There is no question that the Performing Arts staff miss the face-to-face interaction of instrumental lessons and ensemble rehearsals. Many students in our ensemble program at Carey have only actually managed one performance since last year. As Music Captain Ciara said in her introduction to the Wind Symphony iso recording:
‘we in the music department, like so many others elsewhere, have lost many of the performance opportunities that help to define our musical experiences as students at Carey. These recent hardships have highlighted the importance of community and induced a real sense a gratitude for the times in which we do get to share these moments face to face.’
So while we have not been able to share with the Carey community in the way we would like to, there have been a number of initiatives that have allowed us to bring music from our students into your homes. The Wind Symphony iso recording of Sondheim’s ‘No One is Alone’ brought together 48 students and seven staff to present a beautiful collaboration. Thank you to Daniel Neal for the hours and hours of work that resulted in that very special performance.
Alicia Bendall also took the highly anticipated Vocal Cabaret online, featuring Middle and Senior School vocal students presenting an impressive variety of musical styles. The string department has been meeting on Microsoft Teams so the string students can share their music with each other, and it was lovely to be on campus last week to hear the VCE and IB students’ complete performance assessments.
The Carey Connections concerts have also provided an opportunity to share the wonderful work the students undertake with the broader community. The ability to draw musicians from Carey Donvale, Junior School Kew and the Middle and Senior Schools gives a great representation of the depth of the program, and the progress students make as they continue to engage.
Auditions for 2022 ensembles will start in Term 4 and we look forward to forming new groups and the anticipation of being able to perform for you all onsite again. The audition process for the Senior School Musical has begun – I am sure there are many families who have suddenly found a renewed interest in ABBA in their homes.
While we might not be together at the moment, it is heart-warming to see the students still engaging in the process of making music. To finish as I started with the words of Ciara in reference to production the iso recording, ‘by uniting once again to produce this recording we hope to remind you that as long as we continue to work together and care for each other, no one is alone.’
Sally Davis
Head of Performing Arts
