JUNIOR SCHOOL SOIRÉE

We have had a wonderful number of performers eager to play in the upcoming Junior School Soirée. Given these large numbers and the current restrictions to large group gatherings during COVID-19 Phase 4, we are obliged to hold two separate Soirées on the same evening.

Junior School Soirée event details:

Soirée 1 – Thursday, 3 September

Students – Pre-Primary – Year 4 and the Kids String Ensemble

Performance time – 5.00pm–6.00pm

Call time for students – 4.30pm

Location – Centre for Performing Arts

Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Music from 4.30pm–5.00pm in the Centre for Performing Arts foyer.

Soirée 2 – Thursday, 3 September

Students – Year 5 and 6 students plus the Saints' Strings Ensemble

Performance time – 6.30pm–7.30pm

Call time for students – 6.00pm

Location – Centre for Performing Arts

Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Music from 6.00pm–6.30pm in the Centre for Performing Arts foyer.

Families will be asked to arrive only at their respective call times so that we can adhere to the social distancing requirements. When seated in the Centre for Performing Arts, families can sit together, but a seat must separate people who are not from the same household.

Individual emails to these families of the students performing have been sent; please check you have received yours.

For more information please contact music@allsaints.wa.edu.au

SPRING SERENADE COLLEGE CONCERT

We are delighted to be able to hold our College Concert this term, despite restrictions due to the COVID-19 situation.

On the evening of Thursday, 17 September we will give two distinct performances in the CPA auditorium:

Performance 1 – 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Instrumental Ensemble focus

Symphony Orchestra
Senior Wind Ensemble
Combined College Concert Band
Guarneri String Ensemble
Jazz Saints
Senior Brass Group
Senior Clarinet Ensemble

Performance 2 – 7.15pm – 8.15pm

Choral/Vocal focus (plus Amati strings, Celtic Band and Guitar Ensemble)

College Choir
Senior Girls’ Choir
Boys' Choir
Year 7 Minor Details Choir
Amati Strings
ASC Guitar Ensemble
Celtic Band

Student performers – Please await specific instructions from your ensemble directors which will be sent out at the start of Week 8. You can expect that the call time for you will likely be half an hour before the start times

i.e 5.00pm call time for Concert 1 (Instrumental) / 6.45pm call time for Concert 2 (mostly Choral)

If a student is performing in both concerts, they can either wait with their parents or relax in a designated waiting room with a member of staff.

Tickets for both concerts can be purchased through the link below. For those audience members wishing to attend both concerts please contact the Music department for a special code.

Introducing our Music Tutors

MRS EMMA O'KEEFE - CELLO

Mrs Emma O’Keefe B.A, B.MUS, Dip. Ed. (Primary) is a freelance Cellist, and a teacher of Cello and Early Childhood Music, specialising in the Suzuki Philosophy of Music Education from birth and beyond. An accredited Suzuki Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Emma runs the Suzuki Cello School (WA) and the Early Childhood Music program of STEAA(WA). She is passionate about the important role of music in the lives and development of young children, and is Founder and Director of Grow With Music (est. 1999), a comprehensive music education program offering Early Childhood Music classes for babies and toddlers, and Cello Tuition to children aged 3-16.

She has two children at All Saints’ College who are in Years 7 and 9. Both began playing their instruments when they were three years old, and, since that time, have attended several national and international music conferences around the world, in Switzerland, Japan, USA and New Zealand.

Emma has held teaching positions at several Perth schools and is currently a Cello Tutor at Iona Presentation College and All Saints’ College. Her teaching practice is inspired by what she has learned through ongoing training, professional development and enrichment opportunities with leading music educators and thinkers.

How did you first get into music?

I was seven years old and rushed through my bubble bath one evening to play the full-size cello that my Mum had brought home from a school where she was teaching. She didn’t waste any time in realising she needed to get me a smaller cello and find a cello teacher!

What is your preferred genre of music to play and/or listen to?

I love listening to ABC Classic FM because I always discover more about music and the world that way. There is nothing like the blast of a Shostakovich symphony, the beauty of a Mendelssohn Piano Trio, the intrigue of compositions by Max Richter, Peter Sculthorpe, or Elena Kats-Chernin, or the expansiveness of film music by John Williams. I also like to turn up songs on the commercial radio channels nice and loud, especially on my way home in the car after a busy day.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your younger self?

With a sense of purpose and a ‘keep trying’ attitude, anything is possible. My cello teacher always said, “There won’t be anything you can’t play, it’s knowing how to practise it.”

Who is your biggest inspiration in life?

It would have to be my parents. My Mum, for her energy and boundless enthusiasm and devotion to music. My Dad, for his sense of humour and good sportsmanship. That mix has helped me embrace everything I do and take advantage of every opportunity in the spirit of good fun and fairness.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spending an evening with friends playing chamber music, followed by a chat over a glass of wine.

To learn more about Emma’s program, Grow With Music, visit the website: www.growwithmusic.com.au

Mrs O’Keefe teaches Cello on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the College. Please contact the Music Department to enquire about lessons on music@allsaints.wa.edu.au.

Afternoon Tea Concerts

GUITAR AND VOICE

On Thursday, 13 August a Guitar and Voice recital for the students of Miss Carolyn Thomas (Voice) and Mr Rohan Disley (Classical and Acoustic Guitar) took place as part of the Afternoon Tea Concert Series. The concert featured solo works from students in Years 1 to Year 12, as well as a performance from the Acoustic Guitar Ensemble. The audience was treated to a wide range of repertoire; from classical guitar works to modern-day pop vocal hits. 

The concert provided a wonderful opportunity for students to gain valuable performance experiences in the state-of-the-art Centre for Performing Arts. For many students, this was their first time performing, and it was so wonderful to see them step out of their comfort zones and excel in their musical endeavours.

We would like to thank the students for their outstanding dedication to music lessons and their efforts in the Afternoon Tea Concert this year. We would also like to thank Joy Wu (Year 12) and Mr Christopher Musitano for accompanying the vocal students for the concert. Thank you to the wonderful parents for the afternoon tea snacks and their continued effort in supporting the students on their musical endeavours. 

Miss Carolyn Thomas and Mr Rohan Disley

PIANO

On Thursday, 20 August, 33 piano students performed in the Afternoon Tea Concert series on the Centre for Performing Arts stage. I am delighted with the wonderful feedback that I have received from the parents of the students.

In the weeks leading up to the concert, my students had a competition for the best drawing about Music — it had to be something connected to their piano lessons. The best four drawings were chosen for the concert program. It was a fabulous afternoon of sharing music, and I was delighted to see that my students were feeling confident on the stage and enjoyed themselves.

Mrs Inna Fursa

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