There are so many things to celebrate as we head toward the school holidays. It was a busy term, a rewarding term, with our students involved in some fabulous performances. The Whole School Choral concert was a resounding success. As jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald claimed, ‘The only thing better than singing is more singing’, and there was certainly plenty of singing at this event. Eight choirs took to the stage offering a diverse range of music and, as ever, it was lovely for our younger students to hear the senior students sing. The night culminated with the performance of the commissioned work, composed by Don Walker, with all of the choirs en masse. Quite the spectacle. A huge thank you to our vocal department, under Alicia Bendall’s leadership, for the work they do with our students in this area.
The Winter String Concerts followed with our juniors presenting first in an earlier concert, followed by our Middle and Senior School groups. Again, there was a diverse range of music presented on the evening, and it was fabulous to see our beginners right through to our advanced players sharing the stage. The string department, under the leadership of Chris Kopke, presented an engaging event that reflects the growth of the string program within the school.
Our Wind Symphony performed with the Yamaha Wind Orchestra (YWO) this past weekend. The YWO brings together educators across Australia in a professional development program that furthers their Wind Band experience and knowledge. The Wind Symphony, conducted by Daniel Neal, gave an excellent performance that was highly praised by those in attendance. How fortunate we are to have such committed students who are prepared to give of their time at the weekend to make great music together.
And finally, I hope you all managed to see our Middle School Musical, Seussical. This is a culmination of a whole term’s work from the cast and musicians. The sets were bright, the songs were fun and the cast a delight to watch. The crew, which comes in a little later in the term, were organised and efficient, making sure the whole show ran smoothly. Congratulations to all involved on a successful run.
Best wishes to all from the Performing Arts Department for a great holiday.
Sally Davis
Head of Performing Arts
