Festival of Music 2024 Choir
On Friday September 22nd,14 of our students performed on stage at the Adelaide Festival Theatre as part of the Public Primary Schools Festival of Music. Our school was also represented by Ada and Toby who were soloists on the night. Ada sang the solo part of ‘Smile’ and Toby sang the solo parts of ‘Charleston’.
The Primary Schools Festival of Music is an official state icon and historic event that South Australian public schools have participated in for over 130 years!
This wonderful South Australian tradition engages our students in artistic excellence, cultural diversity and social inclusion through performance in music and the arts. There were a total of 10 concerts this year. Each performance saw hundreds of students on stage performing in the choir, orchestra, dance troop, choreography leaders or as soloists.
Robyn (director of music) and Cathy (assistant director of music) who conduct the concerts along with Anne (Concert Manager) were extremely impressed with the professionalism of our students and the way they conducted themselves for the final rehearsal and performance. It was truly a wonderful celebration of all the hard work put in at home and in our weekly lessons with Ms. Alla during the year. It was a pleasure to have them representing our school and have a celebratory pizza dinner together before being called to the stage.
This year The Festival commissioned Paul Jarman to compose a set of four songs entitled “World of Tomorrow”. In this rapidly evolving modern world, it is hard to imagine that less than two hundred years ago there was no electricity, no running water or central heating and cooling. We lived without antibiotics and medicines. Cars, trucks, buses and planes were not yet invented. There were no telephones, let alone smart phones.
While most of these differences have improved our lives, some haven’t. Many of these differences are greatly influencing our lives. Are we heading the right way? The technology challenges of our changing world form the theme of our four-part song cycle for the 2023 Festival of Music, “World of Tomorrow”. During the concerts there were a number of guest artists from public primary and secondary schools, other choir items that presented different musical performances and two pieces that specifically showcased the talents of the orchestra.
The concert is always a spectacular event that our students really enjoyed being a part of. It is a pleasure to see the delight and enjoyment our students get from being part of our choir and singing together each week. All students commented on how special it was to be up on stage performing in such a big iconic South Australian production. Keep an eye out for information early next term to order a copy of the concert video. I will also be seeking expressions of interest, followed by a commitment to be part of the choir next year as we will be completing that paperwork early next term to continue our involvement and be part of the Festival of Music in 2024. Whilst Year 5 & 6 students have the opportunity to perform at the Festival as per the agreement with the Education Department, we often have space for Year 4 students. Being part of the choir is such a valuable opportunity that has many experiences and skills to offer students.
A big thank you to Eva Decrevel and Mrs. Sprigg who came to watch the concert and assisted in many ways leading up to and throughout the day. Also, thank you to Mr. Walmsley who collected our pizza order this year and came to support and encourage students during the dinner break. There are many components involved in getting our students up on stage each year and I really appreciate the help and support of everyone involved along the way. It is impossible to fully put into words what this experience on stage and being part of the choir provides all of our students who are part of our choir.
Finally, a MASSIVE, thank you to all of the parents who support and encourage their children to be part of this program!
Zoe Stone
Year 3/4 Teacher
