Music
Speech Night
Congratulations to the members of the Symphony Orchestra and Senior Voices for providing outstanding musical interludes and leading the hymns in City Hall for the annual Speech Night celebrations. The highlight of the evening was, of course, the Churchie Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Michael Keen, performing ‘Jupiter’ by Gustav Holst. This performance truly embodied the abundance of life and vitality that characterises the piece, with the values of generosity and nobility captured in the broad, slow melody at its centre. Rosemary Oxenford elevated the second interlude with a massed choir, including members of the St John’s Cathedral Choristers and the Symphony Orchestra, performing Handel’s ‘Messiah’. The performance featured amazing imitative contrapuntal and homophonic iterations of the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus. It’s hard to believe Handel composed this masterpiece in just three weeks. Feedback from staff and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. A special thank you also goes to Christian Gante for his accompaniment on the organ, which is always a particular highlight and a privilege when performing in City Hall.
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Final thoughts from the captains
As our Year 12 students finish their final performances at Speech Night and the Tri-Service Cadets Parade, it is fitting to hear some of their reflections on the year, the memories and advice for the younger generation:
Written by Year 12 student Captain of Strings Finbar Curran.
‘I have been a part of Chamber Strings 1, Symphony Orchestra and the Musical Pit Band this year. My favourite memory from this year was Gala. It was wonderful to see the Churchie music community come together in full force. My favourite memory from all of my time doing music at Churchie is the 2021 Strings Concert. The music was enjoyable and the atmosphere was great. My advice for younger students in the programme is to make the most of the opportunities you have to form connections across year levels. These opportunities are not common, and the relationships they can produce are often meaningful.’
Written by Year 12 student and Captain of Music James Aralar.
‘This year, I participated in Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Strings 1, Big Band 1, Jazz Combo and the Senior String Quartet. Outside of school ensembles, I was selected to play in the GPS Music Showcase Symphony Orchestra and the Brisbane Grammar Strings Festival Orchestra. My favourite music memory of this year is split between Strings Fest and Jazz Under the Stars. Both were massive performances with huge crowds, and I was able to play alongside some very talented and entertaining musicians.’
‘If I had to choose a single favourite event from my time in Churchie Music it would most likely be the jazz workshop at QPAC last year with Carlos Henriquez, Wynton Marsalis’ knowledgeable and friendly bass player. My advice for the next generation of musicians would be to play the music you enjoy and keep in mind that you are a role model for younger musicians. Music is unique in that it allows you to build connections with students in all year levels over the course of a year, so ensure that you build good relationships with those you are performing alongside.’
James Aralar, Captain of Music
Awards Assembly
A huge congratulations to Gabin Won (Year 11) for performing the virtuosic first movement of Ibert’s Flute Concerto. Earlier this year, Gabin performed the second movement of the same concerto at Churchie’s Best Solos, where he went on to become the eventual winner. Please take the time to listen to the recording from Gabin’s Awards Assembly performance below:
Tri-Service Cadets Parade
Congratulations to Morris Wind Symphony for supporting and aptly accompanying the cadets on their final parade. The Wind Symphony opened with a rendition of American Barndance by Richard Saucedo, followed by an abridged version of Interstellar by Noah D Taylor, showcasing the beautiful timbres of a full wind symphony. A huge thank you to all the new members who participated on short notice and to the Year 12s who returned to support the Morris Wind Symphony and the cadets. A special thank you must go to bugler Luka Roberts (Year 11), who performed many solo bugle commands on the day, ensuring the parade was a success.
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Queensland Clarinet and Saxophone Competition
Over the weekend, Churchie clarinet students participated in the Queensland Saxophone and Clarinet Competition, which featured 117 participants across various sections. Several of our solo competitors and ensembles were among the award recipients:
- Alexander Ling, alto saxophone – 3rd place in the Saxophone Beginner (up to Grade 2) division
- Daniel Zhou, alto saxophone – 2nd prize in the Saxophone Grade 3–4 division
- Squeak, Clarinet Ensemble – 2nd place in the Junior Ensemble division
- Wind Power Clarinet Ensemble – 1st place in the Intermediate Ensemble division
- Toby Pattison, bass clarinet – Highly Commended in the hotly contested Paul Kopetz Bass Clarinet and Baritone Prize, and the only awarded bass clarinettist in this category
- Toby Pattison, bass clarinet – 3rd place in the Australian Work division
In addition, Lindsay Yokoyama, Alex Carson, Michael Jin and Daniel Zhou (clarinet) all delivered strong performances in their respective sections. A huge thank you to Dr Rianne Wilschut for mentoring, preparing and organising such an amazing experience for the clarinet students at Churchie.
Prep Strings and Junior Prep Strings MusicFest
Congratulations to Prep Strings and Junior Prep Strings who were both awarded a gold at MusicFest on Monday 14 October 2024. This is the first time that Prep Strings have achieved a gold award, and they should be extremely proud of their efforts under the guidance of Acting Head of Strings Joanne Leask and Ben Hooper, who is currently on long service leave.
Music Camp
Best wishes to the members of all the premiere ensembles attending Music Camp this week. The weekend provides an amazing opportunity to get to know your ensemble members, work with guest conductors and prepare the 2025 repertoire, with almost a term’s worth of repertoire allocated to each of the premiere ensembles. Please be punctual and show your best both inside and outside the rehearsal room to ensure the weekend is a success for you, the ensembles and the staff who graciously and enthusiastically dedicate their weekends to you.
Bohdan Davison
Director of Music