Message from the Acting Director of Co-curricular

Combined Schools Music Festival

I had the great pleasure of accompanying our Music students on their trip to Melbourne last week for the 2018 Combined Schools Music Festival, along with Annie McRae. This biennial festival involves KWS, Radford College, Canberra, St Johns Anglican College, Brisbane, St Leonards College, Brighton, and Scotch College, Adelaide. Unfortunately, Scotch College were unable to attend this year. Each of the schools take it in turns to host the festival, which involves students forming a Concert Band, Orchestra, Choir, and Big Band and undertaking intensive rehearsals with a guest conductor. The festival concludes with a concert which showcases all of these groups.

This year St Leonards College hosted the festival. There were around 90 students from the various schools involved, with 16 students from Years 7-11 representing KWS. We were hosted at a picturesque camp just outside of Daylesford for three days of rehearsals, and then headed to Melbourne to perform in a beautiful church in Brighton for the finale concert. Students in the concert band worked with leading wind band conductor Dr. John Lynch. They performed a variety of pieces, including a contemporary Australian work which told a dreamtime story, and featured a narrator, plenty of body percussion, and extended techniques.

The Orchestra were directed by Nicholas Bochner, who is a cellist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. They performed some crowd favourites which included Finlandia by Sibelius, Selections from Carmen by Bizet, and Enigma Variations by Elgar. The Choir were conducted by Dr. Kathleen McGuire who is a well-known composer and conductor. They sang a variety of pieces covering different styles, including one of Kathleen’s own compositions. Two of our students were chosen to sing solo lines in ‘Bridge over troubled water’ in the concert, which was really special. The concert concluded with a massed orchestra and choir performing ‘Today is the Gift’. It was a really lovely way to end the concert, and conclude our time together.

Both Annie and I were very impressed with the way in which the KWS students represented our school and community. It was great to see students from all over the country coming together to participate in a non-competitive environment, and work towards the common goal of making wonderful music together. The students made friends with students of all ages, and from all of the various schools. Friendships that will hopefully continue well into the future. Musically, it was a real honour to work with conductors of such great calibre, and it was incredible to witness what was achieved in such a short time together.

Ms Heidi Anthony 

Acting Head of Co-curricular