PERFORMING ARTS

Auditions for 2023 Ensembles 

Students are invited to audition to be part of any of the following music ensembles in 2023: 

• Concert Band
• Jazz Band
• Vocal Project
• Vocal Ensemble
• Vivace Strings
• Chamber Strings. 

The auditions will be online and/or in-person. For information on audition eligibility and audition requirements for each ensemble, please see the 2023 Ensemble Auditions Homepage on the Hub. 

Auditions close on Thursday 14th October (Week 2, Term 4) and rehearsals for these 2023 Ensemble groups will commence the week beginning Monday 17th October (Week 3, Term 4).  

Michelle Perera

Performing Arts Administrator

There’s something about a stage… 

After several years which have been very light on for live performance opportunities for our students, the Performing Arts team made performing to a live audience the highest priority this year. Why? Because being part of a full-scale school musical is a magnificent experience. It starts with an idea, a dream, and a script. From there, you have to bring together a large group of people, all bringing their creativity, skills and time, all working together to create something special.  

We started auditions and rehearsals for this year’s College Production of Singin’ In The Rain in Term 1 this year, and presented the show over three performances to packed theatres on August 12th and 13th. The performances were wonderful! But making theatre at St Andrews is about more than making an excellent performance. From the beginning, we’ve striven to build a community of staff and students who know each other, care for each other and have fun together. A big idea behind this production was that “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance (and sing) in the rain”. Putting on a large show has many challenges! As we face each “rainstorm” we have a choice about what attitude we face them with. As cast and crew members encountered stage fright, absences, fears, time constraints, the unknown…the hope was always to look for the good, and continue to encourage each other as part of the team. 

For the majority of the cast and crew of Singin’ In The Rain, the first time they’d stepped onto an actual stage was a few days before performing to a theatre full of audience members. We are so proud of the way our students worked as a team, helping each other, showing patience, being flexible and adaptable, and keeping on smiling as they conquered the new and the difficult. 

Many of the memories that the students describe after finishing the show involve how they’ve connected with others – getting to know friends from different year levels, learning from older, more experienced performers, backstage experiences, feeling part of a group. 

When we perform to the glory of God, we need to focus on how we are able to use our abilities to bless our audience by telling them a story, rather than focusing on “showing off what we can do”.  As students saw their show come together, we heard many comments about how exciting it was to perform on stage, and how good it felt to know their part so well they could enjoy focusing on the story they were telling.  

We are so very proud of our students and all they have achieved through the production this year, and we encourage everyone in the school community to watch the video made of our final performance of Singin’ In The Rain. 

Karen Elbourne  

Theatre Studies & Drama, Primary & Secondary School Teacher

Victorian School Music Festival Success  

Recently we have had some of the ensembles of St Andrews Christian College compete in the Victorian School Music Festival. This is a music competition that runs throughout Term 3 and 4 and involves schools from across the state coming together to perform for world renowned adjudicators to receive feedback and gain valuable performance experience.  

The Jazz Band and the Concert Band were both moved up to compete in the intermediate division this year which meant that they were required to perform more challenging pieces of music with a higher expectation of musicianship.  

I am pleased to announce that both the Concert Band and Jazz Band earned Gold shield placing in their divisions. This is a huge achievement for the ensembles and is testament to the hard work and dedication the students have placed into growing their musical skills over the past year.  

Our Pizzicato String group also entered into a non-competitive division in order to gain some valuable performance experience. They performed very well and the feedback the group received from Chief Adjudicator Amberley Bremner was very positive.  

Well done to all students involved in these performances! 

Luke Batty

Head of Performing Arts

Chamber Strings

Chamber Strings had their first debut of public performance at the Primary assembly on 29 July. The group performed two pieces, starting with the dazzling D minor Concerto by Vivaldi, followed by a string ensemble arrangement of Coldplay’s Viva la Vida. The performance was a great success and we received a lot of positive feedback.  

Chamber Strings is a new string ensemble formed in term 2, 2022. The members are the students who are above grade 5 AMEB standard of string instruments and went through an audition. Through this ensemble group, students will have opportunities to learn and perform many challenging chamber music repertoires. Chamber Strings is looking forward to share more beautiful music with everyone at St Andrews in the future!

Thank you! 

Angela Huang

Music Tutor - Violin & Viola

An Update From Our Music Captain

Term 3 is coming to an end but the Music Department has been able to relish in many successes this term. The Jazz Band and Concert Band both won their divisions in the VSMF, which is such a huge achievement!  

We have also had the privilege of having a vocal incursion run by our alumni for MaxiVox, Vocal Project and Vocal Ensemble and we hope that it was inspiring and enjoyable for all the students involved. In addition, we have just finished filming our Virtual Instrumental Concert Series. Each student who is in this concert should be incredibly proud of how far they’ve developed as a musician over this past year and I hope that every student continues to grow and develop their God-given talents in the future!  

With Term 4 coming up, our new music ensembles will begin to start in preparation for 2023. Auditions will be running next term for our vocal groups and for our Jazz Band. From my experience, being part of the vocal groups in this school has been such a privilege and a valuable experience that I will never forget, even as I graduate.  

I would highly encourage those who are willing to extend themselves outside of academics to try auditioning for a vocal group in Term 4. The memories made in these groups are truly worth it! 

Roselyn Kho

Music Captain  

Primary Music Festival

On Friday the 22nd of July, we ran our Primary Music Festival! The purpose of our festival was to celebrate the positive impact music has on our learning and our faith. Students were combined with students from other classes and participated in a wide variety of musical activities. Everyone had the opportunity to try new things, tap into their creativity, and perform for their peers. The festival was a great way to celebrate the positive impact Music has on student development and learning in all areas (academic, social, emotional, spiritual). 

Rachel Ranger 

Primary Music Teacher