Director of Music

Music at St Virgil’s College continues to gain momentum, with College Ensembles rehearsing and beginning to perform, an excursion to see the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and requests for private Music lessons continuing to be received.

Grade 5 and Grade 6 Bands

It is fantastic to see and hear the improvement that students in Grade 5 and Grade 6 have already made this term. One way of tracking student progress is through the use of practise sheets which have been given to all Grade 5 and Grade 6 students. These sheets are used to track the time that students spend practising away from school. Grade 5 students have been asked to aim for five minutes practise every day. Grade 6 students have been asked to aim for 10 minutes practise every day. Each student's practise sheet is checked during their tutorial sessions. Although daily practise is encouraged, it is sometimes difficult to fit practise into a busy family schedule. I have asked students to try to practise at least three times each week. It was amazing to see that one student had practised for 200 minutes (over three hours) in the last two weeks!

Bandsman of the Week

The Bandsman of the Week award is given to one student in Grade 5 and Grade 6 each week. Students who are named as Bandsman of the Week demonstrate exemplary behaviour during rehearsals and tutorials, bring all of the necessary equipment on Mondays (instrument, music folder, and practise sheet), and have demonstrated a dedicated home practise schedule. Congratulations to Owen Huntley and Charlie Cowling in Grade 5 and Caleb Huxtable and Chris Xavier in Grade 6 for being recognised as Bandsman of the Week in the last two weeks.

Senior Music Class Excursion: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Senior Music students were treated to an amazing experience by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. As part of the Orchestra's Open Rehearsal series, the Senior Music Classes had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal for the '2.0 in 2026' Concert. The St Virgil's students were treated to balcony seats in Federation Concert Hall and listened and watched as the Orchestra rehearsed music from computer games. 

This was the first time that some students had experienced a live orchestra, and their first experience of going to Federation Concert Hall. 

Here are some of their responses:

“The music excursion to hear the TSO was an amazing experience, one that can’t be matched by going on your own. Hearing what Ms Ball heard in the composition compared to myself provided insight I would not have received if I had gone on my own or with family. It was an incredible opportunity to put the ear training from my previous Year 9 course back into practice. It was also amazing to see how the conductor would put in real time feedback as he heard the music. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, one that everyone should encounter at least once."

One student said: “The music rehearsal by the TSO was spectacular. At first it started off rocky as you could tell they weren’t playing seriously while waiting for the full orchestra to arrive. When they started playing seriously the music was so good... it makes you feel like you are in your own fairytale."

Another said: “I thought the TSO was amazing. It was incredible to experience such beautiful sounds. My favourite piece was The Last of Us as I love the game. Overall, I hope we do more excursions and maybe go to see them again."

Junior Rock Band Performance: Opening Liturgy

Members of the Junior Rock Band made their performance debut for 2026 at the Whole School Opening Liturgy. The band rocked out with excellent performances of the 12 Bar Blues Song Blackberry Jam and Fortunate Son by Credence Clearwater Revival. These dedicated students rehearse regularly in the Music Rooms to prepare for upcoming performances. Congratulations to Archer Gifford, Gangul Wimalasena, Tom Bufton, Harry Imber, Jacob Lee, and Chase Wilkinson for your fantastic performances.