience in the park venue just by the lake. After further performances from both bands the group headed back to Oundle.

Pupil saxophonist, Crawford Johnston (15) commented, 'It was amazing to be in a place where so many famous people have played before and a privilege to perform in Switzerland in one of the world's largest jazz festivals of all time in the year that Claude Nobs (founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival) passed away - he will go down in jazz history. It is a memory I'll never forget.'
David concluded, 'For all the concerts we had the special support of a number of parents who had made the journey especially for us and we are grateful to them all.'