Primary and Secondary Music

2025 International Music Tour

Planning is underway for a Music Tour in December 2025, departing after Speech Night. Senior school students will be eligible to participate. To learn more, please attend the Tour Meeting on Wednesday 21 August, at 6.00 pm in the Lecture Theatre. For preliminary questions, please contact  Mr. David Gresham.

Contemporary Strings GOLD at ASBOF!

Congratulations to the students in Contemporary Strings who gained a Gold Award for their performance at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival in Week 1. Contemporary Strings performed an entertaining program that included a new Australian work called Stringybark Suite by composer Nicholas Buc. The ASBOF adjudicator was impressed with the choice of repertoire, intonation, balance, and the use of phrasing and dynamics in the performance. Bravi tutti Contemporary Strings!

Student Achievements

Amber Jarman (Year 11) – ACO Academy

My name is Amber Jarman, and I’m currently a Year 11 boarder here at SCEGGS. I moved to this incredible school to further pursue my deep passion for music and, of course, my academic journey. Since attending SCEGGS, I have been fortunate to receive many musical opportunities, which have enhanced my abilities and helped me grow so much more as a musician and performer.

At the beginning of this year, I submitted an audition for the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy (ACO Academy). After receiving the fortunate news of my acceptance, I started my preparation for the program. The music program took place at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in the second week of the holidays. Being immersed in such an enriching and transformative environment of exceptional young musical talent and world-class professional string musicians such as Aiko Goto (the grandniece of the famous Pedagogue Dr Shinichi Suzuki), was an experience that I will never forget. The academy’s intensive program included masterclasses, ensemble rehearsals, and individual chamber tutelage, all designed to elevate, refine, and enhance our musicality, and technical proficiency, and of course, deepen our love and passion for the sharing and performing of music. This year, we performed a program of Mendelssohn, Rutter, Arensky on a theme of Tchaikovsky, and a Prokofiev violin Sonata which was performed in unison by all the violinists. Getting the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians and other students from across the country was incredibly inspiring and motivating, it truly pushed me to want to improve my playing and deepen my appreciation for collaborative, ensemble performance.

Congratulations to Alice Zhang in Year 1, who achieved remarkable success during the holidays:

First prize in the seven-year-old violin competition at the St George Eisteddfod.

 What a fantastic holiday achievement!

Musicale 3 at Festival on Forbes

This year’s Musicale 3 will be held at Festival on Forbes on Sunday, 25 August. Every Primary and Secondary Music Ensemble will perform throughout the day on one of three separate stages. Click here to see the timetable. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before the performance time.

Co-curricular Music Commitment Policy

Students and parents are reminded that the Co-curricular Music Commitment Policy will take effect in Term 3. Ensemble Directors will review the policy during the first rehearsal of the term and will be available to answer any questions students may have. The Music Department has exciting plans in the pipeline and expects full commitment from students who wish to participate in important performances, competitions, and tours. For more information click here.

Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival – Sunday, 15 September

Several SCEGGS ensembles will perform at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival this year. The Festival is a non-competitive event where ensembles receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating based on their performance. This is a wonderful opportunity for our SCEGGS ensembles to perform on stage, hear other school ensembles, and receive valuable feedback from professional adjudicators.

Please see the table below for details of the events occurring on Sunday 15 September

Upcoming Events:

Term 3

*Year 8 – 10 Elective Music students are encouraged to attend one of the Year 11 or 12 Concerts in Term 3.

Beyond the Green Gate

We love hearing about ways our secondary musicians are involved in music-making outside of school. Please send details to Heidi Jones.

Clipboard

All co-curricular music ensemble schedules are now available on Clipboard. If you haven’t set this up yet, please follow the provided instructions. For any issues with Clipboard set-up, contact our Music Administration Assistant Miss Alice Kotowicz.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)