Music Captains’ Report

Music

MUSIC CAPTAINS’ REPORT

Though we faced unprecedented challenges in Music this year, there were still many things to celebrate. We enjoyed a sensational Term 4 Ensemble Concert in 2019, including the debut of a commissioned work, Solar Flares, and a performance from our amazingly talented Stage Band at the Icebreaker in Term 1 2020. The success of musical endeavours this year would not have been possible without the hard work of all the girls in the Music program.

Bushfire Concert

In late February, Pymble students came together to host the Phoenix concert, raising funds for communities affected by the devastating bushfires. Our vision for a fully studentrun concert was realised by a collaboration between the Music, Performing Arts, Community Service and Sustainability portfolios. The wide array of performances on the night included our Pymble dancers, musicians, thespians and public speakers, all of whom proudly brought their talents together for a greater cause. The concert raised almost $4,000, and all proceeds went towards the town of Khancoban’s inaugural You Khan Uke Festival. This ukulele festival will assist in stimulating economic recovery and strengthen social connectedness, especially with the added impact of COVID-19. We hope that, as a Pymble community, this will enter us into a lasting partnership with the town that will allow us to help them both now and in the long term.

Ode to Joy

In 2020, due to the social distancing restrictions put in place, all ensemble concerts and performance opportunities were cancelled. However, we were fortunate enough to be able to put together a virtual performance of excerpts from the fourth movement of Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Ode to Joy, involving our bands, orchestras and choirs. Our arrangement brought together 340 participants from the Junior School, Secondary School, teachers and a small group of alumni in a fantastically large production.

“It was challenging, but super rewarding to see the final product!“

said Hui Shan Pan, Year 12. This undertaking allowed us to preserve our passion for music and performance. Each student individually recorded a video of themselves performing; we practised these parts together in socially distanced ensemble rehearsals. These recordings were compiled by a team of video editors, who then synchronised them to create a cohesive performance which can be found on Pymble’s YouTube channel. It is said by a contemporary critic of Beethoven that the public received this symphony with five standing ovations and broke out in jubilant applause. Similarly, we are endlessly proud and in admiration of this performance involving our whole Music program.

Caitlyn Minney and Rachel Tang, Year 12

...we are endlessly proud and in admiration of this performance involving our whole music program.

With Thanks

We would like to extend a massive thank you to our Director of Co-curricular Performing Arts, Mrs Turner, who led many of the initiatives mentioned above, as well as the Acting Head of Co-curricular Music, Ms Crawford. The continued efforts of our Music teachers and conductors to keep the rehearsals running this year were also immensely appreciated, as they were instrumental (pardon the pun) in allowing girls the most fulfilling experience possible in these trying times. Caitlyn Minney and Rachel Tang, Captains of Music

Music

Charlotte Rosewarne, Amelie Clarke, Madeleine Morris, Caitlyn Minney, Sabrina Nogueira and Sarah Foster, Year 12