Visual Arts

Congratulations to our HSC Visual Arts class of 2020. The boys have made outstanding practical bodies of work in a variety of forms including drawing, painting, printmaking, photomedia and film. Families celebrated the achievements from home with a Visual Arts ZOOM Showcase where each student presented their work to a very keen audience who have supported the boys through this challenging HSC year.

The curator for ‘Express Yourself’ exhibition at Manly Art Gallery came to view the works and was impressed with ALL of them. Works were also nominated for ‘Art Express’ at the Art Gallery NSW and we look forward with anticipation to the decision on who will be selected.

Year 7 Music Composition Assessment

Performing music is one way of engaging in the artform but composition is arguably the more creative aspect. Composition is a vital learning experience in the Music curriculum, one in which students take their knowledge and understanding of the discipline and then apply it creatively to organise sound.

Year 7 Music students recently completed their Composition Assessment Task, where they were required to write a ternary form piece using a prescribed chord progression for string trio and to notate their scores in Noteflight music program. Although this was a creative process, the boys learnt about basic music notation, major and minor tonality, dynamics and expression, melody writing and chordal accompaniment and about string instruments. To reinforce this learning experience and to showcase exemplar compositions, a professional string trio was engaged to perform and record the works. Congratulations and well done to the following 10 students whose compositions were selected for recording:

Lucas Dent
Jasper Duckworth
Charles McDonald
Hayden McLellan
Jacob Saady
Joshua Skinner
Joshua Sloots
Ruban Steffens
Oskar Swerdlow
Louis Tilly

Please enjoy these fine compositions - https://youtu.be/msW3A0i91d0

Year 12 Music HSC Composition Submissions reprise

For a taste of what our senior boys are creating, please take a moment to listen to this year’s HSC compositions:

Dominic Edgell (12 Music 2) – https://youtu.be/w3zQ-QV_lbQ

Benjamin Weiley (12 Music 1) – https://youtu.be/XXFqNnFumec

Year 8 Music Extension 2020 – Concert

Year 8 Music Extension students are commended on their absolutely superb end of term concert last Monday afternoon. Their efforts in class and after many early morning rehearsals paid dividends as they presented a highly entertaining concert of cover and original songs. It was great to see all singing and jumping between instruments. We cannot wait to hear the recording planned for Term 4!

Well done to Performing Arts Co-ordinator, Joseph Montz and Year 8 Music Extension students, Luke Ambrosius, William Kearns, Marlow McCarthy, Alec Raymond and Hamish Rose.

Primary School Instrumental Program

Regular programming has been disrupted in Term 3 due to changes to the Government’s COVID-19 regulations relating to group performances of voice, chanting, woodwind and brass instruments. Significant modifications to the program have been in place since Week 6, however I am pleased to announce that woodwind and brass instrumentalists will return to their tuition, in short individual sessions with tutors, from the start of Term 4.

Value of instrumental music and Private Music Tuition Program

There are many benefits of playing a musical instrument in human development. Music is an integral part of human life and is a fundamental part of a culture and identity, a creative pursuit which is often performed in a collaborative or ensemble situation. There have been many studies conducted that link music and increased intelligence in students, but this is not the only benefit. In schools, learning an instrument is a discipline in which students simultaneously develop academic capacity, physical ability and social skills.

All students are encouraged to take up learning and instrument. Private tuition in most instruments and voice is available at the College. Further information and the enrolment form are available online at - https://atlas.saintaug.nsw.edu.au/Sport-Co-Curricular/Sport-and-Co-curricular-Forms/music-tuition. If you have any questions regarding the Private Music Tuition Program, please contact Alan Caulfield caulfield.a@saintaug.nsw.edu.au or Lynne Papahatzis lpapahatzis@saintaug.nsw.edu.au

Alan Caulfield
Faculty Co-ordinator Music 

Rehearsals

All Co-curricular Music rehearsals are now on hold until further notice with the exception of drumline and guitar ensemble.

Night of Voice

Set for October 27 (Term 4, Week 3), this concert is designed for all singers at the College.  Featuring special performances by the College Choir, and accompanied by our in-house band, it is a great opportunity for our vocalists to have their time on stage.

Performing Arts BBQ lunch

Booked for November 3 (Term 4, Week 4), this is our opportunity to recognise the work put in by all of our talented performing arts students.

Jo Montz
Performing Arts Co-ordinator