Music Notes

Solo Recital Concerts

Over the past four weeks we have held a series of five Solo Concerts for Huntingtower Instrumental and Voice students and their teachers. These recitals have been an informal and relaxed opportunity for the students to gain valuable performing experience in front of a supportive and encouraging audience. It has been wonderful to see the musical “journey” from Junior Students, some performing for the first time, right up to our inspiring and hard working Senior Students. Congratulations to all performers and many thanks to our dedicated Instrumental Music teachers for their encouragement and preparation of the students.

VCE Masterclass with Markiyan Melnychenko

Last Friday, the VCE Unit 2 Music Performance students took part in a workshop with past student and international solo violinist Markiyan Melnychenko (Class of 2006). Markiyan shared some valuable strategies for those undertaking effective instrumental practice and offered advice regarding performance preparation and managing nerves. The students then had the privilege of hearing Markiyan perform. He was accompanied by his mother and HT piano teacher, Oksana Melnychenko. We are so grateful to Markiyan for taking the time out of his busy performing and teaching schedule to work with our students.

Kodaly Secondary School Choral Festival.

Zoltan Kodaly (1882 - 1967) was a prominent Hungarian composer and teacher whose ideas are now used in many countries world-wide. He believed that singing is the foundation of all music education, the voice being the most accessible and inexpensive of instruments.

On Thursday evening August 29th, the Senior Chamber Choir was among 10 top school and youth choirs in Melbourne to take part in a festival of singing in the stunning Ian Roach Hall at Scotch College. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the love of choral music in a non-competitive environment. The Huntingtower students performed beautifully and enjoyed the moving experience of joining together with all 400 singers to participate in the premiere performance of a work by Australian composer Ben Van Tienen.

Thank you very much to piano accompanist Jo Abbott for playing for us and to all of the parents for their support of this rewarding concert.

Any Dream will do ...

Well done to the Junior School on a most vibrant and spirited production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

The performances featured beautiful singing (a huge amount as the entire show was sung with almost no spoken dialogue) and wonderful choreography, as well as clever set design and colourful costumes.

Huge congratulations and thanks must go to Ms Carly Major Gough for her incredible vision and creativity as she took on the roles of Director, Musical Director and Choreographer. Every single Junior School student was included in the cast. Thank you also to Mrs Christine Cochrane for her wonderful work arranging music for the band and coordinating the musicians throughout the rehearsals and performances. It was a most memorable rendition of a story that encourages us all to hold on to our dreams, especially in the face of adversity, and to always express forgiveness.

MUSIC DATES TERM 4 2019

1. ARTS IN THE ROUND: Compulsory for all Junior, Middle and Senior School Instrumental Ensembles and Choirs

Sunday 13 October, Performing Arts Centre and Orchestral Room, 1.25 pm – 4 pm.

2. YEAR 7 ORIENTATION DAY CONCERT: Yr 7/8 Choir, Middle School Chamber Choir and Middle School Orchestra

Friday 25 October, Performing Arts Centre, 8:45 am to 9:40 am

3. SENIOR ORCHESTRA SPEECH NIGHT REHEARSAL AND DINNER: Sunday Nov 24, 5.30 pm – 8.30 pm, Orchestral Room.

4. JUNIOR SCHOOL CELEBRATION NIGHT: All Junior Instrumental and Choral Groups

Wednesday 27 November, Performing Arts Centre

5. SENIOR SPEECH NIGHT: All Senior Instrumental and Choral Groups

Friday 29 November 7 pm, Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University

5. CHRISTMAS IS GIVING ASSEMBLY: Yr 7/8 Choir, Middle School Chamber Choir

Thursday 5 December 1 pm.

N.B. Other Speech Night rehearsals for the instrumental and choral groups will be scheduled during the week of Monday Nov 25th. Details TBA.