Department News

Elective Music students attended the live performance of Verdi’s awe-inspiring "Messa da Requiem” at the Sydney Opera House

Performing Arts

Senior Resource Centre: 'Write A Book in Day'

Performing Arts

PAPA MEETING

The next meeting of the Performing Arts Parents Association will take place on Wednesday 25th July (Week 1) at 7.00pm in the Music Performance Room. Parents of boys participating in Drama and Music at the College are warmly invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served and parking is available in the Junior School yard.

YEAR 12 HSC DRAMA SHOWCASE

Our Year 12 HSC Drama students will be presenting their individual and group performances on Thursday 26th July (Week 1) at 6.00pm in the Sarto Centre. This date is different to the one published in the College calendar so please make a note of the change. This is one of the last opportunities that the students will have to showcase their work prior to the HSC so it would be wonderful if there was a large and enthusiastic audience to see their work

MEET THE MUSIC EXCURSION

What a fantastic evening our Elective Music students enjoyed last Thursday 21st June when they attended the live performance of Verdi’s awe-inspiring "Messa da Requiem” at the Sydney Opera House. Picture 100 SSO instrumentalists and 120 Philharmonia choristers, all under the baton of Italian conductor, Oleg Caetani. Verdi’s powerful work has been described as “opera in ecclesiastical vestments.” The students delighted in hearing this spectacular Catholic Mass with its outpourings of grief, drama and transcendent devotion. Furthermore, this performance was live streamed across Australia to celebrate International “Make Music Day”. With operatic soloists from across the globe, including an American Soprano, Australian Mezzo Soprano, Mexican Tenor and French Bass, our boys witnessed humanity at its finest.

“The entire night showed hours of preparation for a supreme performance.” Thomas Hopkins (Yr 9)

“I don’t know how that soprano got her voice to cut across 220 other musicians.” William Turner (Yr 10)

“It was incredible… I would hate to be that percussionist and get one note wrong in the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath).” Kieran Zucconi (Yr 10)

To hear excerpts of Verdi’s genius, please click on the following links:

Ms Pip Waters

TERM 2 ELECTIVE DRAMA WRAP

This term Year 9 have explored the acting techniques of Stanislavski, a Russian theatre practitioner who developed a system of acting for actors. This became the birth of Realism and later developed into Method Acting in the United States, used by maverick actors such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Dustin Hoffman. Year 9 students have worked with a partner to bring a script to life by using Stanislavski’s acting techniques to develop truth in their relationships.

Year 10 have learnt about the Elements of Design and how to read a play from the point of view of a designer. Students explored the themes and issues of the contemporary Australian play “Wolf Lullaby” by Hilary Bell. This challenging play investigates nature vs nurture, parental responsibility and asks questions of moral instincts and the notion of ‘truth’. Students designed a range of interesting posters which have been included below for your enjoyment.

Mrs P Lindley

TERM 3 PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR

Performing Arts Calendar Term 3.pdf

Ms T Bates - Performing Arts Coordinator

Senior Resource Centre

The ‘Write a Book in Day’ Experience

This is the third year that students at St Pius X College have participated in this National Writing competition which raises money for the Kid’s Cancer Project. The organisers set the rules and key components for a 4000 word story that groups of students undertake to write in a day, to entertain young people with cancer in hospital .

Not only does Write a Book in a Day have a social conscience but it epitomises 21st Century learning. It requires teamwork, communication, collaboration, writing and illustrative skills, problem solving and technology skills. All this was on show at the Senior Library with five teams from Years 7 to 11 competing to write a book in just nine hours.

The day is a bit like a roller coaster ride with the initial enthusiasm and excitement giving way to the reality of the sheer hard work required to complete the task. Further, the mix of personalities and talents in a group of ten boys results in differing responses, interactions and teamwork. The upbeat attitude of the Year 9 team and the more laid-back approach of the Year 11 team proved equally productive.

After a day of hard-fun, the teams emerged exhausted but triumphant and with a new book to show for it.

Students proudly holding their books for the camera; the photo capturing something of their group’s experience.

Ms K Keighery - Senior Teacher Librarian