Hip Hop trio
Senior Hip Hop crew
SENIOR ARTS
SHOWCASE W
ith the gala opening showcase abandoned in August due to lockdown, we made a snap decision after the second lockdown to run a mini Senior Showcase during Arts Week. What transpired was something special – all the Senior School came together in the beautiful new space (some for the first time) to celebrate the arts, with a programme that enabled groups to share their achievements in this fragmented year.
Arts Prefect Anna Casey delivered a heartfelt opening speech, describing the difficulties encountered, the disappointments for this Year 13 cohort who were so looking forward to a grand gala opening of the wonderful new auditorium, but she also emphasised the resilience shown by all to ‘make do’ and get creative in other ways. We started the programme with orchestras playing themes from film and musical theatre, featuring three of our 54
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prefects Hazel Francis, Lucy Bartlett and Hannah Flacks (all of whom had lead roles in the senior production, cancelled earlier in the year) singing along with the Symphony Orchestra. Then came our newly formed Clyde Street Jazz Band belting out some all-time favourites and getting the crowds rocking. This was followed by a set from our choirs. As we know all choral singing around the world ceased during the pandemic, so this was the first time they sang publicly this year – a poignant moment of peace, tranquility and reflection.
We finished the afternoon with our dancers – again with the cancellation of the ever-popular Night of Dance, we have seen little of our co-curricular dance except in the lockdown videos. So it was a real treat to watch the award-winning Hip Hop crews and the Years 11, 12 and 13 dance troupes all delivering varied genres from jazz,
funk through to contemporary styles. With nearly 1500 students/staff coming through the theatre over the afternoon, the space was packed, and Principal Ms McRae gave a heartfelt thank you to round off a very hectic, stressful and fragmented term.
Once again we have so many multi-talented girls performing across genres but special mention must go to our outstanding singer/ instrumentalists from 2020’s Year 13 cohort; gold-award-winning pianist, percussionist and singer Emma Qiu, Arts Prefect and Concert Master of the Symphony Orchestra Anna Casey, Jessica Woo, Zoe Zhu, Deborah Huang, Kaitlyn Mellon, Hazel Francis, Kristen Hansen, Grace Lin, Rachel Liu, Holly Meyers and Teresa Gu. These students have created the core of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Senior Choir, Concert Band and St Cecilia Singers and with their departure at the end of this year, a legacy goes with them.
