Primary & Secondary Music

Organ Masterclass

On Monday 8 September, following a 10-year hiatus, five pipe organ students including Chuyu Luo (Year 9) from SCEGGS, participated in a masterclass led by visiting expert, Professor Jean-Baptiste Robin, Organiste Titulaire from the Palace of Versailles, France.

The professor gave a very informative and visually impressive presentation prior to the masterclass featuring the design and grounds of the palace at Versailles and a close look at the Royal Chapel which houses the Clicquot pipe organ.

Following the presentation, each student performed a piece on the Letourneau pipe organ in the school chapel. Professor Robin gave feedback and suggestions for further development of each performance.

The attentive audience included our newest organ scholars, Alice Cameron (Year 8) and Anara Murugesan (Year 7), together with family members, interested parties from the pipe organ community, Ms Holmes and Mr Ison.

Primary Percussion Soiree

There was standing room only at the percussion concert held at lunchtime in the Primary Music Room on Friday 12 September. It was a time to celebrate the achievements of the ensemble members in Year 6 as they passed the baton to Year 5. Several students of our percussion tutor, Jayne Groves, also performed solos at the concert, supported by Mr Tierney on trumpet. The enthusiastic audience delighted in the toe-tapping repertoire! This Friday, Year 5 students are invited to attend a percussion workshop at the same venue as Jayne looks to form the new Primary Percussion Ensemble.

Cantare Performance

On Thursday September 11, our primary co-curricular choir, Cantare, performed in the 3 – 6 Assembly.  They showed their musical versatility by performing a blues and rock version of Three Blind Mice by Australian composer Mark Puddy complete with sunglasses as props and choreography. Later that afternoon they performed in the Primary Piano Concert in the Great Hall.  Their rendition of This Song featured robust singing in three parts and mastery of complex syncopated rhythms.  Cantare’s afternoon of song finished with an open rehearsal with all Cantare parents and grandparents participating in the choir for an afternoon.

Secondary Piano Concert

On Thursday 11 and 18 September, several students performed a variety of piano pieces in the Great Hall at lunchtime. The first concert featured students from Years 7 and 8, including Anara Murugesan, Cheryl Zhang, Alice Cameron, Peyton Tiong and Sarah Yuan. Apart from appearances at regular assemblies, this was the first time since the SCEGGS Eisteddfod in Term 1 that pianists have appeared in concert.

Participants in the second concert included Viola Heery (Year 7), Caitlin Cameron (Year 10), Isabelle Flower (Year 10) and Avalon Korda (Year 12). These concerts provided a good opportunity for students to prepare for performance assessments in Term 4. Audiences enjoyed repertoire from a Coldplay arrangement and Mendelssohn to Bartók and Vine.

Rock Bands shine in Recent Performances and Workshops

The Late Notes recently represented our school at Barker’s annual Battle of the Bands, performing Jimmy Eat World’s The Middle. Their energy and musicality impressed the audience which was punctuated by real life pyrotechnics and smoke machines, making for a memorable performance.

Soon after, our rock bands had another exciting opportunity to extend their skills. From Sunrise to Sunset, The Velvet Dead, and Broken Records travelled to Scots for a combined Rock Band Workshop. It was particularly pleasing to see students enthusiastically engage in collaborative SCEGGS/Scots ensembles.

These experiences highlight the commitment and enthusiasm of our student bands, and we look forward to seeing their growth in future performances.

Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival (ASBOF)

Congratulations to the SCEGGS musicians from five ensembles who performed at the University of NSW for the annual Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival last Sunday:

• Stringalong – Gold Award
• Chamber Strings – Silver Award
• Clarion Band – Silver Award
• Sinfonietta – Bronze Award
• Bugles Band – Bronze Award

It was wonderful to share these performances with parents and the wider music community. Our musicians should be very proud of the dedication, practice, and effort that went into preparing for this event.

Josie Grayden

Josie Grayden (Year 10) was invited by Lane Cove Council to perform a set on the guitar and voice. A fantastic performance opportunity for Josie outside of the Green Gate!

AMEB Results

Congratulations to the following girls who have completed an AMEB Grade this term:

Beyond the Green Gate

We love hearing about ways our 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.

Term 4 Overview

Please refer to Clipboard for information regarding Term 4 rehearsals and performances.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)