Director of Music
It’s been a happy and fulfilling term since my commencement at Santa Sabina at the start of this semester. In such a short time, I’ve found deep simpatico with the beautiful Dominican pillars, and it has been my privilege to work behind the scenes and with our students to prepare Music for performances that will bring our school community together in the weeks ahead.
Please save the dates for all the wonderful events being planned by the Music Department (information below) in addition to our featured performances at many non-Music Department events; such as Thanksgiving Masses, Liturgies, Assemblies and Grandparents’ Day, Discovery Day and Speech Day! We will also be honoured to serve our community at the Burwood Park Remembrance Day service on the 11/11.
One of my favourite quotes is by the Hungarian pedagogue Zoltan Kodaly who says:
‘Music is nourishment, and a comforting elixir.
Music multiplies the beauty of life and all its values.‘
I trust that Music at Santa Sabina may help ‘multiply the beauty’ of your final school term and coming Advent period.
Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12
Music events for Term 4
Please note the dates below in your calendar. Information specific to performers has been or will be communicated separately via email. Please reach out to music@ssc.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.
| 25/10 | Twilight Discovery Tour (with Music Featured) | 5:00pm |
| 3/11 | Open Music Recital | 3:45pm |
| 9/11 | Celebration of Music Concert | 6:00pm |
| 11/11 | Remembrance Day (with Music Featured) | 11:00am |
| 15/11 | Yr 4 Showcase (with Music Featured) | 9:15am |
| 16/11 | Del Monte Music Assembly / Grandparents Day | 11:30am |
| 17/11 | Fra Angelico Arts Festival (With Music Featured) | 5:00pm |
| 28/11 | Advent Carols with Consort 8 in the Chapel | 6:00pm |
| 29/11 | K-4 Mass of Thanksgiving (with Music Featured) | 9:30am |
| 30/11 | Speech Night (with Music Featured) | 6:30pm |
| 5/12 | Gioia House Nursing Home Carols | 9:10am |
| 5/12 | 7-11 Mass of Thanksgiving (with Music Featured) | 12:00 noon |
| 5/12 | Community Carols | 4:30pm |
| 6/12 | 5-6 Thanksgiving Liturgy (with Music Featured) | 10:00am |
A Celebration of Music
Thursday 9 November at 6:00pm
We are excited to once again host our annual Celebration of Music Concert, which will see senior ensembles performing a delightful program, celebrating the culmination of another year of music-making at Santa Sabina. Alas due to the unmitigable impact of student absence due to Year 3 Camp, this year’s Celebration will feature ensembles from Years 5-12, with Del Monte ensembles to feature heavily across Fra Angelico, Advent & Community Carols in place of this opportunity.
Our students have worked tirelessly in the second semester and the evening promises to be an outstanding event featuring selected Choral and Instrumental Ensembles in standalone and combined performance items. We are looking forward to presenting works by Morales, Ikegawa, Jarman, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Hazo and Marquez, and the evening will close with the sublime Benedictus from Jenkins’ The Armed Man as our collective prayer for our community and world.
Advent Carols
Tuesday 28 November at 6:00pm
This traditional carols event is promising to be another sublime evening of reflection and sacred musical delights as our co-curricular string, brass and choral programs from P-12 collaborate with the esteemed Early Music ensemble CONSORT 8. Featuring specially arranged works, reimaginings of traditional Catalonian and Sicilian carols; excerpts from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, and of course, we’ll fire up the Chapel organ for a rousing community sing at the end of the evening, be sure to arrive early to secure a seat for this special event.
Community Carols
Tuesday 5 December from 4:30pm
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the second last day of school at that! Bring your picnic rugs and singing voices and let’s send the year off with tidings of comfort and joy! Hosted at Del Monte, but featuring our Symphony Orchestra, Stage Band and many senior ensembles in addition to our youngest ‘heavenly hosts’ who will be leading us!
Let’s celebrate Christmas, Community and Music all together.
Co-curricular and Extracurricular Music
With the term brimful of wonderful activity and an array of performance opportunities for our ensembles, consistent attendance at rehearsals in addition to diligent personal preparation ahead of these has never been more important. Whilst it’s often a matter of simply honouring the commitments we have made to our peers and the collective, the return on these investments are immeasurable. We look forward to reaping the rich rewards of diligence when we present beautiful music for our audiences in the weeks to come.
Absences to be emailed to: music@ssc.nsw.edu.au
A reminder that if your child is absent from an ensemble for which they are enrolled and committed, as a matter of duty of care and rehearsal planning, it is critical that parents write to the Music office to explain the pending absence – in advance wherever possible. Thank you to those who are already consistent with this practice.
New opportunities on the horizon!
We encourage all Santa students to make use of the extraordinary opportunities afforded within our Private Tuition stream, and are excited to be launching some new initiatives for our programming in 2024 that will see some more contemporary experiences added to our offerings. Watch this space!
Honour Roll
Congratulations to the following students who achieved sound results in their recent AMEB examinations. Thanks to our team of specialised Music Tutors who continue to guide their preparation and development each week within our Extra-curricular Music programs.
AMEB results
- Dominique Portelli (Year 4) – AMEB Grade 3 received High Distinction (A+)
- Jemya Choi (Year 7) – AMEB Grade 1 received High Distinction (A+)
- Aria Leung (Year 3) – AMEB Grade 2 received Honours (A)
- Riha Han (Year 3) – AMEB Grade 1 received Honours (A)
- Liam Nguyen (Year 3) – AMEB Grade 1 received Honours (A)
- Karena Thompson (Year 3) – AMEB Grade 1 received Honours (A)
Eisteddfod results
Dominique Portelli (Year 4)
The City of Penrith Eisteddfod Society Inc
- 1st place in 19th century Grade 3 section
- 3rd place in 20-21st century Grade 3 section
- Bethany Haisman Memorial Prize for gaining the highest marks for music up to and including the 19th century, graciously presented by Brian and Heather Haisman
Soopia Chang (Year 3)
The City of Penrith Eisteddfod Society Inc, The St George Instrumental Eisteddfod Inc & The City of Ryde Eisteddfod
- 1st place in 9 years and under
- 3rd place in 9 years and under
- Highly commended in Australian Piano Solo 9-12 years
Riha Han (Year 3)
The St George Instrumental Eisteddfod Inc
- 2nd place in the Grade 4 section for violin
Aria Leung (Year 3)
The City of Penrith Eisteddfod Society Inc
- 1st place in 18th Century Grade 2 Section
- 3rd place in 20-21st Grade 2 Section
Liam Nguyen (Year 3)
The City of Penrith Eisteddfod Society Inc & The St George Instrumental Eisteddfod Inc
- 2nd place in 20-21st Century Grade 2 section
- Highly commended in Grade 2 section
Holiday Music!
A musician never ever stops learning! We commend our Santa Sabina students who took the opportunity to participate in the Metropolitan Orchestra’s Music Camp during the September holidays. The camp was heavily supported by some of our Santa Sabina staff and tutors, Year 4 student Aiden Curran featured on Double Bass and Year 6 student Estelle Gilmovich was Concertmaster for this event.
Find out more
If you would like to know more about one of our music offerings across the school (be it choirs, bands, orchestras or private tuition) please reach out via music@ssc.nsw.edu.au or reach out to Ms Suzanna Touma in the Music Office directly s.touma@ssc.nsw.edu.au and we will be happy to assist you.
More Music…
There are so many exciting music happenings across our great school each week! Be sure to click the links below to be kept in the know, and to find out more about the Extra-curricular & Co-curricular opportunities available to our students across P-12!
BUTTON: Curricular Music at Gioia House (5-6)
Amy Richardson
Director of Music