10 minute read
Music Report
The Music Department
The Music Department was delighted to welcome back our brass, woodwind and voice tutors just a few weeks before the end of the summer term. This meant that in August the department had a full complement of tutors, in school, teaching face to face. After 15 months of online lessons it was a very welcome return for all! In addition to our established team of tutors we were pleased to welcome Mrs Ailsa Matheson, Miss Yla Garvie and Miss Lucy Webster to the department as woodwind tutors.
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Spring Concert
In October there was a small Harvest Celebration when 5, 6 and 7 Junior classes sang some harvest songs for the rest of the junior department. We hope that the next academic year will see the return of our usual Harvest Celebration with parents and friends present.
November was an incredibly busy month for the Music Department. ‘One Night Only’, a combined drama and music production, was recorded at The Arts Centre over two days with the backing tracks to the musical performances having been pre-recorded by a small group of musicians earlier in the month. This was a fabulous evening’s entertainment which everyone could enjoy online.
This was closely followed by the switching on of the Christmas tree lights at the Castlegate. A group of woodwind, brass and percussion players conducted by Ms Brown played a selection of seasonal favourites on this lovely family occasion. This particularly packed week ended with the Civic Reception at the Town House celebrating 175 years of St Margaret’s and the contribution that the school has made to the wider community in Aberdeen. A small group of musicians played a variety of pieces interspersed with readings from the head girl team. These were all warmly received by former pupils, staff, past and present and friends of St Margaret’s who had come together to celebrate this milestone.
Due to ongoing restrictions we recorded our Christmas celebration and produced it online. There was a huge amount of planning and preparation that went into these recordings, pulled together by Mr Mazur and Mrs Goodwin. Opening with the traditional singing of Once in Royal David’s City by our VI Senior girls, there were
performances by 1-4 Junior, Cello and Bass Club, Senior and Chamber Choirs, 5-7 Junior, Brass Ensemble, Wind Quartet, Bach Ensemble, Correli Ensemble, and Concert Band. Music was interspersed with readings, poetry and stories and the event ended with a rousing performance of We Wish You a Merry Christmas by the Nursery.
Just before the Christmas break 1-4 Junior spent a lovely afternoon in the GP room simply performing to each other, sharing the many things they had learnt and enjoyed in class music lessons. This included some narration, singing, violin and ukelele playing and some very enthusiastic wild geese, robins and blackbirds courtesy of 1 and 2 Junior.
February saw the return of Mrs Rhonda Scott as voice tutor after a break of a couple of years when Miss Carron Flett took on the role.
Preparations for the group items for the Spring Concert could not start in earnest until after the February break due to ongoing Covid restrictions, but in true St Margaret’s style, the girls rose to the occasion and worked incredibly hard to achieve a fantastic and very polished performance.
After a full day of scheduled rehearsals in the GP room on Monday 21st of March, each separate group and soloists were given a time slot to record their items at Queen’s Cross Church on Tuesday 22nd.
The sun shone as the girls were escorted up to Queen’s Cross Church for their recordings. It was an utter joy for both staff and pupils to be rehearsing, performing and recording in the beautiful sanctuary of Queen’s Cross Church.
As has become a bit of a tradition, each VI Senior girl and soloist was presented with a small posy of flowers as a token of the Music Department’s appreciation of all that they have contributed to the musical life of the school.
It was so encouraging to be taking what seemed like the first steps towards returning to our celebrated St Margaret’s performances.
Our grateful thanks to all the girls for all their hard work.
In April the Music Department was delighted to announce that Ellen MacDonald (viola) in V Senior had successfully gained a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s Senior Orchestra.
Congratulations also went to Rose Veitch (clarinet) in 7 Junior, who gained a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s Junior Orchestra.
They attended two separate and intensive four-day courses held at Strathallan School, Perthshire; one in April and one in July, each culminating in a concert. These are tremendous achievements for both girls who participated for the first time. They gained invaluable orchestral experience with excellent tutors and renowned conductors.
Tiana Mudkavi in IV Senior was also selected to take part in NYCOS, the National Youth Choirs of Scotland Girls’ Choir. She attended two courses, one in April and one in July, culminating in concerts in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Tiana has worked very hard to have gained a place on these prestigious courses and we hope that she will continue to get recognition for her efforts.
May saw the fabulous combined music and drama production of Matilda by Show Club in the Lemon Tree. Grateful thanks to Miss Syme and Mr Mazur for a superb production.
On Thursday 2nd June St Margaret’s had the privilege of being invited to sing at the Lighting of the Beacon Ceremony for Aberdeen in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Marischal College. The girls performed a specially composed song for the Jubilee called
‘A Song for the Commonwealth – A Life Lived
with Grace’. Well done to the choir, to Rosie in III Senior who performed a beautiful trumpet solo and to Emily Smith who accompanied on the piano. Thanks to Ms Brown for rehearsing our special Jubilee Choir.
The Betty Wyness Rosebowl Competition for Piano Performance took place in June. Girls entering this competition were asked to prepare a recital of at least two contrasting pieces of Grade 6 standard or higher in any musical style. This year’s competition included the following girls: Hannah Brown, Rose Veitch, Ellie Ong, Mariya Guz and Emily Smith – a spread of year groups from 7 Junior right through to VI Senior. Mrs Wiedermann introduced the adjudicator for the evening, Dr Ben Marsden from Aberdeen University, and said how wonderful it was to welcome everyone to this live musical event, referring to it as a lovely concert of piano music. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the room and after taking numbers out of a hat to determine the order of performances the audience enjoyed a fantastic concert. We were treated to music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Dring, Mier and Norton. Dr Marsden gave very insightful feedback to every girl. He also mentioned how much he had enjoyed all the performances and in every case was impressed by the level of difficulty of each piece the girls had chosen to perform.
Ellie was announced as a worthy winner of the Rosebowl for 2022. Her programme was Nocturne in C Sharp Minor by Chopin and Pink Minor by Madeleine Dring.
Congratulations to the following girls who were successful in being awarded scholarships for lessons at the North East of Scotland Music School in the following disciplines:
Rose Veitch: Clarinet Isla MacFadyen: Double Bass Noemi Moleda: Piano Emily Smith: Piano Tiana Mudkavi: Voice Freya Corry: Voice
The 99th Aberdeen and North East of Scotland Festival of Music and Drama took place from the 9th to the 13th of June. This festival usually takes place during the first week of June but was put back due to the Queen’s Jubilee. There were both competitive and non-competitive classes in strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, piano, and vocal, individual solos, ensembles and choirs.
As this year’s festival clashed with the London and Greece trips for Senior Girls, the majority of participants were from the junior school. Some were participating for the first time.
As can be seen from this wonderful photo they had a great week, with lots of lovely encouraging comments from the specialist adjudicators. Rose in 7J was asked to take part in the Festival Showcase held in the middle of the festival week. This was a fantastic experience for her to perform on the stage of the Music Hall. Well done to the select group of seniors who did manage to represent the school. We very much hope to be able to enter more classes next year as it will be the 100th year of this festival and I am assured it will be pretty special!
Ten brave performers entered the Murray competition, which was held on 21st June. We were delighted that Lorraine Cormack (retired Head of Music at Kemnay Academy) agreed to adjudicate both the Murray and Lamont competitions.
Mrs Wiedermann welcomed the audience and competitors to what was a lovely hour of live music. We enjoyed performances by Marcy Bryce (clarinet), Erin Strathie (flute), Joanna Malikebu (flute), Grace Scott (clarinet), Isla MacFadyen (tenor saxophone), Lydia Cherrie (piano), Eva Munoz Martin (piano), Lizzy Thorn (piano), Hannah Brown (voice), and Michaela Okosodo (viola), playing a real variety of pieces from Bach through to James Rae. After some encouraging words from Mrs Cormack she announced Hannah Brown as the winner of the Murray Competition for 2022. Her programme was Water is Wide – Traditional, and Someone Like You by Wildhorn.
After a short break we proceeded to the Lamont competition where there were 9 performers. Eve Reynolds (voice), Tiana Mudkavi (voice), Hannah Brown (‘cello), Rebecca Jennings (‘cello), Ellie Ong (‘cello), Ellen MacDonald (viola), Liz Gao (violin), Olivia Douglas (voice) and Rose Veitch (clarinet). Like the Murray Competition, the selection of pieces the girls chose to perform were from different genres, and there were several stunning performances. An extremely difficult task for our adjudicator finally resulted in Olivia Douglas being announced as the winner of the Lamont Prize for 2022.
ABRSM and TRINITY successes
Throughout the academic year the music department continued to enter girls for theory examinations and Associated Board and Trinity practical grade examinations in both live, face to face examinations when allowed and some in the new Performance Grade form. A total of 81 examinations took place with a respectable array of distinction, merit and passes. Considering the restrictions the department has been under, this is to be commended and applauded.
The processional march for staff at this year’s Speech Day was Pomp and Circumstance March No 4 by Elgar, very apt in this the Jubilee year of our Queen. The concert section featured the concert band playing a selection from The Sound of Music, Olivia Douglas and Gracie Spencer singing I Will Never Leave You from Side Show. The Vivaldi Ensemble played a Reely Good Set – Traditional, the Jubilee Choir sang A Life Lived with Grace by Vincent Atueyi, Emily Smith played Un Sospiro by Liszt on piano and the whole school singing We Stand Together words and music by Ms Brown. I cannot emphasise enough how lovely it was for both staff and musicians to be in the Beach Ballroom for Speech Day and able to perform again. The recessional Radetsky March by Strauss was particularly enjoyable, heralding the beginning of the summer holidays.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all the school’s independent tutors who have worked so hard with the girls over this last academic year. None of the fabulous performances that we have enjoyed this year would have been possible without them.
Lorna Gurney Head of Woodwind
