Music Notes

Term 2 was a busy one for the music department! We started the term off with our back-to-back music camps. It’s the school’s only cross year level camp and students collaborated in their rehearsals, played lots of Gaga ball, and demonstrated their vast talents – comedy, dance, magic, music - at the annual music camp talent show.

Later in the term we had our two VCE music nights at the Wesley Anne to showcase the music from both the year 11 and 12 classes. Across the two nights we heard music from 13 different groups, our year 12s being the largest cohort in at least 10 years! The music ranged stylistically, with a mix of jazz, rock, pop, soul, and blues. The room was packed out each night and it was an absolute pleasure to hear all the hard work from our senior music students.

Next up was the Plugged night at the Brunswick Ballroom on Sydney road, a premier venue that saw performances from over 10 of the ‘plugged’ ensembles and choirs. A sell out show and a lovely evening underneath the mirrored disco-ball.

The year 9 classroom music students performed their end of semester concert at the Bergy Seltzer band room with support acts from Planet 7 and a year 10 band. The students spend the semester in class preparing, practicing, and organising the show. With a focus on industry specific skills, the students had an excursion to the venue in the weeks leading up and learn valuable skills on what it takes to put on a gig around town.

Lastly, we sold over 250 tickets to our Unplugged showcase at the Collingwood town hall featuring music from our orchestra, concert band, woodwind ensemble, string groups, guitar ensembles, and choirs. The orchestra closed the evening with a clarinet concerto by Franz Krommer featuring solos from two of our amazing year 12 clarinettists: Harriet Gooi and Caius Belmont.

Looking forward into term 3: the Arnold St band and orchestra prepare for performances at the Victorian School Music Festival; our choirs put on a show at the choir soiree in the school theatre on August 6th; the Used Car Horns and others entertain at the PHSC Night Market on August 21st; things heat up at the Jazz/Latin/Soul night at the Wesley Anne on September 10th; and the year 12s present the entirety of the exam repertoire at the Wesley Anne across the 15th and 17th of September.