HSC Music Showcase Evening Programme 2016

RECITAL ROOM THE KING’S SCHOOL

HSC Showcase Evening Mon. 15 August 2016

FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY: Richard Kwon Sebastian Lee

Lucas Schembri Nicholas Walkden-Brown

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Each year, we come together to hear our finest musicians present their repertoire and compositions.

Each boy shows years of application in learning his performance skills, representing thousands of hours of practice. We also have the opportunity to hear some original compositions alongside the live performances.

Following tonight, the boys will reprise these performances for the Trial HSC test on Thursday, submit their compositions for assessment at the end of the month, and in Term 4, they will take the written Musicology and Aural Skills examination.

The excellence on show this evening continues the strong tradition of high academic success of our past HSC music students. We are most proud of the endorsements given to our Music programme, as many of the boys receive nominations for Encore (both in performance and composition) - a real benchmark of excellence.

On behalf of the Music staff at King's, I wish all our Year 12 musicians much success as they now enter the final leg of their HSC journey.

Barry Walmsley Director of Music

WELCOME TO THE 2016 HSC SHOWCASE EVENING

It gives me great pleasure to present the Year 12 Music class for 2016. This class consists of four students who have elected to do the Music 2 and Music Extension course, all with varying elective choices, in the fields of Performance and Composition.

I am most grateful for the support we receive from all of the students’ instrumental teachers, fellow TKS Music staff, our accompanist – Mrs Julia Brimo, specialist composition teacher – Dr Peter Marshall, and Director of Music – Mr Barry Walmsley.

The HSC Recital will showcase the students’ versatility and prowess upon a number of instruments – clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, and voice. It will transport you from sophisticated composers of Handel, Mozart and Stravinsky to contemporary jazz.

Tonight’s recital is a celebration not only of the boys’ talents, hard work and dedication, but also of the Music programme at King’s. I hope that you enjoy the HSC Music Showcase Evening for 2016.

Miss Joyce Kojevnikov Teacher of Year 12 Music, 2016

Year 12 Music – Class of 2016 (left to right): Nicholas Walkden-Brown, Lucas Schembri, Sebastian Lee, Richard Kwon

PROGRAMME CONTACTING THE MUSIC SCHOOL /TheKingsSchoolMusic music@kings.edu.au 02 9683 8424

TKS MUSIC ON FACEBOOK

For all the latest news and updates from The King’s School Music, ‘like’ us on facebook at: www.facebook.com/ TheKingsSchoolMusic The concert should last approximately 75 minutes.

There will be no interval.

INTRODUCTION Miss J Kojevnikov

Richard Kwon clarinet Dance Preludes Clarinet Concerto, KV622 Mov't 2: Adagio

W Lutoslawski W A Mozart

Composition: 'Emojicons' The Soldier's Tale

I Stravinsky

with Yang Tao (Piano) & Marcus Tang (Violin) Mov't 1 Mov't 2

Lucas Schembri Music 2 Elective Composition: Throwback Jazz

Sebastian Lee piano & voice Fear No More, Heat of the Sun Poem Capricco

with Ms H Ahn (Piano)

R Quilter F Poulenc

Composition: Different Tracks Revenge, Timotheus Cries from Alexander’s Feast

G F Handel

with Mr C Wagstaff (Harpsichord), Miss J Kojevnikov (Violin), & Brandon Yoo (Cello)

Nicholas Walkden-Brown alto saxophone Composition: The Weekday Grind - The Ups and Downs of a Working Week Devil’s Rag

Thank you to Mrs Julia Brimo for her piano accompaniment of each soloist.

COVER PHOTOS: Roger Jones Toshiyuki Imai

Photos are licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

J Mataitia

Black & Blue

B Cockroft

Suite Hellenique

P Itturalde

with Sam Weller (Alto Sax), Nathan Henshaw (Tenor Saxophone), Jay Burns (Baritone Sax)

CLOSING REMARKS Nicholas Walkden-Brown Captain of Music, 2016

Richard Kwon clarinet

Dance Preludes Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1993)

The Soldier’s Tale Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

The Dance Preludes were composed during World War 2, and they remain one of Lutoslawski’s most popular works.

Originally, written in 1954 for clarinet and piano, all five movements of the piece are based on a Polish folk dance.

Stravinksy was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, and is widely considered as one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century.

The second movement, alternates between 9/8 and 6/8, and is based on B flat minor, with a faster central section.

The last movement, a strongly accented dance, centering around E flat, is the most complex in meter, as it is a combination of 2/4, 5/4, 3/4, 4/4, and finally 6/4 time signatures.

Clarinet Concerto, KV622 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major KV622 was shortly written before his death. He dedicated the work to the basset clarinetist, Aton Sadler. This movement is naturally slow in nature, as it forms the second movement of a traditional three movement concerto.

His compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. Followed by the 1920s, he had turned towards Russian music and had particular interest towards Neo-Classical music, creating The Soldier’s Tale.

This piece was originally written for Septet, but tonight's performance will be the piano trio version.

Lucas Schembri composition

Throwback Jazz Music 2 (Elective Composition) My composition is influenced by various jazz composers, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Nick Mulder.

I had also previously been inspired by the compositional styles of Minimalist composers, such as John Adams. I particularly liked his various uses of repetition that are key to minimalism.

My composition centres around the idea of a triplet motif that is doubled in the two trumpets. In the two sections in which it is featured, the triplet idea is performed alongside a counter-melody in the tenor saxophone.

The bridge section of my piece begins with a quaver/semiquaver motif doubled in the bass guitar and drum kit, and this extends into the piano. It then merges into a solo section, beginning with the alto saxophone solo overlapping the motif, then transferring to a piano solo before returning to the main theme.

In Throwback Jazz, you will also hear a recurring accented cadence played by all instruments, which I used to break up each of the individual sections of my piece.

Sebastian Lee piano & voice

Fear No More, heat of the Sun Roger Quilter (1877–1953) Roger Quilter was known particularly for his English Art songs, in particular Come Away Death, and Go Lovely Rose.

Quilter’s songs are instantly recognisable for their unique vocal melodies with a natural flow, enhancing the rhythm of the words than forcing the rhythm into a preconceived melody. His accompaniments provide rhythmic interest and fragments of countermelodies for the pianists.

Fear no more the Heat of The Sun is adapted from Shakespeare’s play, Cymbeline. The song speaks about death and the ability to cope. Interestingly, the words are addressed to the decreased as an imperative, and adds to the poetic voice to mourn for the death. The unique accompaniment, as well as the harmonious lyrical melody adds to the sorrowful atmosphere.

Poem Capricco Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) Poulenc is a French composer, well known for his piano suite Trois mouvements perpetuals (1919) and ballet, Les Biches (1923).

Capriccio d’apres le bal masque, meaning after the masked ball, was dedicated to composer, Samuel Barber. As the title Capriccio suggests, it is music free in form and of a lively character, containing fast virtuosic passages.

Poulenc fully incorporates the expanded palette of the two pianos, rather than imitating orchestral effects.

Revenge, Timotheus cries from Alexander’s Feast George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) Handel, well known for his operas, oratorios and organ concertos completed Alexander’s Feast on January 17, 1736.

The opera is set in Persepolis, where Alexander the Great and his mistress are feasting.

This major aria shows how the character Timotheus sings and manipulates him to burn down the city in revenge for the dead Greek soldiers.

At last, Alexander the Great burns down the Persian city of Persepolis.

Nicholas Walkden-Brown alto saxophone

Devil’s Rag Jean Mataitia (1952–)

Suite Hellenique Pedro Itturalde (1929–)

Christian Lauba is known for composing a variety of saxophone pieces with influences from countries such as South Africa and Japan. When composing Jazz and Rag music, Christian Lauba will compose under the name Jean Mataitia such as with Devil’s Rag which he composed in 1988.

Suite Hellenique was composed in 2001, by Spanish jazz saxophonist and composer, Pedro Itturalde. He was greatly influenced

by Spanish flamenco and Jazz music, which can be seen in all his works, including Suite Hellenique.

Black & Blue Barry Cockroft Composed by Cockcroft in 1995, Black and Blue creates a ‘one-man-band’ as the saxophonist imitates other instruments, which requires the execution of many extended techniques. Beginning with solo bass guitar, the saxophone then marks the entry of a distorted chordal guitar through the use of multiphonics. This then changes to a drum solo through the clicking keys of the saxophone, before finishing the piece with a coda, which utilises a ‘wa-wa’ sound reminiscent of 1960’s rock.

As well as the Jazz influence, you can also hear the traditional Greek influences, such as the use of the Ionian and Mixolydian modes in the opening introduction.

There are two versions of this piece, one for Solo Alto Saxophone and Piano, and one for Saxophone Quartet, which is the version performed tonight.

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE ANNUAL GALA MUSIC CONCERT The Gala Music Concert is the annual showcase concert for the Music School at King's.

The concert will feature large and small ensembles, as well as selected solo performances.

This year, a special combined Choir and Orchestra will perform the Baroque work, Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi, and will be joined by guest artists from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The Gala Concert is the music school's opportunity to farewell boys in Year 12 who have contributed to the music programme through continued ensemble membership.

CanapĂŠs and Drinks from 6.30pm Concert begins at 7.00pm

FUTTER HALL 6.30PM CANAPÉS & DRINKS THE KING’S SCHOOL 7PM CONCERT

&

an evening of excellence Thursday 25 August 2016

GLORIA

FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY: Choirs, Orchestras, Bands Stage Band & Drum Line Chamber & Small Ensembles

Selected King’s Soloists Guest Artist, Esther Song Guest Artist, Robert Adam

SPECIAL THANKS: Mr Barry Walmsley Miss Joyce Kojevnikov Mr Julian Walmsley Ms Gabriella Kovacs Mr Mark Kelly Instrumental Teachers

UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS GALA Music Concert Thursday 25 August Canapés & Drinks from 6.30pm Concert at 7pm Futter Hall Festival of Lessons & Carols Sunday 4 December – 7.30pm Futter Hall

THE KING’S SCHOOL ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

www.kings.edu.au, (02 9683 8555) Pennant Hills Road, North Parramatta NSW PO Box 1 Parramatta NSW 2124 Cricos No: 02326F ABN: 24 481 364 152