Instrumental Music Program
School Music Group Report
Semester 2 2024

Lee St Band

The Lee St Band has worked towards a number of performances this semester. We played Seven Nation Army for the Kinder kids who visited us from Gowrie in August. Then in Term 4 we worked on Don't Blame Me by Taylor Swift to perform at the Music Showcase. We played this piece again at the Summer Soiree along with Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz. I'd like to congratulate the Band, they performed really well! As a group there has been a big improvement in thestudents' ability to listen to each other while also playing their own part. Not an easy skill to master but it helps thegroup blend their sound, and stay in time together. Well done, everyone, and farewell and good luck to our grade 6s!

Ceri Hills Band Conductor

Lee St Choir

It has been a big term 4 for Lee Street Choir! The young choristers gained confidence and experience performing both for other young people at the Musical Showcase, and for grown-ups at the Summer Soiree. We sang Lean on Meand Joy to the World, which included some very fun choreography co-developed by members of the group. We’ve also been playing games such as Poison Rhythm, If You’re Happy and you Know it, Who stole the cookie and many others, developing vocal tone, rhythm, and ensemble skills, and most importantly having a great time. Congratulationsto Lee Street Choir!

Shai Martin Choir Conductor

Junior Recorder Ensemble

This semester, the Junior Recorder Ensemble played Fanfare, Song of Joy and A Sailor Went to Sea for the Gowrie kids in August. In term 4 we doubled in size with beginner recorder students from grade 1 and 2 joining us just in time to play Les Bouffons with us for the showcase and Summer Soiree. When you join a music group you feel very new for a few weeks whilst you learn the music, only then can you start to listen to how to fit in with everyone else. All the new members did very well at learning to listen and keep the beat because they were ready to join!

Rachel Snedden Junior Recorder Ensemble Conductor

Senior Recorder Ensemble

The Senior Recorder Ensemble played at assembly in July august to practise for RECORDARAMA, a state based recorder Eistetddfod. We won the first prize trophy playing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Viva La Vida. We warmly welcomed three new members who graduated from junior recorder ensemble. They fitted in very well as we learnt Wellermen for the Showcase and the Summer Soiree, and added Astronomia for the Summer Soiree. Just in the last few weeks we added an extra part, sopraninos (very small and high recorders) to give the music some power. This years senior ensemble has been an absolute delight and pleasure to work with, week after week, as many members lead the group together by setting their own standard, both musically and in behaviour. The result has been that this year we have all had fun and played or best together.

Rachel Snedden Senior Recorder Ensemble Conductor

String Ensemble

The String Ensemble has been a great opportunity for students to participate in an extracurricular activity. It is a great place to feel the power and beauty of making music together and to be a part of the process of getting a piece of music together. This term we mostly worked on a tune by Ed Sheeran: Nancy Mulligan, a song that uses Irish Folk music in a ‘pop’ setting. We had several re-arrangements of parts and different sections. All the players were confident with their playing by the time we had the performance at the Summer Soirée. I also decided that having a couple of recorders in the final ‘Irish dance’ section would really lift the piece. We were very fortunate and thankful that eight great recorder players volunteered and joined us in the last couple of rehearsals. They were absolutely fantastic and really gave the song an extra boost of energy at the end. All the violins and guitars sounded great at the performance and a shout out to Adem Nuhiji who mastered the hard finger picking guitar part at the beginning of the song! We also performed a Ukrainain Folk song Carol of the BELLS. We had worked on this in Term 3 and performed it to the Gowrie Kindergarten children. I think because we were already familiar with the piece, we had more time to workon the dynamics and to concentrate on their musicianship. We also had Charlotte Rijk doing a superb solo in the middle which was great as she was away for the last performance. Overall, the semester was a great learning and fun (sometimes chaotic) experience and I look forward to welcoming new players next year. Thanks