College Newsletter

Music Matters

Well, it’s been another huge term of Music, this time all crammed into 9 weeks! Highlights of the term were:

  • Junior Ensemble Music Camp, involving 86 students from Stringworks, Soundworks, Concert Band and Junior Jazz. (See the last edition of the newsletter for a report on that)
  • String Orchestra and Wind Symphony Workshop, with our first Symphony Orchestra in a very long time.
  • The Winter Concert was to a sold out audience and it featured 150 Music students, in eleven different ensembles, including a Symphony Orchestra!
  • VSMF dates confirmed
  • Sydney Tour all coming together nicely.

String Orchestra and Wind Symphony Workshop

 

String Orchestra and Wind Symphony attended a four-hour workshop on the afternoon of Wednesday 31st May to help prepare for the Winter Concert. The afternoon began with a Pizza Lunch before the two ensembles put the finishing touches on their concert pieces. After a short break they came together in the Performance Centre to rehearse for the first time as a Symphony Orchestra on an arrangement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony the Fourth Movement. In around an hour the students worked incredibly well together to get the piece to performance standard. It was so exciting to hear the rich full sounds they were making, it gave me shivers conducting out the front. All the hard work paid off with the students performing brilliantly at the Winter Concert and we can’t wait to take it to Sydney in August.

Winter Concert SOLD OUT!!!

 

This year’s Winter Concert was sold out in days after the tickets went on sale. Anticipation was high leading up to the night and the students didn’t let their audience down. The program saw a wonderful variety of ensembles and VCE soloists, keep their audience entertained for two hours. But don’t take my word for it. Take the time over the holidays, to check out the live stream recording here: 

 

https://youtube.com/live/_g7rxpb__Uk?feature=share

 

Big thank you’s go out to the Lisa Fairweather for designing another classy program and promoting the concert through the school community, Tim Sprigg for organising techs and the livestream gear, Howin Tang for supervising the livestream techs during the day and evening, student techs Flick Johnston and Yan Yan Cheung who tagged teamed in between performing in their ensembles, head tech Ryan Wilson, El Menta for checking tickets at the door and helping backstage, Darren Iappe for manning the stage curtain, Glenn Morris, Elisha Sadikay, Josh Cowling, Demi Evangelinou and David Glaubitz for supervising students in P Block, Ning Zhang and Tass Sgardelis for attending rehearsals and performing with Wind Symphony as well as supervising in P Block, student comperes Abbey McDonald, Jamie Blacker, Nikola Prodic and Oliver Dean for an amazing job of entertaining the audience between items, the instrumental staff, Hannah Walters, Josh Verco, Troy Sheers, David Rowlands, Andy O’Connell, Ben Muddyman, Nick Dean and Peter Brodie and last but by no means least, Wendy Howes for taking incredible photos of all the acts and trouble shooting leading up to and during the incredibly successful night.

 

Can’t wait for the Spring Concert which is on the 10th of October.

International Students form a band

Our International students have 'banded' together to form their very own rock band! On the last day of Term 2, our International students entertained students at the Year 7 and Year 8 assemblies.

VSMF dates confirmed

 

We’re excited to have three ensembles performing at the Victorian Schools Music Festival in term 3. The dates of their sessions are as follows:

 

  1. String Orchestra 27th July 9:30 – 11:45am
  2. Wind Symphony 29th August 1:30 – 4:30pm
  3. Concert Band 30th August 10:30am – 12:45pm

 

All sessions are held at the Hawthorn Arts Centre. They are open to the public with free entry, so all family and friends are very welcome to come and cheer the groups on. We hope to see you there.

Sydney Tour all systems go!

 

We are very excited to be taking our Senior Ensembles, String Orchestra, Wind Symphony and Senior Jazz to Sydney from the 7th – 11th August. 43 students are travelling by coach for a week of performing, rehearsing, sightseeing and fun around the picturesque city. Highlights of the tour include performances at Darling Harbour outside the Maritime Museum, Manly Corso and Bondi Public School. Sightseeing opportunities include a tour of the Sydney Opera House, the Maritime Museum exhibits, Manly Beach and Corso, before a ride on the Ferry to Circular Quay, seeing Beauty and the Beast at the Capitol Theatre, Bondi Beach and the Centrepoint Tower. It promises to be an awesome trip and it’s wonderful to be able to give the students these opportunities again.

Upcoming events/dates to save:

  • August 7-11      Sydney Tour - Wind Symphony/String Orchestra/Senior Jazz
  • September 6     String Soiree
  • October 10        Spring Concert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Dean

Instrumental Music Coordinator