Oliver hits the high notes

Oliver Lepage-Dean, a 15-year-old music pupil from Haileybury, recently had his debut compact disc released by the Naxos label.

The CD, An Evening Hymn, is currently number 17 in the Classical Charts, having entered at number 31 in the week of its release, and number 1 on the Heffers of Cambridge chart. It has also been well received by both BBC Radio 3 and Classic fm.

The CD, which has been hailed as a triumph, was recorded while Oliver was still a pupil at St John’s College School, Cambridge.

Oliver is described by Naxos as "one of the finest treble voices of recent years". Some of the 25 works on the disc are accompanied by Christopher Whitton (organ) and others by Christopher Robinson (piano). The Choir of St. John’s College is heard in Stanford’s Magnificat in G, and in Mendelssohn’s Geistliches Lied.

Oliver is no stranger to celebrity status, having sung with Jose Carreras in the Royal Albert Hall. He has also undertaken several overseas tours to venues as varied as Japan, the USA and his native Belgium.

"He is a talented music scholar, who also plays the clarinet and piano. In a short time, he has become integrally involved in the musical life of the school," says Peter Davis, Director of Music at Haileybury.

Says Oliver: "I am very pleased with my CD – I never dreamt I would be doing such a thing. My family and friends are very proud. I owe much to my teachers at St John’s, Dr Robinson and Mr Lowe, who helped train my voice up and supported me so much."

Oliver is the latest in a long line of distinguished singers to come out of St. John’s. He joined Haileybury last September along with another former Head Chorister, Josh Edwards, who was previously at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The arrival of Oliver and Josh has boosted the music talent at the school considerably – with Oliver and Josh are Simon Lascelles, previously a Head Chorister at Westminster Abbey, and Nick Tate, an ex-chorister from St Paul’s.