McKinnonNEWS

PERFORMING ARTS

Welcome back to the start of a new term.  I trust that all of you have had a terrific break and we look forward to creati​​ng and presenting some amazing music to you this term.

COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE IN YEAR 9 DRAMA

The Year 9 Drama class spent the last few weeks of term 1 exploring and performing the Italian comedic theatre style of Commedia dell'arte. In this very physical style of performance, there are a set of traditional 'stock' characters, all of whom are masked. 

 

Performing in mask requires actors to be highly specific and exaggerated with their use of movement and gesture, as facial expressions can no longer be used to communicate emotion to the audience. 

 

At the end of the term we were lucky enough to have an incursion performance from renowned Commedia dell'arte company, Make A Scene. The students were a highly informed and engaged audience by that point, and loved seeing professional interpretations of the characters they had been working on themselves. 

ANZAC DAY

Thank you to Mr Dmitry Serebrianik for organising a number of brass students and vocalists to represent the school on Anzac Day commemorations held at the Cenotaph at the Bentleigh Memorial Gardens. Through their music, the students helped create an atmosphere of reflection on this day. Brass students included Malachy Carney (Year 8), Hadyn Collier (Year 11), Luc Georges (Year 11), Harry Mills (Year 12), Marcel Minkovski (Year 11), Akira Nishikubo (Year 12), Filip Pacak (Year 10), Eyal Sharon (Year 9), Jodie Silberthau (Year 11), James Spencer (Year 10), Andrew Thompson (Year 12) and Nemo Yao (Year 8). Vocalists were Georgia Foran (Year 12) and Talia Zamir (Year 12).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Congratulations to all the students from the instrumental group from Monash house, who performed ‘Tongue Tied’ by Grouplove at the General Assembly held Wednesday 27 April. Again, it was outstanding and pulled together very quickly for the first assembly held on the second day of the school term. Thank you to the successful House captains, Louisa D’Ambra, Georgia Foran, Ben Jason-Easton and Andrew Seamer, for ensuring that the students played brilliantly at this occasion.

 

Thank you also to Georgia Foran who beautifully sang the National Anthem accompanied by Mr Baltazar Kurowski.

PERFORMANCE DATES FOR TERM 2

After so long, we are incredibly proud that we will be performing to live audiences this term!  Please note these dates in your diaries now.

 

Year 11 Theatre Studies Shakespeare Scenes Showing

Friday 27 May, 6pm

 

Year 12 Theatre Studies Production - tickets on sale soon

Spontaneous Human Combustion by Daniel Evans

Friday 3 June 7pm AND Saturday 4 June 1pm & 7pm

 

Year 12 Music Evening 

Thursday 16 June 5:30pm - Lecture Theatre

 

SENIOR CONCERT Wednesday 1 June 7pm (Hall)

  • Wind Symphony 
  • Orchestra 
  • Choir 
  • Senior Stage Band 
  • Senior Singers
  • Chamber Strings

EAST CAMPUS CONCERT Thursday 9 June 5:30pm (East gym)

  • Year 8 Bands 
  • Year 8 Strings
  • Keenan Strings
  • Ovenden Band
  • East Choir
  • Percussion Ensemble 
  • Junior Stage Band 
  • World Music Ensemble 

YEAR 7 CONCERT Tuesday 21 June 5:30pm (Hall)

  • Year 7 Bands
  • Year 7 Strings
  • Intermediate Stage Band 
  • Percussion Ensemble 
  • Flute Ensemble 

REMINDERS

All instrumental students are reminded to take their instruments home with them after their lessons so they can work on improving their musical skills!

ENSEMBLES

Students who are learning an instrument at the school are required to be part of the core ensemble program, and again being part of the instrumental program is dependent on commitment and attendance at ensembles.

 

These ensembles are an integral part of the music program, where students can apply the musical skills that they have covered in their individual or small group lessons. If students are unable to attend the rehearsal, this needs to be communicated with the ensemble director before the rehearsal takes place.

 

Core ensembles days and times

 

Main campus (Auditorium) 

  • Wind Symphony - Tuesday after school (3:30 - 5pm) 
  • Choir (vocal students 10-12) - Thursday lunchtime
  • Orchestra - Thursday after school (3:30 - 5pm)

East campus (VG.1) 

  • East Campus Choir (Vocal students Years 8 - 9) Monday lunchtime
  • Keenan Strings - Monday after school (3:30 - 4:30pm)
  • Ovenden Band - Wednesday after school (3:30 - 4:30pm)

All other ensembles are by invitation and/or audition only, and dependent on ongoing commitment to the core ensemble.

CLUBS

Guitar and Digital Club have now started at both campuses. We look forward to working with students to develop their skills either on guitar or in electronic music at lunchtime.

 

Drama club has started at the East Campus - Friday lunchtimes in VG.2.

 

Megan Papworth

Head of Performing Arts