SANTA MARIA COLLEGE
On March 30 2015, the Ireland Tour Chorale will depart for a two-week Music performance tour to Ireland, London and Paris. The Tour Chorale was auditioned in Term 1 of 2014 and the group of 36 students has been rehearsing weekly for the past year in preparation for the tour.
De La Vida
The tour is certainly going to be an action-packed two weeks. We have a number of formal performances organised, including a concert in the Chapel at the Mercy International Centre where Catherine McAuley spent much of her time. The students are also lucky to be able to complete two days of faith development and cultural immersion at the Mercy International Centre, followed by afternoon performances and sight seeing. Over the school holidays we held an all-day rehearsal program and the students completed an introductory workshop with Deputy Principal, Mission, Mrs Helen Chaffer in preparation for their time at the Centre. The EDITION 21, TERM 1, 2015 tour will also include leading the singing for Mass over the Easter period, traditional Irish music and dance workshops, collaborations with local musicians as well as the students trying their hand at busking to gain an insight into this strong street music tradition. Of course there will also be time for some sight seeing including the Cliffs of Moher, Slane Castle, The Waterford Crystal Factory and finishing with climbing the Eiffell Tower in Paris on our final day. The students are excited to be visiting some incredible destinations in Ireland, London and Paris and we look forward to sharing details of the tour with you upon our return. A Fundraising Committee of parent volunteers has been hard at work over the past year to cover some of the miscellaneous expenses for the tour, such as the students’ tour jumpers and meal costs. We’d like to sincerely thank Fundraising Coordinator, Mr Ian Linn and Committee members Mrs Teresa Collins, Mrs Hayley Gale, Mr Aaron Gale, Mrs Monica Matthews, Mrs Diana McKenzie, Mrs Tundra Pickett, Mrs Natasha Trebley, Mrs Yvonne Urquhart, Mrs Catherine Wall, Mrs Jan Withers and Mr Steve Zaninovich. They have raised a fantastic amount of money through the Quiz Night, silent auction, raffles, cake stall and wine drive and we thank them for their efforts. The Quiz night was a fantastic success, with over 200 guests in attendance at the Melville Bowling Club, with everyone enjoying a most entertaining evening and some fantastic prizes. We’d also like to thank our very generous major donors - Rosario and Vanda Martelli of HECS Fire, Peter Young of Jetts Fitness Palmyra, Ms Kelly Gibson of Jones Ballard Property Group, Simon and Margaret Haigh of Haigh and Hastings Watch Company and Matthew Podesta of Mont Property. These local businesses all made incredible donations and we thank them for their generosity and support. We are also honoured to have received three wonderful private donations from families with daughters attending the tour and this money has covered the cost of the Chorale’s performance gowns. On Friday 27 February, the Farewell Concert was held in the McDonald Building and gave the Chorale the opportunity to perform the tour repertoire in front of an audience and also allowed the students to show family and friends the work they have completed over the past year. The Chorale has learnt nearly two hours of repertoire covering a variety of genres, including sacred, contemporary and folk repertoire as well as popular songs and musical theatre highlights. The concert showcased the exceptional performance standard the Chorale has achieved and we had a fantastic audience of over 350 attend to support the students in their final performance before departure. We were also privileged to have fourteen Sisters of Mercy in attendance, including Sister Leonie who prayed a beautiful Travelers’ Blessing over the group. We thank everyone who came along to support the Farewell Concert and thank you for making it a most memorable evening for the Music Department. On behalf of the Music Department, I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the parents for their support of the tour and for giving the members of the Tour Chorale the opportunity to be a part of what will no doubt this be a wonderful Inside Issue experience for all. I’d also like to acknowledge the hard work of the students, who have committed to an extra rehearsal every week in addition to their existing Co-curricular commitments. May Road Rise up... Theirthe energy, enthusiasm and hard work have been fantastic and they will be wonderful ambassadors for the College. Director of Music, Mr Paul Kinsella, Deputy Principal, Mission, Mrs Helen Chaffer and myself are Staff Matters privileged to be accompanying the students on this inaugural Music Performance Tour and along with the students, look forward to sharing photos and stories of our time away with you at the next College AssemWhere towe now? bly.
Staff who are Old Girls
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