Music Notes

Winter Concerts Warmth 

Towards the end of Term 2, we all enjoyed the Winter Choral and Winter Instrumental Concerts within a week of each other. The choral concert, held at Box Hill Town Hall, provided a delightful acoustic setting for the choirs to perform at their finest. Ms Sims and her dedicated team of accompanists, Mr Chris Nolan and Ms Stephanie-Jane Lewendon-Lowe, crafted an enchanting and extensive repertoire that was met with rapturous appreciation from the audience.

The instrumental version of the Winter Concert was equally well received, featuring eleven ensembles performing to a very high standard. The concert included three Concert Bands, three String Orchestras, a Guitar Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Big Band, and the Huntingtower Symphony Orchestra. The program featured three challenging yet well-performed movements from concertos with the HSO, showcasing Emma T (Elgar Cello Concerto No. 1), Daniel S (Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 2), and Hillary Z (Barber Violin Concerto No. 1). A special thanks is extended to our wonderful music staff who led or assisted with ensembles both backstage and on stage: Mr Mirko Guerrini, Stephanie-Jane Lewendon-Lowe, Mr Luiz Sasson, Ms Mia Berlin, Mr Aidan Efron, Mrs Cass Nolan, Mr Mike Tsotsos, and Ms Kayla Sims.  

The Addams Family Pit Orchestra 

It is with immense pride and delight that the Music Centre has facilitated the pit orchestra for the upcoming Senior School production of The Addams Family. The 31-piece ensemble, comprised of 27 students mostly from Years 8 to 10, showcases the depth of talent within our student body. This is a professional-level score, and it’s worth noting that most other schools opt to engage professional musicians for their pit orchestras. While this approach is quite costly, it also means students miss out on an incredible and authentic learning experience.

The pit orchestra deserves congratulations for their enthusiasm and concentration during rehearsals, as well as their evident musicianship. We are also fortunate to have a dedicated pit and an in-house sound system within our Performing Arts Centre, supported by our amazing staff and student tech crew.

Victorian Schools Music Festival 

This term we have six ensembles entered into the prestigious Victorian Schools Music Festival. This competition provides a valuable learning opportunity for our ensembles, as not only do they perform to an audience outside of our regular Huntingtower supporters, but they also receive an on-stage workshop by one of the adjudicators, and of equal importance, the students get to see other comparable school ensembles perform. Our endeavours will be acknowledged with a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum award according to the quality of our performance against the musical criteria. We look forward to sharing our results with the community towards the end of this term. Good luck to the Junior Strings, Intermezzo Strings, Senior Strings, Intermezzo Concert Band, Senior Concert Band and the Huntingtower Symphony Orchestra in their performances at this wonderful event. 

Spring Concert 

This term will culminate with our Spring Concert in the second last week on Thursday 12 September in our PAC. In consideration of the Year 12s at a busy time of their academic year we are electing to start this concert at the earlier time than usual time of 6:15pm. This free concert will feature all Middle School and Senior School choirs, bands, string orchestras, and the symphony orchestras, showcasing the magnificent work that takes place in our rehearsals and private lessons.  

Mr David Mowat

Head of Music