MUSIC
News from Cherie Spannenburg
Head of Music
MUSIC
News from Cherie Spannenburg
Head of Music
Instrumental music
Combined Saints Colleges ensembles are in music camp this weekend with clinician Craig Kennedy from St Rita’s College Brisbane. Students will be rehearsing, workshopping, team building and generally having fun together for the whole weekend. There is a concert at the end of the camp in Lennon Hall at 2pm on Sunday 2 March for all friends and family to see what the groups have achieved in their short time together so far.
Friday evening social
Last Friday evening, two of our guitarists – Miles Foran and Benjamin Johnson – entertained parents at the new parents social in Lennon Hall. The boys did a wonderful job of providing background music for the event.
Uniform change
We are slightly altering the uniform this year. Rather than continuing to use various bow ties and the vests to differentiate the groups, we are designing a college music tie. This tie will be worn with our concert blacks no matter what group students are in. We feel this will be easier when changing groups and will identify our musicians within the College just as well as the current uniforms. The tie will be available at the Saints Shop.
There has been discussion about making the concert blacks part of the College uniform with the logo embroidered on them, but given the rate at which teenage boys grow and the cost of such uniforms we feel it’s more affordable for our families to just go with the tie.
We’re looking forward to revealing the new design early next term.
Friends of the Arts
For all our new families, we have a group, Friends of the Arts, where parents are contacted when we need help with the logistics or organisation of events. For example, we might need a couple of parents at the door for a concert to collect gold coin donations or sell raffle tickets for fundraising. If you are interested in being on that email list and have a little time to help us out occasionally, we’d love to hear from you. Please email me at cspannenbu@cns.catholic.edu.au and let me know you’re keen to help.
2025
Our program is busy and vibrant with many opportunities for performances. We entertain at assemblies, perform in productions and on music nights as well as provide liturgical music for the College. There are plenty of performance opportunities for our students.
Information about events and performances is on the Arts Department Facebook page. There is also information in the newsletter and parent slips are sent out. Below is a calendar of events planned so far. This will be added to during the year, so please reread it each edition to check that you are abreast of all that his happening and make sure you put these dates in your diary.
Term 1
Date | Event | Where | Group |
Week 5 28 Feb – 2 Mar | Instrumental Music (IM) Camp | Music Block and Lennon Hall | CSC Wind Ensemble, CSC Concert Band, CSC String Orchestra |
Week 8 Thurs 20 Mar | College Assembly | Lennon Hall | Saints Guitar Ensemble |
Week 10 Thurs 3 Apr | Easter Liturgy | Lennon Hall | Cantors and Mass musicians |
Term 2
Date | Event | Where | Group |
Week 1 Thurs 24 Apr Fri 25 Apr | Anzac Assembly Anzac Dawn Service | Lennon Hall Cairns RSL | Saints Big Band College Choir |
Week 3 Thurs 8 May | Mother’s Day Assembly | Lennon Hall | TBA |
Week 4 15 & 16 May | Primary Schools Tour | Various schools | Cast and musicians |
Week 5 23-25 May | Choir Camp | St Monica’s College | Saints Choir |
Week 6 Tues 27 May | Saints Unplugged Junior | L105 | Assorted soloists |
Thurs 29 May | Saints Unplugged Senior | L105 | Assorted soloists |
31 May–1 June | CQU Jammin’ | Saints Music Block | Jazz and contemporary musicians |
Week 7 Fri 6 June | Champagnat Mass | Lennon Hall | Cantors and Mass musicians |
Week 10 16–19 June | Cairns & District Junior Eisteddfod | CPAC | CSC Wind Ensemble Saints Percussion Ensemble Saints Choir CSC String Ensemble Saints Big Band |
Term 3
Date | Event | Where | Group |
Week 1 Thurs 17 July | Academic Assembly | Lennon Hall | TBA |
Week 3 Thurs 31 July | NAIDOC Assembly | Lennon Hall | TBA |
Week 5 Thurs 14 Aug | Assumption Mass | St Monica’s Cathedral | Cantors |
Week 5 14-17 Aug | QCMF | Villanova College Brisbane | Saints Big Band, Saints Percussion Ensemble, Saints Choir, Saints Rock Band |
Week 7 Tues 26 Aug | Cerise & Blue Open Evening | Saints | All ensembles |
Week 8 Thurs 4 Sept | Father’s Day Assembly | Lennon Hall | TBA |
Fri 5 Sept | Primary IM Workshops | Lennon Hall and Music Block | CSC Concert Band + primary schools |
Week 9 Wed 10 Sept | Ensemble photos | Lennon Hall | All ensembles, musical cast, orchestra and crew |
Thurs 11 Sept | Saints Unplugged Senior | L105 | Assorted soloists |
Term 4
Date | Event | Where | Group |
Week 1 7-8 Oct | Recording ensembles with CQU | Saints Music Block | All combined ensembles |
Week 3 Thurs 23 Oct | Valedictory Mass & Assembly | Lennon Hall | Cantors, Mass musicians, senior music class |
Week 6 Tues 13 Nov | Saints Unplugged Junior | L105 | Assorted soloists |
Week 7 Friday 21 Nov | Annual Awards Evening | Lennon Hall | Saints Percussion Ensemble Saints Choir Saints Big Band |
Week 8 Fri 28 Nov | Advent Liturgy | Lennon Hall | Cantors and Mass musicians |