Performing Arts

DRAMA MATTERS

Dear Parents,

You are invited to our end of year Drama Ensemble Showcase, Friday 1 November at 5.30pm in the Sarto Centre.  This Showcase is part of the St Pius X College Performing Arts Week. We have the three groups performing as follows:

    1.  Junior Ensemble – Where the Wild Things Are

    2.   Intermediate Ensemble – Neutral Scenes

    3.   Senior Ensemble – Hu’s on First & scenes from Henry IV part I

The show will start at 5.30pm in the Sarto Centre. The performances are not necessarily in this order and the show will last around 60 minutes. We look forward to sharing some of our work with you.

HSC IP Study Day

The Elective Drama class of 2020 are experiencing their first excursion this week. We are here in Kensington at the National Institute for Dramatic Art so that students can participate in workshops with industry professionals. The Individual Project is worth 35% of the HSC and students work on it throughout the year in their own time. Topics range from:

• Critical Analysis
• Design
• Performance
• Scriptwriting
• Video Drama

Most students choose Performance but Critical Analysis is also popular at Pius. Today is important as it helps students begin to initiate their choices and start the process and development of their project. Students were excited to come to NIDA and practically explore the projects out of the classroom environment. NIDA is the perfect place for this.

Ms Penny Lindley - Drama Teacher

MUSIC MATTERS  

St Pius Choirs Transcend Everyday Life

A Glorious Performance of Mozart’s Requiem

Congratulations to the 51 students of St Pius who performed spectacularly at last week’s 2019 Combined Catholic Schools Choral Festival held at St Mary’s Cathedral on October 24.  With Loreto Kirribilli, Santa Sabina, St Ignatius Riverview, St Aloysius, St Mary’s Cathedral College & St Patrick’s College Strathfield in the mix – our musicians had a great time and represented St Pius with dignity and success.

Mozart’s Requiem Mass is a complex choral work of eighty pages that is not often performed by school students and is something that would normally be achieved at University level.

Our students were conducted by Westminster trained choral director and organist, Thomas Wilson. They also worked alongside professional musicians including Rachael Beesley, Nicole van Bruggen and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpeter, Paul Goodchild. 

 “Heartfelt thanks to you and your amazing team for the performance at St Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday evening and for all the hard work we know went into it. It was an extraordinary experience for Jack, Joe and us as their parents - memories we will treasure for life.”  Anne Casey (parent)

“I know that our young musicians ‘learn through doing’ – this is exactly what yesterday’s event was for, the students learnt how to listen and discern. We all became better musicians the minute we started making music together in the beautiful acoustic of St Mary’s Cathedral.” Lanneke Jones (teacher)

Well done to all involved. Our sincere thanks to the staff who made this possible and parents who supported this worthwhile educational experience.

Enjoy watching the live stream here... https://youtu.be/gRcCTZWqJM4

David Giles Strikes a Chord

Grade 5 Piano Examination Success

David Giles is one of 40 boys who has chosen to pursue Elective Music in Year 9 in 2020. David recently sat his Grade 5 Piano for Leisure Examination and was awarded a Credit grading for his performance.  This is a terrific result considering David only just started lessons after a 12 month spell.  In performing for his friends it was clear that he possesses a gift for playing music. David pays particular attention to the dynamics and expressive elements of his music, these are important skills of a good musician. Well done David and don’t stop the Music!

You are Cordially Invited to Join PAPA in 2020!

Performing Arts Parents’ Association Meeting Wednesday October 30, 7pm

Parents and friends of the College please join our Performing Arts Parents’ Association in 2020.  Being in this wonderful group involves just one meeting per term. The only prerequisite for membership is the desire to help our students flourish.  Our next PAPA meeting will be held tonight!  Wednesday, October 30 at 7pm in the College Band Room. All welcome, supper provided.

Performing Arts Festival Week

Studio Concerts Allow Students to Step into the Limelight…

This week and throughout Term 4, several of our tutors are hosting studio concerts as part of our Performing Arts Festival Week.  Please see the Performing Arts calendar below to find your son’s studio concert details.  It is such a great experience for all our musicians. Huge thanks to our hard working tutors for their fantastic instrumental teaching and concert preparation. We wish all our performers lots of luck and fun with their performances. Photos can be found below:

https://stpiusxcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/koostendorp_stpiusx_nsw_edu_au/Ek6J-vSbF7FOh7ophHgzZdwB5JYP2vbm--NuXUKsOy7eLA?e=F6a5RS

The Joy of Music

Learn to Play an Instrument in 2020

Does your son want to start learning a musical instrument, have composition lessons, sing in a choir or play in an ensemble? Start the ball rolling and enrol now for 2020. We have a range of instruments to loan students and just the right tutors. We offer tuition in over twenty different instruments and thirty-two different ensembles for students to join.

Primary Concert Band

Assembly Performance Friday November 15, 2.30pm – All Welcome

As part of Remembrance Day events, our Primary Concert band will be performing at the Junior School’s Afternoon Assembly on Friday November 15, 2.30pm.  Just as the troupes of WW1 and WW2 were entertained by live musicians, the Primary Band will entertain Year 5 and 6. In remembering the sacrifices of our ancestors we give thanks to carefree Australian children enjoying school, music, drama, sport and being kids!

Performing Arts Calendar

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”

 - John Adams

Kind regards,

Ms Pip Waters - Performing Arts Coordinator