Music News

Dr Andrew Butt

Prizegiving, Graduation and Senior Farewell

A big thank you to all of the Marist Musicians involved in this year’s end-of-year events. We had much to celebrate this year and the boys have excelled at multiple activities over this term. The Graduation Mass and Farewell Ceremony were a particular highlight for our musicians last week. 

Co-curricular Music Review

2022 has been another outstanding year for Co-Curricular Music at Marist College Ashgrove, with a year full of opportunities for boys to participate in a wide variety of musical genres in contrasting settings. Despite the continued challenges of COVID 19 the College’s choirs, bands, orchestras, and small ensembles produced some outstanding music, performing at festivals and events across Southern Queensland. Highlights of the year included the Blue & Gold Concert, Cathedral Concert, Guitar Summit, the Queensland Catholic Colleges Music Festival and Big Band 1 travelling once again to Warwick to perform in Jumpers and Jazz in July, this time as a feature ensemble.

 

As usual, the musical year commenced with the traditional music camp over the first weekend back at school, held once again at Alexandra Headlands. Only a few weeks later, performances were already underway, including the Inaugural Mass, Champagnat Trust Lunch, Grade 5 Musical and the Premier Ensembles Concert.

 

Term 2 performances included the Autumn Concert, Marist Jazz Night and the Winds and Percussion Concert. The choirs represented the College at the National Sorry Day Ceremony held at Teralba Park and the College’s Big Band 1 celebrated International Jazz Day in April with an eclectic lunchtime performance in the Draney Foyer. This was soon followed by a well-received performance at the Brisbane Youth Jazz Festival, held in the Queensland Multicultural Centre, with the boys performing alongside many other outstanding school and professional Big Bands from across Brisbane. The Semester concluded with our year 5 boys commencing their instrumental performance journey in the Band and String Concert.

 

In Term 3 the Blue & Gold concert returned after an extended hiatus due to the global pandemic. The event showcased current students alongside talented Old Boys, Parents, and members of the Marist College Ashgrove Community, many of whom are professional musicians. Highlights of the evening included year ten student Oliver Betts performing Faure’s Elegie for Violoncello and Orchestra - Op. 24 and Year 12 French Horn soloist James Rourke perform Cinema Paradiso composed by Ennio Morricone. The evening concluded with the Symphony Orchestra and College community massed choir performing Ancient Words featuring year 6 soloist Sam Warren. In the early hours of the morning in July, Big Bands 1 and 2 packed their instruments and backline onto a coach and travelled two hours south-west to perform at the annual Warwick Jumpers and Jazz Festival. The Big Band 1 boys also performed later in the day with liturgy ensemble for the Biennial MSA Conference at the Brisbane Powerhouse. This was followed by several liturgical and celebratory events over three days held across Brisbane, including the final mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral.

 

After a break of 3 years, Marist College Ashgrove once again welcomed The Essentially Ellington Down Under Festival for 2022 hosting 15 Big Bands from across Southern Queensland during the EKKA break. World-renowned Trombonist Vincent Gardner and New York Drummer and educator Jerome Jennings were thoroughly impressed with the standard of groups across the day commenting that it was the highest standard that they had seen in Brisbane since the Festival began in 2016. It was another amazing experience for our Big Band 1 and 2 students being mentored by two of the world’s leading jazz musicians in our very own Draney Theatre. Following the festival, our Rhythm section players comprised of Jeremy Vanderbyl, Rohan Sweeney, Sam Patterson and Tom Horton, were selected to be the exemplar players for a Teachers’ Professional Development session held at the Jazz Music Institute. The boys once again demonstrated the high level of playing that the College is renowned for and did the College proud.

 

The August Ekka break also saw the College’s Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra 1, Chamber Choir and Chamber Strings participate in the Catholic Colleges Music Festival. The festival was held this year in a reduced capacity, and it was great to see Marist as the only school that competed in each of the top A grade sections for Choral, Strings, Band & Symphony, a testament to the depth and quality of the boys’ standard of performance. There were some mixed results and feedback from the adjudicators however it was great to see the Symphony achieve the top result in the A grade Orchestra Section and Chamber Choir tie for second place with Loreto College to an outstanding Choral group from All Hallows. Other Term 3 performances included the inaugural Marist Guitar Summit directed by acclaimed guitarist, composer, educator, and guest director Dr Anthony Garcia who is also an old boy of the College. On the last day of term we once again welcomed and entertained Grandparents at our annual Grandparents Day and farewelled our 2022 Year 12 Music cohort at the Soiree. Both concerts were a great celebration of music. The 2022 Soiree celebrated one of the largest musical cohorts in the history of the College in a special night of high-quality music making. Finally, during Term 3, Mr Enrico LeMura resigned after five years of dedicated service to the College’s Music Department in the Music Executive Officer role. We were happy to announce the appointment of Mr Alexander Hides to this position, continuing the successful legacy that Enrico established over his tenure.

 

In Term 4 Marist musicians concluded the year performing at Year 12 Graduation and at Awards night held for the first time in the Concert Hall of The Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

 

Special thanks to Mr Enrico Le Mura, Ms Vanessa Mitchell and Mr Alexander Hides, who have done an outstanding job in maintaining the smooth running of a vibrant and busy music department. To the full-time teaching staff, Miss Rhiannon Fenn, Ms Alison Braidwood, Mr Darian Johns, Mrs Catherine Wasserman, Ms Megan Harmston, Mrs Melanie Stewart, Mr Joseph Rabjohns and Ms Janelle Lee Long, who have selflessly given much of their time and talent to the development of the Music Department here at Marist, your contribution is highly invaluable and most appreciated. As always, thank you to the part-time instrumental teaching staff, Mr Andrew Ball, Mrs Carmen Hooper, Mr Mal Wood, Mr Caleb Colledge, Mr Dominic Machen, Mr Isaac Ismail, Dr Jamie Kennedy, Mr Laurent Dubois, Mr Monash Lal, Ms Alexa Murray, Ms Kathryn Close, Ms Evalyn Legried, Mr Samuel Vincent, Mr Douglas McRae, Mr Sean Flynn, Mr Tony Vandermeer, Mr Brodie McAllister and Mr Kieran Stevenson who have continued to bring such outstanding talent and expertise to the department.

 

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to all of the students, especially the Year 12 Class of 2022, who were involved in the Marist College Ashgrove Music Department this year. Without the dedication, talent and enthusiasm that they have displayed in rehearsals, concerts and recordings throughout a challenging year, the successes that we have enjoyed as a department would not have been possible. It has truly been a blessing to work with such an outstanding group of young men and boys.