African Sanctus

A group of BCS pupils and staff joined a choir of over 300 in Canterbury Cathedral on 7th September for a stunning performance of David Fanshawe's African Sanctus. Inspirational music, an inspirational setting, an innovative audio-visual backdrop - and the combined voices of 14 UCST schools and academies meant that the evening was memorable in every sense. The Sanctus is a celebration of African music in the 1970s, but it is also very much more. A multi-cultural homage to the power of humanity, the unity of religions and Fanshawe's passion for world peace, the performance had a power that went far beyond its underlying musicality. And the evening had a very special poignancy in that David Fanshawe died just two months ago, but his wife and daughter joined the UCST choir to give their own very special accolade on his work in an extended introduction to the twin themes of exploration and composition. In every way, a very special evening. This venture marked an amazing achievement for UCST, and for Ashford School, which took the lead.