King’s Ely musician achieves place at prestigious conservatoire

A King's Ely flautist has secured a place at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Lauren Booth, who is in Year 11 at King’s Ely Senior and who joined King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep in Year 1, will be visiting the prestigious London music conservatoire every Saturday, starting this month, to study Flute.

Lauren has been playing the flute since taking advantage of taster sessions in Year 2 at King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep.

In July this year, she made school history when she achieved a 49/50 Distinction in her ARSM Diploma exam on the flute. This is the highest mark ever achieved by a King’s Ely student and according to Neil Porter-Thaw, King’s Ely’s Director of Music, is a mark very rarely achieved.

Lauren said: “My flute teacher is Liz Hargest, who has been teaching me ever since King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep. I love to express myself through my flute and explore all the styles and genres that I can play. I enjoy performing as it allows me to share the music with the audience.”

To say that Lauren is an active member of the King’s Ely Music Department would be a slight understatement. She said: “I’ve been singing for about five years, and have just started playing the piano, as well as playing the piccolo, which is in the same family as the flute, but flute is my main instrument. I’m also part of a few music clubs at King’s Ely, such as Piano Trio, Flute Choir, Chamber Choir, Chapel Choir, Nightingales, Concert Band and Orchestra.”

Lauren is the fourth King’s Ely student to be celebrating conservatoire success recently. Ally Bowerman is visiting the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study Voice; Mimi Hughes is visiting the Junior Royal Academy of Music to study Voice; and Polly Casey is visiting the Junior Royal College of Music to study the Recorder and French Horn.

King’s Ely is renowned for its holistic approach to education, and this is reflected in the school’s outstanding Visual and Performing Arts provision. Music, Drama and Theatre, Fine Art, Fashion and Textiles, Photography and Dance are each embedded in the culture of King’s Ely, with vast opportunities for pupils of all abilities and aspirations. Music is one of the reasons King’s Ely came into existence back in 970 AD and today over a third of students learn a musical instrument or receive vocal tuition. From the boy and girl Choristers of Ely Cathedral Choir to jazz and rock bands, orchestras and its famous all boys a cappella group, the King’s Barbers, the quality, range and variety of ensembles all attest to the school’s musical pedigree. To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, please visit: www.kingsely.org