Performing Arts Report

Percussion Concert – Brisbane State High School

On Monday, 31st March, Mr Jarrott and his percussion ensembles headed into Brisbane State High School for a combined schools’ concert. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible work our students are doing and celebrate the performances of other really talented percussionists on Mr Jarrott’s roll at other schools. The result is an amazing display of precision, passion, teamwork and cohesion as the students navigate through incredibly challenging repertoire together. It is truly wonderful to see them playing from memory, listening and reacting to each other and in a state of complete flow. Our senior ensemble, Asymmetry, performed alongside our new chamber ensembles Akudama & Furnari. Thank you, Mr Jarrott, for making this opportunity available to our students and for inspiring our percussionists to be the best they can be.

Accelerated Music

Also, on Monday, 31st March, Ms McMullen attended the Programs of Excellence information evening for prospective students in Years 5 and 6. It was fantastic to meet so many aspiring musicians interested in our Accelerated Music Program and to have the chance to brag about our wonderful program.

Application forms and the audition requirements are now live on the school website under the Excellence Programs tab (https://thegapshs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/excellence-programs ). The timelines for applying to be a part of our future Accelerated Music classes is:

Thursday 15 May 2025: AMPed applications due

Wednesday 5 June & Thursday 6 June 2025: Auditions

Prior to Winter holidays: Offers emailed out

Thursday 24 July 2025: Acceptance deadline 6:00pm

Creative Generation State Schools on Stage and MOST 2025

Creative Generation 2025

Congratulations to the following outstanding musicians who have been successful in their nominations for Creative Generation State Schools on Stage this year.

Evey Fletcher (Grade 8) has been selected to perform as part of the Musical Theatre cast as well as a member of the signing choir.

Jayden Fulwood (Grade 12) is returning to play drumkit in the James Morrison Big Band and the Rock Band, as well as percussion in the Symphony Orchestra this year.

Catriona Williams (Grade 12) has been successful in applying to play cello in the Symphony Orchestra.

Issak Judd (Grade 11) will be performing on trumpet in the James Morrison Big Band as and the Symphony Orchestra this year.

CGEN is a large-scale performance made up of more than 1800 state school students from across Queensland. Auditions are followed by hundreds of rehearsals for the show to come to life during Show Week where 4 performances take place. We are thrilled to have our students involved in this incredible show again this year.

MOST 2025 (Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Instrumental Music)

Congratulations to the following students who have been chosen to participate in MOST this year.

Ava Newcomb (Year 12) – violin
Catriona Willams (Year 12) – cello
Reuben Spiker-Folland (Year 12) – bass guitar
Jayden Fulwood (Year 12) – drumkit and percussion
Issak Judd (Year 11) – trumpet
Lee-Ling Huang (Year 11) – violin

The Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Instrumental Music is a biennial event offering a residential extension program for up to 80 musically outstanding students (MOST) from Queensland state secondary schools. Our students will be making up almost one-tenth of the group in 2025 – truly outstanding!

The MOST program extends musically gifted and talented students in a 10-day program of musical development in large and small ensembles, tutorial groups, aural musicianship and a range of music and cultural activities. Conductors and tutors are eminent musicians who are recognised as leaders in their respective fields.

TULA Concert 1

On Friday 28th March, our Instrumental and Choral Music students took to the JA Robertson stage for our first concert in the TULA Series this year. It was a fantastic showcase of the incredible work that our students and their teachers have been doing over the past 7 or 8 weeks. We started the concert with Fanfare State Finalists from 2024, Asymmetry and ended with our Paganini Strings who closed the show with their orchestral brilliance. In between, our Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Vivaldi and Amadeus string ensembles, our Big Band and Stage Band and our two choirs, Voiceworx and Gapella, performed brilliantly for a capacity crowd. Congratulations to our Instrumental teachers and students on your amazing performances and thank you to the PoPArts Committee for running the canteen on the night. It was a fantastic celebration of our wonderful music program.

It’s Official… Leo is a Class Clown!

Leo is Australia’s Class Clown

Fresh from his win in the state final of Class Clowns, Leo Murietta-Lagos, has won the national final in Melbourne on Thursday this week.

In a Melbourne Comedy Festival event in the Melbourne Town Hall, Leo performed stand up routine against 10 other high school comedians – 4 from Victoria, 2 from the ACT and one from NSW, SA, WA and the Northern Territory.

Huge congratulations to Leo on his win! We are thrilled for him.

Music Extension Recital 1

On Wednesday night our Year 12 Music Extension students took to the stage to present their first piece of assessment for the subject. With four composers and eight performers presenting their IA1 assessment. Our composers explored really diverse styles from programmatic works about a mouse and his cheese to a minimalist instrumental ensemble and an alt. rock chart topper.

The performers dazzled us with their musicianship and artistry – such sophisticated interpretations of really challenging repertoire.

One highlight was seeing most of the musicians in the class taking to the stage to perform Catriona Williams’ composition – hearing the notes move from the page to the stage was incredible.

Bravo!

Trivia Night 2025

Thanks to Cylcone Alfred our annual PoPArts Trivia Night was postponed this term! But, never fear… PoPARts and QuizMaster, Andrew McMicking, are locked in to bring this fabulous night out to the community in Term 2.

Put Friday 9th May in your calendars and hop onto the Humanitix site to secure your bookings now.

Our Trivia night is a fun, family night out and we would love to see more members of our wider school community there. It is not an Arts focussed quiz, but it is a great way to support the Arts Department through valuable fund raising.

Put a table of 8 together – 8 adults, 8 students or a combination of the two and test your collective knowledge against the room. If you don’t have a table of 8 – you can buy individual tickets and join a group. Let Ms McMullen know, and she will help you build a team.

We have prizes for overall Trivia winners – both student and adult tables as well as prizes for the best dressed table. So, come in costume and decorate your table in a theme to be in with a chance for the top prize!

Tickets are on sale now through Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/poparts-23rd-anniversary-trivia-night

Executive Principal