Class of 1977 Reunion

We were delighted to welcome back the class of 1977 to see their school friend, professional pianist Joanna MacGregor CBE, perform at our Towards 150 Concert.

Each year, we host a concert to thank everyone who has supported the school over the past year, as we look towards our 150th anniversary in 2026.  Over pre-concert drinks, the fifteen alumnae, and their former Headmistress Averil Burgess, rekindled friendships and reminisced about Joanna’s many performances during school assemblies.

At the concert in Waterlow Hall, Joanna performed a selection of classical and jazz pieces, from Bach, Chopin, Piazzolla and Liszt, to an audience of parents, alumnae and staff. She assiduously introduced us to each piece before playing, sharing more about the composer, their history and motivations for composing a particular tango, sonata or allegretto.  Her hour-long performance ended with non-stop applause, and an encore which was her own rousing re-arrangement of ‘Good Bait’, a Jazz trio piece written by Nina Simone.

Joanna is one of the world’s most innovative musicians, with a distinguished pedigree as a concert pianist, curator and conductor. Her performing, recording and broadcasting credits span the globe and we feel very privileged that she found time in her very busy schedule to return to South Hampstead. Earlier in the day, Joanna met three of our talented Music Scholars and gave them a masterclass – a wonderful experience to be taught by the Head of Piano from the Royal Academy of Music.

Joanna, a former South Hampstead bursary pupil herself, kindly agreed to donate all proceeds from the concert to our bursary funds.