The Arts

Music Department news

Our music team are wrapping up the semester in style! This week we have been able to move back into our beloved N Block after 12 weeks in the wilderness! All of our staff and students are thrilled to be back in place and it has been great to spread out again, giving all of our students a more authentic space to make music.

Choral Fanfare update 

A huge congratulations to our auditioned choir, Gappella, who competed in the Metro North Regional Final of Choral Fanfare last Thursday. One of only five choirs chosen from the huge region of north Brisbane – it was such an honour to be selected and to perform with amazing choirs from our region. Our students, Ms Dargusch and Mrs Collins did an incredible job and impressed the adjudicators with their unconducted “All Star” and expressive interpretation of “Light in the Hallway” and “Louder than Words” and we awarded Gold on the day for their musical expression and sincerity. The competition was next level, and we congratulate the choirs from Craigslea and Kelvin Grove on being awarded most outstanding on the day.

Congratulations also to our Aether String Quartet (Ava N, Lee H, Will S and Catriona W) for receiving an achievement award in Musica Viva’s national chamber music competition, Strike a Chord. Their performance of Saint-Saen’s Quartet No. 2, 1stMovement, under the direction of Mrs Jamie-Lee Zhang, was sublime and well received by the adjudicators who were impressed by the quartet’s charm and control and how they captured the wide range of character and colours present in the score. We are so proud of these fantastic students who have represented us at a national level.  

A huge thank you to the students in our Senior Jazz Trio (Jayden F, Stephen J, and Reuben S) and Ms Fawns; the Cello Choir and Ms Davis (Adalita M, Isaac P, Patterson D, Sebastian C, Lachlan S, and Arlo B); the Aether String Quartet (Ava N, Lee-Ling H, Will S, and Catriona W) and Mrs Zhang; and Gappella (Miriam W, Catriona W, Madeline D, Bethan W, Lahiri H, Darcy B, Jamie M, Leo M-L, and Emery M) and Ms Dargusch for performing at last weekend’s Sights, Sips and Sounds as a part of the Gap Creative’s Winter Solstice Exhibition in our Tula Gallery. This new event was supported by Jonty Bush and gave us a chance to showcase the incredible talent of our students to a wider cross-section of our local community. It was a fantastic afternoon!

Musically Outstanding Students – this week, six of our very talented musicians are representing the school at MOST 2025 – Creative Generation Excellence in Instrumental Music.

Congratulations to:

Ava N (Year 12) – violin

Catriona W (Year 12) – cello

Reuben S (Year 12) – bass guitar

Jayden F (Year 12) – drumkit and percussion

Issak J (Year 11) – trumpet

Lee-Ling H (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. Ms Dargusch, Ms McMullen and Ms Donovan are really looking forward to the Gala concert which is being held at the Conservatorium Theater on the holidays.

Creative Generation 2025

Also, over the holidays, the following outstanding musicians will be participating in the final rehearsals of Creative Generation State Schools on Stage at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Evey F (Grade 8) - Musical Theatre and signing choir.

Jefferson D (Grade 11) - trombone in the Symphony Orchestra.

Issak J (Grade 11) - trumpet in Symphony Orchestra and the James Morrison Big Band.

 Jayden F (Grade 12) - drumkit in the James Morrison Big Band and the Rock Band, as well as percussion in the Symphony Orchestra.

Catriona W (Grade 12) - cello in the Symphony Orchestra. 

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 and are looking forward to the big show at the end of Week 1 next term.

SHEP – State Honours Ensemble Program 2025

Term 2 has been busy for our students participating in Queensland Conservatorium’s State Honours Ensemble Program. The State Honours Ensemble Program is an educational program for music students that helps extend and encourage their pursuit of musical excellence. Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University’s State Honours Ensemble Program has grown from relatively modest beginnings in 2001. SHEP is now a firmly established aspect of music learning in Queensland, bringing together young people from all over the State, in regional centres and Brisbane to share their passion for making music. This program gives student the opportunity to work in an intensive environment of musical excellence with their peers offering a unique opportunity to extend and develop their musical skills as well as work with a team of eminent Conductors from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

Congratulations to the following students who participated in the first program (SHEP Brisbane) held from May 30-June 1:

Patterson D (Year 9) – cello

Maple N (Year 10) – voice

Ashlee T (Year 9) – violin

Marie V(Year 9) – voice

These holidays, many more of our students will participate in the next program (SHEP Sth-East QLD) from Thursday July 10-Saturday July 12):

Aisha C (year 9) – flute

Eamon C (Year 7) – trumpet

Hugo H (Year 7) – trumpet

James H (Year 8) – Bass Clarinet

Toby M (Year 7) – Voice

Rohan P (year 7) – Bass Guitar

Lucas S (Year 7) – Cello

Miram W (Year 7) - Voice

Arabella W (Year 8) – Trumpet

Maddie W (Year 9) – Violin

Amy Z (Year 10) - Flute

Grace G (Year 9) - Clarinet

Aiden W (Year 8) – Double bass

Then in October, the following students have been successful in gaining a place in the most senior program SHEP Queensland:

Judah S (Alto Saxophone)

Catriona W (cello)

A huge congratulations to all the students selected for this prestigious program.

Term 3 Date Claimers:

Australian Percussion Eisteddfod – St Peter’s Lutheran College Indooroopilly – August 2nd from 2pm.

Music Extension Recital 3 – Wednesday 6th August – Auditorium – 6.30pm

Tula Concert 2 – Senior’s Farewell – Friday 22nd August – JA Robertson Hall - 6.30pm