Music in the Senior School (Curriculum)
ENCORE Excursion – Years 9-12 Elective Music
On Monday 2 March, our Years 9-12 Elective Music students will attend the ENCORE performance at the Sydney Opera House. ENCORE is an inspiring annual showcase featuring outstanding Performance and Composition works from the high‑achieving students of the 2025 HSC Music cohort.
This event offers our students a valuable opportunity to experience exemplary music-making and gain insight from the achievements of past HSC performers and composers.
Students are asked to meet their teachers at the Opera House covered concourse at 6:30 pm, with the concert beginning at 7:00 pm. The performance is expected to conclude at approximately 10:30 pm, after which students will be dismissed or collected directly from the venue.
We look forward to sharing this enriching musical experience with our students.
Australian Composers Day
Last year’s Composers Day was our most highly attended on record, with guests joining us from across NSW for this important and strategic investment in our aspiring composers. It is a joy to share our resources with peer schools – both from regional communities and around Sydney – and we look forward to hosting this event again in 2026.
This year’s event will take place as a whole day incursion on Monday 4 May and will feature an exciting and diverse line‑up of guest creators, ranging from free‑style rap artist Luka Lesson to leading voices in the Australian composition landscape such as Maria Grenfell and Alice Chance. We are enormously privileged to offer this opportunity to students in Elective Music (Years 9-12), as well as advanced co-curricular musicians from Years 7-12 who participate in Symphony Orchestra or Chamber Choir.
Year 7 Music – Building Strong Foundations
Year 7 Music students have been busily exploring the concepts of music as they build the foundations needed for reading and understanding musical notation. This learning will prepare them for their upcoming topic, Instruments of the Orchestra.
Students will also soon begin their work on the keyboards, applying the skills they have developed throughout Term 1. This will support them as they work towards their keyboard assessment later in the year.
Year 8 Music – Roots, Blues and Legacy
Year 8 students are continuing their journey through the topic Roots, Blues and Legacy, moving from their study of African music into the world of the Blues. They will explore the history of the Blues, its powerful influence on popular music, and begin learning the 12‑bar Blues on the guitar.
We are excited to see the students engage with new musical concepts and develop skills that will stay with them well beyond the classroom.
Year 9 Music – Theatre Music
Year 9 students are continuing their exploration of theatre music this term. They have been delving into the world of opera, studying Carmen by Bizet and Dido and Aeneas by Purcell. Building on this knowledge, students are now beginning to explore the concept of ground bass in a practical context as part of their composition assessment task.
This week, students will also commence their weekly rehearsals with the class accompanist. These sessions will support the development of their performance skills and help prepare them for their performance assessment later in the year.
We look forward to hearing the wonderful musical ideas and compositions emerging from their work in class.
Year 10 Music – exploring 20th century innovations
Year 10 students are continuing their exploration of 20th century music. They have recently completed their study of Minimalism, which has equipped them with the skills and ideas they need to begin their composition assessment task this week.
From here, students will move on to the next stop in their musical journey: Impressionism, with a particular focus on the works of Debussy. This shift will allow them to experience a contrasting musical style and broaden their understanding of the era’s diverse innovations.
This week, students will also begin their weekly rehearsals with the class accompanist. These sessions will help them refine their performance skills and prepare for their performance assessment later in the year.
Year 11 – HSC Music 1
Year 11 Music 1 students have been exploring the fascinating evolution of music notation, tracing its development from the earliest written symbols through to contemporary notation practices. Alongside this theoretical study, students have been working consistently with their accompanist as they prepare for their performance assessment in Week 9.
They have also been strengthening their aural and analytical skills in readiness for the musicology component of their upcoming assessment task. It has been wonderful to see their growing confidence as they engage with the demands of HSC‑level music.
Year 11 – HSC Music 2
Year 11 Music 2 students are currently exploring the Baroque period, focusing on the works of Corelli and the Baroque dance suite. Their studies include examining the elements of music as well as the historical and cultural context of the era.
Students have also been strengthening their aural skills through melodic dictation and sight‑singing practice, both essential components of the Music 2 course. In addition, they have been working closely with their accompanist as they prepare for their Week 9 performance assessment.
We look forward to hearing the impressive work developing in their classes.
Year 11 – IB Music
Year 11 IB Music students have begun work on their Exploring Music in Context portfolio. They have selected the repertoire they will analyse and research as part of the written essay component and are now preparing to begin their composition, which will be written in the style of their chosen works.
Students will also commence rehearsals with their accompanist this week as they work towards their performance task in Week 10. We look forward to hearing and reading the wonderful musical creations emerging from their studies.
Year 12 – HSC Music 1, Music 2 & Music Extension
Year 12 Music 1 and Music 2 students are in the midst of composing for their Term 1 assessment tasks.
Music 1 students are creating a composition aligned with their current topic, Music for Small Ensembles, exploring the elements of music with a particular focus on texture and the roles of their chosen instruments.
Music 2 students are continuing to develop their core composition as part of the mandatory topic Music of the Last 25 Years. They will be submitting a draft of their work shortly, building towards their final submission later in the year.
Both classes are also making excellent progress in preparing for the performance components of their HSC, working closely with their accompanists each week. We are excited to hear the impressive work emerging from these rehearsals.
Music 2 students who are also taking the Music Extension stream (all with the Performance Elective in 2026) are diligently preparing to present half of their recital program for assessment shortly, in the form of solo works. It’s hard to believe we’re already this far through the course, and we commend their diligence and dedication in pursuit of their performance goals.
Froukje Werlemann-Godfrey
Head of Music 5-12
A Message from the Director of Music
Click below to find out more about Co-curricular opportunities and Music Performances at Santa Sabina College.
