Music Notes 

Nicole Bull, Academic Dean of Performing Arts 

Centenary Music Concert

Noah Emons, Music Vice Captain, Year 12

Thursday 10 August saw the entire Kilvington community come together to celebrate the School’s 100th anniversary in concert at Hamer Hall. Many months of preparation, rehearsal, music lessons, and planning meetings went into ensuring that it became a night to remember!

THE CENTENARY SONG

Opening with the entire School singing Kilvington’s Centenary song 'We Are Only Getting Started', composed specifically for the event by remarkable Australian composer Mark Puddy, the show brought out the best of Kilvington’s core values, as our students displayed respect, passion and expertise throughout each and every item. 

The Centenary song began with a sweetly-sung solo from Year 3 student Ashlee Chau, joined eight bars later by Music Co-Captain Renae Bekas.

Renae interviewed Ashlee about her experience of singing the solo. Here's what Ashlee had to say: 

What was your favourite part of the process?

I loved the rehearsals a lot. It was so fun to see everyone practising and singing the song all together for the first time.

How did you feel when you were performing? Were you nervous?

Yes, I was definitely nervous about performing in front of the crowd at the Hall, but only a little bit. I was also super excited!

PERFORMANCES BY KILVONIANS 

Featuring a solo in a medley of iconic pieces from musical theatre, arranged by piano teacher Jake Amy, legendary former staff member Patsy Venn was able to become a part of the spectacle. This was in dedication to the monumental role she played as Kilvington’s Director of Music for four decades.

Patsy's unending passion for the field led many students to pursue careers in music and performance, several of whom were seen on stage on Thursday. 

We were also graced with the presence of numerous Kilvonians, past students, and teachers hailing from all around the country to provide their talent and help give back to the community that shaped their childhood. 

THANK YOU 

Many thanks are in order to everyone involved with the Centenary Concert. Thank you to Principal Rob French and the Kilvington Board for their support. 

Thank you to Ms Nicole Bull, Academic Dean of Performing Arts, for her enormous efforts in conducting, preparing and organising the concert logistics. Thanks also to Ms Fiona Radford, Head of Junior School Music, Mr Paul Jenkins, Head of Instrumental Music, Mr Darko Kolosov, Head of Strings, Ms Kate Cole, Head of Keyboard, and all the teachers involved in the Concert. 

Thank you to the School Vice-Captains for compering the Show, and to the parents and family members who bore witness to the hard work of our performers. Thank you to the Kilvonians for returning back to School to once again enjoy the experience of performing on stage with their peers. 

Most of all, thank you and congratulations to each and every student who performed or helped on the night. You are all to be commended and acknowledged for the endless amount of time and effort you sacrificed to the before-school, lunchtime, recess, after-school and weekend rehearsals. It paid off in dividends on the night. 

Kilvington’s core was embodied in so many ways on the night, making Thursday night’s event a truly once-in-a-hundred-year celebration.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED 

Nicole Bull, Academic Dean of Performing Arts

A huge congratulations to all students, staff and Kilvonians involved in the Centenary Concert.  An enormous amount of effort was spent in the preparation and performance of this momentous event. 

I am so proud of all students for their dedication, commitment and skills in navigating the vast array of rehearsals which took place outside of school hours. Special thanks to our Music Captains who led by example, providing expert leadership and support to their peers.

Student achievement 

At the recent Comdance competition, Elijah Slavinskis, Year 10, received two honourable mentions and came third in the tap championship against students two years older than himself.  

This was a pleasing result as Elijah hasn’t competed in the competition since 2018 due to professional commitments.

You can view a video of Elijah tap dancing here – it’s pretty amazing! 

Masterclasses

We are introducing a new step in Kilvington’s music performance pedagogy - Masterclass.

We believe that implementing a weekly music masterclass in lieu of the current soiree format will greatly enhance the educational experience for our students. By offering this opportunity, students will have the chance to refine their performance skills in front of their peers while simultaneously receiving valuable feedback for immediate improvement. 

This transition will enable a more seamless progression from home practice and individual lessons to masterclass sessions, and then on to public performances and examinations.

A signup sheet for the Masterclasses will be in the PVC foyer. Here are the schedule details for the term: 

Location: 

• Senior Masterclass – Room PVC7
• Junior Masterclass – Room 1AD14

Time: 

• Friday 1 September: Snr 12.45 - 1.30pm, Jnr 1.40 - 2.20pm
• Friday 8 September: Snr 12.45 - 1.30pm,  Jnr 1.40 - 2.20pm
• Friday 15 September: Snr 12. 45 - 1.30pm (Production Week)

Diary dates - Term 3