Music Matters

 Primary and Secondary Piano Concert

Congratulations to the 50 primary and secondary students who performed over the two piano concerts that were held last Thursday 15 June in the Great Hall.  It was a wonderful afternoon featuring a range of piano pieces and it was great to see students sharing their music at their various stages of learning.  Many thanks to our SCEGGS piano tutors Lisa Adamik, Natalia Deasy, Catherine Lie, Chloe Waldron Reilly and external piano teachers for preparing their students for the performance.  Special thanks to Ms Heidi Jones for organising the concerts as performance opportunities for our piano students.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS!  Music Week Concert featuring ‘Legendary Jazz singer’ Emma Pask

Australia’s legendary Jazz singer Emma Pask will be joining us in our Music Week concert next term on Thursday 27 July.  Emma was spotted by renowned Australian Jazz great James Morrison to join his band as lead vocalist.  She was only 16 years old at the time!  She then toured with James Morrison and his big band around the world for 20 years.  Some of Emma’s performance highlights has included performing at the wedding of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, singing for the late Diana Princess of Wales and Princess Mary of Denmark.  Emma is also the ‘Mo’ award winner for Jazz Vocalise of the year.  She has also received Aria nominations for Best Jazz Album of the Year in 2014 and 2016.  Emma has also opened for the Grammy award winning American vocalist Kurt Elling on his 2018 Australian tour.  During the 2020 COVID-lockdown, Emma was also chosen by The Sydney Opera House to launch the first of their live streamed concerts.

Emma and her musical director Mr Kevin Hunt will be coming to SCEGGS from Tuesday of Week 2 to workshop scat techniques with our Elective Music classes.  She will also be coming to workshop with some of the featured ensembles who are performing in this special Music Week concert. 

To secure your seats to this free concert – please use the Try Booking link here.  We look forward to sharing a very special evening of Jazz with you next term.

HSC Music Concert 2 

An invitation is extended to staff, family and friends of our Year 12 Music 1 & 2 students to come and listen to the students’ performances on Thursday 20 July, 5.30pm in the Great Hall.  The concert is part of the students’ preparation leading to their Trial HSC Assessments.  We would love to see as many of you as possible to support our students.

Sunday Funday Primary String Workshops 

From 10.00am until 3.00pm last Sunday, the halls were alive with the sound of music in the Primary School, with 65 string players rehearsing repertoire for the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival! Our talented primary violinists, violists, cellists and double bass players worked hard in tutorials with string tutors Ms Jedda Thorley, Mr Adrian Bendt, Ms Amelia McCluney and Mr Oliver Simpson to perfect their three ASBOF pieces required for each ensemble. Congratulations to all the girls involved, we look forward to the ASBOF performances at the end of Week 3 next term. Stringalong, Sinfonietta and Chamber Strings will perform at ASBOF on Sunday 6 August at the University of NSW. Parents and relatives are most welcome to attend, more information about ASBOF  here.

Watch Stringalong perform “First Finger Rock” here with guest percussionist Alice Chandler.

Sydney Youth Orchestra Winter School

The Sydney Youth Orchestra is running a week of music making activity in the upcoming school holidays. All musicians are welcome, any child who plays an orchestral instrument and no audition is necessary. More info here.

AMEB string examinations

Congratulations to the following students who recently did their AMEB practical string examinations at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Special thanks to Ms Stephanie Holmes and Ms Heidi Jones for accompanying the girls in rehearsal and on the exam day.

• Zahra Ridling – Violin Grade 5
• Diya Shankar – Violin Grade 1
• Romy Schmidt – Double Bass Grade 1
• Charlotte Randall – Double Bass Grade 1
• Jasmine Loa – Violin Preliminary Grade
• Emily Yeung – Violin Preliminary Grade

Musgrove Opera: Sid the Serpent Performance

All girls in the Primary school attended the Musgrove Opera performance on Tuesday 13 June. The five performers were young, vibrant and gave a fun-filled and entertaining performance to a very appreciative audience.

As a slithering snake in a circus, all Sid the Serpent wanted to do was to sing. However, no-one liked his singing! This problem was resolved when his circus friends told him that we can all be our best when we are ourselves, even if that is different to others. It was a beautifully presented message.

Bronwyn Cleworth 
Primary Music Teacher 

Upcoming Music Events

Term 3

Pauline Chow
Head of Music