MUSIC

Cairns Eisteddfod

Last term ended with a flurry of activity at the Cairns Junior Eisteddfod. On the Monday, the Saints Big Band's performance received a second place along with the Combined Saints Colleges Wind Ensemble receiving a Highly Commended. On the Tuesday the Choir performed in the afternoon and evening and received a third in Sacred Song combined with St Monica's. It was a big couple of days and the students acquitted themselves well.

We also had a few students who performed as soloists. Congratulations to Tommy and Jimmy Deldot as well as Leon Newn for their participation and excellent results in the eisteddfod.

Cairns Show

After performing at the Academic Assembly in Week 1, Saints Big Band crossed the road to perform at the Cairns Show. The experience of playing in unfamiliar surroundings builds resilience and their musicianship as well as having our Big Band heard by the general public is great for the students and College. The band played exceptionally well.

Excursion – St Andrew’s production of Chicago

This week the Years 9 and 10 music class went to see Chicago at St Andrew's Catholic College. Given the combined colleges of St Augustine’s and St Monica’s will be producing a musical in 2027, this was an excellent opportunity to refresh the memories of the students as to what fun a musical can be. The students were highly entertained by the show.

Old Boys

Currently, our Year 10s are selecting their subjects for Years 11 and 12. To assist with this decision making, I have had some of our past students let us know what they are now doing. One such student – Matt Christensen (2023)  – has sent us this:

My love and interest in musicals and production led to my involvement in the Cairns Choral Society’s productions over the past several years, and I remain involved each January despite having moved to Brisbane for study.

In Grade 12, I was awarded the Year 12 Education Scholarship from Catholic Education Cairns to study a dual degree in music and education at the University of Queensland, which covers my university course fees, provides support through my studies and guarantees employment as a teacher within the Cairns Diocese after graduating.

I have been involved with several large-scale concerts at QPAC while studying in Brisbane: the Mozart Requiem with UQ Symphony Orchestra and UQ Chorale, Verdi’s Requiem with Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Chamber Choir, and Poulenc’s Gloria with UQ Symphony Orchestra and UQ Chorale.

I’ve also been performing with the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band, a band that has been part of Brisbane for 123 years. I have performed a huge variety of music with them and have performed on stage at Brisbane City Hall, Mt Coot-tha’s Botanical Gardens, The Old Museum and Anzac Day ceremonies.

On top of all this, I have a part-time job at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre as a team leader, in charge of the centre’s operational setup and ushering teams. My musical background has been incredibly useful and many of our event planners, box office staff and event coordinators have built their careers on top of similar backgrounds.

So, where to next? In a year and a half, I will be graduating from UQ and returning to Cairns as a qualified music teacher. In the meantime, I still have a good bit more to learn, more events to help set up and run, and many more to perform in myself. While my chosen musical path was as a teacher, simply because I enjoy teaching, there is no shortage of careers and opportunities that make use of the skills developed through music classes and programs. For those who choose a musical career, the possibilities and opportunities are endless. For everyone else, my answer is the same wherever you may end up, so don’t abandon your talents. After all, a world without music would be a world without colour, without dreams.

2026

Our program is busy and vibrant with many opportunities for performances. We entertain at assemblies, perform in productions and music nights as well as provide liturgical music for the College. Our students have many performance opportunities.

Information for events and performances can be found on the Arts Department Facebook page. There will also be information in the newsletter and parent slips sent out. Below is a calendar of events planned so far. These will be added to during the year, so please reread

the calendar each edition to check that you are abreast of all that his happening, and make sure you put these dates in your diary.

Term 3

Term 4