Performing Arts
Summer Sounds Concerts 2019
The Anne Boyd Theatrette was brimming with excitement on Wednesday night as our younger members of the music department got to strut their stuff in front of a full house of appreciative parents and friends. There was a 5.00 pm and a 7.00 pm concert and both were equally entertaining.
Qur bigger younger ensembles performed in both concerts: Swing Sisters got things underway with an energetic performance of the 80's Toto hit "Africa" and Heartstrings performed a delightful version of "Colours of the Wind" . These were beautifully contrasted by two year 10 students, Ella Dawson and Tahlia Hernandez who performed their own song compositions which were created in the Songwriting class run by Mrs. Bhatt in semester two. Keeley Smith (year 7) performed a song "Stay" for solo voice and Stephanie Chhua performed a piano solo "River flows in you". All the soloists performed with confidence and entertained very well.
Both concerts featured our Year 7 class band ensembles for semester two. This was a great chance for the parents to hear their progress in a group setting. Great section solos from the flutes, clarinets, saxophones and brass introduced all the different instruments before the bands played their group piece.
There are several girls who have indicated they would like to go on further with their music making and we'll be in contact over the next week to set up next year's lessons. Our year 8 advanced ensembles closed out both concerts and really demonstrated the excellent progress they have made this year. Mr. Vague's group performed four pieces that covered four different styles of ensemble playing. Mr.Hickey's group performed two contrasting pieces and even sang a chorus of Summertime!
My thanks to our class instrumental teachers, Mrs. Alison Budgen, Mrs. Jenny Vallins and Mr. Jeff Vague for their continued hard work in preparing our girls for public performance. My thanks also to Miss Brigette Garofalo and Ms Lizzie Koutsnetsova for guiding Swing Sisters and Heartstrings so ably this year.
A final thanks must go to Mrs. Shari Bhatt, who will be leaving Killester College at the end of this year to take up a position at Tintern Grammar School. Shari was Music Coordinator for eight years from 2003-2010 and was the original driver of the Year 7 instrumental program, setting up the terrific program we now have running in the school. Shari has been teaching part-time for the past eight years or so. working with the Year 9s and the Year 10s. We wish her all the best and thank her for all of her work across the years.
Bernie Hickey
Music Learning Area Leader
Important Dates
The Jazz Night - Saturday 30th of November
Killester College Theatre - 7.00pm
Featuring: The Killester Stage Band
Special Guests: The Julie O’Hara Quartet
Tickets $8.00 per person.
BYO food and drinks
Tickets are available at
https://www.trybooking.com/BGFYT
"An outstanding singer".....Laurence Donahue-Green (All about Jazz Magazine, New York)
"O'Hara's vocals are imbued with a strong jazz feel with eloquent phrasing, melodic variations and rhythmic expression" John McBeath (The Australian)
"With her perfect pitch, skillful improvising and ego-free style, O'Hara has carved out a reputation on the Australian and international music scene for high-quality performances that are accessible to everyone". Ken Turnball (Castlemaine State Festival review - vocalese project)
Vocalist, improvisor and songwriter, Julie O'Hara has been active in jazz for over twenty years, growing up in Melbourne, Australia, performing with Big Bands, gypsy swing, traditional jazz, R&B swing, bebop and vocalese. Julie has earned a reputation for her prodigious activity in Melbourne's jazz and music clubs, national and international music and jazz festivals as a versatile and committed vocalist and songwriter. She has performed with jazz lumineries such as Bob Sedergreen, Gil Askey, the B# Big Band and the Cat Empire.
