From the Music Department
On Tuesday 10 June, Symphonic Winds competed in the Premium Division of the Secondary School Concert Band section at the Sydney Eisteddfod. This marked the ensemble’s first appearance at the event since 2018, and the occasion was met with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Having dedicated the year to rehearsing our repertoire, we approached the competition with confidence, aware of the formidable competition provided by six other schools. Our primary goal was to deliver the strongest possible performance of our 20-minute programme, gain insights from other ensembles and their repertoire, and embrace the opportunity to engage in a new experience. For the adjudicator, we presented El Camino Real, Alfred Reed’s dynamic Latin fantasy, alongside Benjamin Yeo’s compelling recent composition, At The Break of Gondwana. The adjudicator thanked us for presenting new repertoire as well as one of his favourite pieces of Band music in El Camino Real. El Camino Real also happens to be one of the all-time favourite pieces played by Symphonic Winds. The adjudicator included the following comments on the day:
It was a pleasure hearing you play and it wonderful seeing so many young adults making music at such a high calibre. You should all be incredibly proud of your performance. The hard work and dedication that led to this performance is paying off. You produce a lovely core sound. You have a warmth to your sound that is quite mature. Well done.
The aleatoric section in At The Break of Gondwana was very effective, as was the singing section. Throughout the piece there was some really fine playing and you all navigated the changing time signatures well. There was a good ensemble pulse with lovely, warm sounds. Thank you for programming this piece – it was lovely to hear something new, and you played it well.
El Camino Real was full of flair and energy – Bravo! Great work with the semiquavers in the woodwind. The oboe solo demonstrated a beautiful, mature tone and sensitivity. Bravo! All of the woodwind plains were very well executed. Intonation was good, and there was a clarity of the lines. Euphonium solo was lovely with a good tone. The energy in the final section was excellent. The group played with enthusiasm all the way to the end.
This is a really fine ensemble made up of some very fine musicians.
Symphonic Winds were awarded a Highly Commended and a mark of 91/100. Congratulations to Symphonic Winds on this achievement. It was terrific to see many parents supporting the hard work of their sons at the event. We look forward to performing at the upcoming Band Concert on 5 August, with some equally exciting and new repertoire.
Ms Sandy Robertson
Director of Symphonic Winds
Congratulations to…
…all the students that performed at the Winter Concert at the Concourse last Tuesday. It was a wonderful concert that showcased many ensembles with a variety of styles performed. It was an early start for many students as we met the removalist truck in the morning, and the long day paid off with excellent performances. Congratulations to all students involved in Concert Band, Symphonic Winds, Stage Band, Jazz Ensemble, Clockwork, Choir, ForeShore, Prep Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Senior String Ensemble, Intermediate String Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, Senior Quartet, Intermediate Quartet and Soloists. Thank you to the Tech Crew, Captains of Music, Mentors and Music Staff who supported the concert throughout the day and a particular thanks to the Directors, Assistant Directors and accompanists without whom this event could not occur.
…Justin L who was awarded an Associate in Music (AmusA) on Flute with Distinction. This is a most impressive accomplishment, and we congratulate Justin for attaining his diploma qualification.
…Koji Takamura who performed a solo on violin and was part of a select few to create an ensemble that performed at the Suzuki Workshop in Dubbo. He performed Dvorak’s Serenade (1st movement), Vivaldi’s Concerto for 4 Violins (1st movement), and Suk’s Appassionato.
…James Allen, Sebastian Bates, Henry Brieger, Alistair Chan, William Chan, Oliver Graham George Harvey, Declan Ma, Nicholas Marskell, Caleb Nicholls, Zac Prowse and Rishab Reddy for their solo performances on saxophone at Mr Angus Key’s studio concert.
…Jack Connor-Brent, Ewan De Vries, Claude Fox, Joel Gilmour, Sam Lim, Saxon Mitchell, Thomas Moss, Alistair Nieland, Joshua Nieland, James Whitby for their solo performances on various Brass instruments at Ms Alex Silver’s studio concert.
…JJ Black, Harry Edmunds, Dominic Nagle and Alex Woolfe for their solo piano performances in the Mac at Ms Kumiko Ito’s studio concert.
…Benji L, Archie S and Eddy S for their solo bassoon, flute and oboe performances at Mr Tiger Chow, Ms Jessica Lee and Ms Eve Osborn’s studio concert.
…Leo Laurent, Joel Ong and Strati Tamvakeras who performed solo cello at Ms Sarah Ingham’s studio concert.
Upcoming Dates: Term 3 Music Dates
Evensong – Term 3 Week 1 Wednesday 23 July
Chapel Choir will lead us in song at the annual Evensong Service held in the Chapel on Wednesday 23 July at 7pm. All Shore community are invited to attend this special evening. Supper will be provided afterwards. Students in Year 7 and Year 8 who are not in the choir may attend this event as part of the course requirements, and there will be a staff member who will mark attendance.
On behalf of the Music Department, I would like to thank all the parents and carers for their support. There have been many Music events this Term and these performances could not happen without the commitment of both staff and students attending rehearsals regularly at 7.15am and parents cajoling their sons. Rehearsals start in Term 3 in Week 1. We wish you a wonderful break.
Mrs Kim Barber
Head of Music