Year 11 Music Excursion

Year 11 Music attended another excursion last Friday, going back to Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The evening concert featured the SCM Choir and SCM Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Scott and Roger Benedict respectively. The night showcased works from former and current faculty staff and students to celebrate their 110th year. Students were accompanied by Ms Hughes and Mr Clare.

The evening opened with a Welcome to Country, “Tarimi Nulay”, composed by Professor Deborah Cheetham Fraillon. The welcome filled the Verbrugghen Hall with its rich harmonies and rhythmic use of Gadigal language. Deborah is the current Chair of Vocal Studies at the Con.

This was followed by a sublime rendition of Carl Vine’s Choral Symphony, who is a current Senior Composition Lecturer at the Con. The massed choir and orchestra moved some students to tears through its diverse dramatic arc, from rich and dramatic to delicate and melancholic.

The second half featured 19 microworks, composed by current and former students. Each work lasted for around 1 minute and had to feature the SCM motif “Eb, C, E natural”, which spells out the letters “SCM”. Of the 19 works, students particularly enjoyed the Mario Theme, jazz big band and Afro-Cuban renditions.

The evening concluded with Edgar Bainton’s wild and dramatic “Three Pieces for Orchestra”, a former head of the Con in the 1930s and ’40s. Students left the concert with a sense of euphoria and plenty of inspiration for their current compositions.