Performing Arts – Music

Music

On paper Music in 2008 was always going to be a year to remember and the reality did not disappoint. With a larger than usual Year 12 contingent of musicians leading the way the year was set for much creative music making.

Term 1 began at a brisk pace before school had begun with Chorale rehearsals in preparation for the tour to China. All ensembles had to work hard early in preparation for the Quarry Concert. The concert featured the Trinity/ Presbyterian Ladies’ College Chorale but all ensembles performed well to the sell-out audience. The formation of Trinity Strings for the concert was an innovation worthy of continuing into future years. Able primary string players combined with senior players and our two harpists for a popular performance of Celtic Dreaming and Dance by Stephen Chin.

The highlight of this year’s excursions were the Year 10 class tour to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Year 11 and 12 excursion to see the WA Opera Company’s production of The Barber of Seville. At WAAPA the boys met staff and students and viewed several performances. This was an inspirational visit and gave the very capable Year 10 class a great insight into tertiary music education. The Barber of Seville was a superb production and for most boys their first visit to the opera. Judging by the responses it will not be their last.

The Year 8 and 9 music classes had the addition of the professional percussion group Tetrafide as artists in residence this year. The workshops on Latin rhythms and composition were put to good use in the development of class performance pieces at the Outside Edge concert in August.

Dr Robert Braham Director of Music

A feature of the classroom program this year was the Year 12 composition course. Composition tutor Matthew Stapleton guided the creative flair of five students as they produced a portfolio of works ranging from jazz, Latin and rock styled pieces to creative text settings, symphonic poems and chamber music. The tonal and stylistic languages also varied significantly and included atonal and modal compositions as well as those with a neoClassical bent.

The Year 12 musical success spread far beyond the classroom. Leadership positions in all ensembles were filled with musical authority. Of special significance was the jazz fusion group From the Top whose confidence and musicianship took on new levels following a promising beginning in Year 11. Led by outstanding vocal and keyboard work from Stefan Pugliese and highly competent drumming from Matthew Cowie, the group produced some of the most memorable performances in the genre seen at Trinity. David Chua, who made the transition from classical guitar to bass with consummate ease, and the versatile Daniel Purcell were excellent support for the virtuosic saxophone soloist in Christian Ruggiero - as well as being soloists in their own right.

With the performing ensembles doing so well this year it was no surprise that Presentation Night was of such a high standard. The massed choir is the spectacle of the night and this year did not disappoint. Led with style by singer Stefan Pugliese, the vocal ensemble, strings and percussion and Year 10-12 chorus created a memorable opening to a successful night of musical entertainment.

The Catholic Schools’ Performing Arts Festival was an extraordinarily successful festival for Trinity students. Being awarded the Zenith Award for excellence for the fifth consecutive year is an outstanding achievement. The significant number of honourable mentions and merit awards was a testament to the participation of many solo and duet items. The Chamber Ensembles also fared extremely well with sterling performances by the Senior Guitar Ensemble and an award winning Percussion Ensemble with a memorable performance of Head Talk. The Wind Ensemble showed much promise in the concert band section and Swing Band One reached new heights, the band taking a very professional approach to all rehearsals and performances.

Mrs Dorothy Slawamirsky’s piano students always impress in the festival. This year singer and pianist Daniel Mullaney was awarded the solo piano prize giving Mrs Slawamirsky her fourth student award in six years. Other outstanding solo performances were by Alwyn Chan (Year 8 violin) and David Chua (Year 12 classical guitar).

Of our award winners several groups performed at the final concert. These included the very impressive harp duet performed by Adrian Maydwell and Aristo Wibowanto, the Percussion Ensemble, combined Senior and Middle School Chorale and the Vocal Ensemble. It was an outstanding year for choral work as the Vocal Ensemble and Chorale between them made a clean sweep of the Sacred, Liturgical and Secondary Choral Music sections of the Festival. The highlight was the combined forces of the Middle School and Senior Chorales singing the complex cross rhythms of Jing-Ga-Lye-Ya, bringing spontaneous responses from the audience at each performance.

Trinity/Presbyterian Ladies’ College Chorale China and Hong Kong Tour 2008

We all know that China is a highly populated country experiencing an extraordinary phase of development. We also know China to have an extensive and rich history. The Chorale’s tour to China encapsulated the old and the new. The sheer size of Beijing, the traffic congestion, and the haze were all a part of our daily travels. However, underneath the hustle and bustle are a friendly Chinese people ever ready to please.

The students of the Chorale had some wonderful interactive experiences bringing our music to a specialised music and arts kindergarten in Shanghai and performing at a business and tourism school. The Kindergarten for three to six year olds had excellent facilities including their own performance venue and exhibition space. The principal was very keen to have contacts with Australia and was very pleased when our rehearsal turned into a mini concert for the three year olds. The reception was equally enthusiastic at the business and tourism school. We were treated to some performances on traditional instruments and, surprisingly, cheer leaders. Our performance was received with tremendous enthusiasm with the titles of our songs being translated by one of their English teachers, although translating such titles as Waltzing Matilda, or more interestingly, Latin, into Mandarin proved to be a humorous challenge.

The main goals of our tour were bound up in the Beijing International Youth Festival. This festival of music for Chinese and Australian schools was a mixture of competition, workshops and a sharing of musical cultures. The Chinese have become very adept at western music with several of their specialist schools (all referred to by number rather than name) fielding full symphonic orchestras and playing large scale Romantic repertoire. However the greatest treat was to hear the superb musicianship and virtuosity of the students performing on traditional Chinese instruments. For the most part they played the repertoire of modern composers in dazzling displays on Chinese Erhu (2-stringed bowed instrument), Gu Zheng (zither), Pipa (4 stringed lute with 30 frets and pear shaped body) and a theatrical display of drumming.

For the competition, held in the main auditorium of the Beijing Conservatory of Music, the Trinity/PLC Chorale sang a 25 minute program of music by Australian, Rumanian and Canadian composers. Ably accompanied by Tommaso Pollio the Chorale performed extremely well. However it was at the final concert of the festival in the same venue that the Chorale reached its peak with a sensational performance of Tabulam by Stephen Leek. The informal concerts and unusual rehearsal venues are sometimes the most memorable; the boys singing Fogarty’s Cove around the corner from the Olympic stadium, the Chorale’s impromptu singing in a 700 year old outdoor theatre, attracting the attention of the myriad of passing tourists – a perfect time to pass the hat around and to attract some admiring onlookers; or rehearsing in the Jockey Club (a garden in Hong Kong). However, the performance with the greatest reception was reserved until last. On our visit to the Good Hope School, a Catholic school for girls in Hong Kong, we were treated as both honoured guests and rock stars. A formal concert for the entire school soon loosened up to the cheers of the girls as our jazz soloist stepped up to perform. This was a truly satisfying final concert of the tour.

When the Chorale was not performing it was involved in some serious tourism. Visits to the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square gave everyone at the very least some strong visual imagery of Chinese history. These major icons of Chinese culture are vast and impressive. It doesn’t take long to realise that the scale of Chinese achievements of past dynasties are being replicated in the achievements of modern China; the architecture of Shanghai, Beijing International Airport and the Maglev train travelling at 431km/hr. To walk, skip, run and pause on the Great Wall of China gave us yet another insight into this fascinating culture as well as some much needed exercise.

No one can visit China and Hong Kong without resorting to a degree of shopping. Silk, jade and pearls are at the traditional end of Chinese produce and cheap designer labels are at the other. Nor can the drinking of tea be ignored. All partook of the traditional tea making ceremony sampling green teas, Oolong and other fragranced varieties. And no one will ever be able to view a local Chinese restaurant in the same light again, for your local restaurant in China is open 24/7 and seats 500 people.

Dr Robert Braham

Director of Music, Trinity College

Catholic Performing Arts Results 2008

Trinity College Chorale Liturgical Choral Music (Secondary), Benedictine Community of New Norcia Award

Trinity College Vocal Ensemble Sacred Choral Music (Secondary), Therese Temby Award

Trinity Chorale Choral Singing (Secondary), Loreto Sisters’ Award

Trinity Concussion

Instrumental Ensemble (Secondary), Premier of Western Australia Award Awards Awards“The Manuals” Rock Band (Secondary), Knights of the Southern Cross Award Daniel MULLANEY (12.1) Piano Solo (Secondary), Fr John Harte Jesuit Award Adrian MAYDWELL (10.3) & Aristo WIBOWANTO (10.5) Instrumental Duet (All Years), Parents & Friends’ Federation Golden Jubilee Award Light Entertainment Police: Comedy Division, Special Flying Squad Drama & Mime (Secondary), Dr Carmen Lawrence Award BIG (Boys in Groove) Dance (Primary), Presentation Sisters’ Award Honourable Mentions Adrian MAYDWELL (10.3) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Strings) Alwyn CHAN (8.6) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Strings) Aristo WIBOWANTO (10.5) & Adrian MAYDWELL (10.3) Instrumental Duet (Secondary Strings) Aristo WIBOWANTO (10.5) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Strings) Aristo WIBOWANTO (10.5) Secondary Piano Performance Bryn RYAN (11.3) Instrumental Solo (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Christian RUGGIERO (12.1) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Daniel MULLANEY (12.1) Secondary Piano Performance Daniel MULLANEY (12.1) Secondary Vocal Solo Daniel CADDY (9.1) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) David CHUA (12.7) Instrumental Solo (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Dylan DEWSBURY (11.2) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) James CUMMING (10.4) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) John MALKOVIC (10.7) Instrumental Solo (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Jordan FYNN (06B) Primary Vocal Solo Joshua CLAYTON (8.3) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Julian NETTO (11.4) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) Julian SIEBER (12.2) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) Matthew COWIE (12.1) & Julian NETTO (11.4) Instrumental Duet (Secondary Percussion) Matthew COWIE (12.1) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) Matthew RECHICHI (10.2) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Mitchell MOLLISON (12.5) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Reuben SOARES (10.6) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Stephen LOUGHNAN (8.7) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Thomas CROWTHER (11.2) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) William SCHEGGIA (11.2) Secondary Piano Performance

Music Groups

BIG (Boys in Groove) Primary Dance Elastic Band Instrumental Ensemble (Other Instruments) From The Top Entertainment Band GIG (Guys in Groove) Secondary Dance Light Entertainment Police: Comedy Division, Special Flying Squad Secondary Drama Mercedes Trinity Senior Strings Symphonic Orchestra Swing Band One Entertainment Band The Manuals Rock Band Trinity Chorale Junior School Selected Choirs (Primary Choral Singing) Trinity Chorale Secondary Choir (Choral Singing) Awards AwardsTrinity Chorale Secondary Choir (Liturgical Choral Music) Trinity College Guitar Experience Instrumental Ensemble (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Trinity College Junior Guitar Ensemble Instrumental Ensemble (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Trinity Concussion Instrumental Ensemble (Percussion) Trinity Junior Percussion Ensemble Instrumental Ensemble (Percussion) Vocal Ensemble Secondary Choir Unaccompanied Vocal Ensemble Secondary Sacred Choral Music Certificate of Merit Alessandro PITTORINO (10.3) Pipe Organ Arnold RODRICKS (9.5) Secondary Piano Solo Caleb FETZER (9.7) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Clinton HODGES (10.5) & Mihali Palassis Instrumental Duet (Secondary Percussion) Clinton HODGES (10.5) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) Cody VERSTEEG (9.7) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Percussion) David CHUA (12.7) & Mark NG (12.4) Instrumental Duet (Acoustic/Classical Guitar) Eric NGUYEN (10.2) & Daniel MULLANEY (12.1) Secondary Vocal Duet James CUMMING (10.4) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Jamie DREWETT (8.6) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Jordan CARDOZO (10.4) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind Alto Sax) Jordan CARDOZO (10.4) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind Clarinet) Kieran TOYE (11.7) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Liam GREEN (8.6) Secondary Vocal Solo Mark WATSON (10.4) & Jordan CARDOZO (10.4) Instrumental Duet (Secondary Woodwind) Matthew DIXON (8.1) Secondary Piano Solo Michael HAY (9.7) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Michael KANNIS (07B) Instrumental Solo (Primary Brass) Myles HOLLINGWORTH (10.5) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Nicholas GUGLIELMINO (9.6) & Jordan CARDOZO (10.4) Instrumental Duet (Secondary Woodwind) Nicholas GUGLIELMINO (9.6) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind) Patrick GUMMER-WILSON (9.3) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Brass) Reuben SOARES (10.6) Secondary Piano Solo Sheldon RUSSELL (07B) Primary Vocal Solo Thomas DURKIN (9.1) Instrumental Solo (Secondary Woodwind)

Music Groups

Mercedes/Trinity String Orchestra Symphonic Orchestra Swing Band Two Entertainment Band Trinity College Clarinet Quartet Instrumental Ensemble (Woodwind) Trinity College Rock Band Rock Band Section Trinity/Mercedes Colleges’ Wind Ensemble Concert Band Junior Trinity/Mercedes Colleges’ Wind Orchestra Secondary Concert Band Year 8/9 Chorale Secondary Choir (Chorale Singing)

SENIOR CHORALE

Back Row: Maximilian Tandy, Stefan Pugliese (Chorale Captain), Matthew Cowie, James Doddemead, Timothy Dixon, Joshua Somers, Giles Taylor Third Row: Adrian Maydwell, Matthew Rechichi, Joseph Coombes, William Scheggia, Christian Ruggiero (Instrumental Captain), Daniel Mullaney, Curtis Novacsek Second Row: Dylan Dewsbury, Luke Geiles, Julian Netto, Dannel Yeo (Instrumental Vice Captain), Kristen Di Gregorio, Alexander Bray, Patrick Tomasi, Dr Robert Braham (Director) Front Row: Aristo Wibowanto, Gerard Rosario (Chorale Vice Captain), Alessandro Pittorino, Robert Douglas, Reuben Soares, Thomas Crowther, Michael Ferrinda, Eric Nguyen Absent: Liam Gale

SENIOR SCHOOL GUITAR ENSEMBLE

Back Row: Benjamin O’Dea, Mark Ng, Joseph Coombes, David Chua, John Malkovic Front Row: John Robert Gallagher, Siddhanth Sharma, Bryn Ryan, Paris Buti

Absent: Mr Richard Lenz ‘CONCUSSION’ SENIOR PERCUSSION

Daniel Caddy, Matthew Cowie, Mr Neville Talbot, Clinton Hodges, Julian Sieber

PIPES AND DRUMS

Back Row: Gerard Ryan, Adam Taylor, James Rees, Patrick Whitelaw (Pipe Major), Hamish Muir, Ashley Mackin

Second Row: Mrs Maureen

Barnett (Pipe Tutor), Elliot Sawiris (Drum Major), Harvey Fernandes, Cody Versteeg, Guy Birchall, Daniel Purcell, Alec Wilson,

Mr Conor Breheny (Drum Tutor)

Front Row: Julian Sieber, Peter Walsh, Seve Pratico, Michael Tobin, Lachlan McVeigh, Sam Crucitti

VOCAL ENSEMBLE

Back Row: William Scheggia, Giles Taylor, Matthew Cowie,

Stefan Pugliese (Chorale

Captain), Maximilian Tandy, Matthew Rechichi Second Row: Dylan Dewsbury, Adrian Maydwell, Daniel Mullaney, Curtis Novacsek, Dannel Yeo (Instrumental Vice Captain),

Dr Robert Braham

First Row: Aristo Wibowanto,

Gerard Rosario (Chorale Vice

Captain), Thomas Crowther, Patrick Tomasi, Reuben Soares, Alessandro Pittorino, Eric Nguyen

ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL CHOIR Back Row: Ms Jacinta Jakovcevic

(Choir Director), Callum Forsey, Michael Duan, Caleb Gilroy, David Chua, Daniel Mullaney, Oliver Royer, John Paul Mondelo Front: Marcus Callus-Gannon, Ashley Teo, Gavril D’Souza, Eric Nguyen, Sebastian Teo, Joshua Lee, Andrew Ziemianski Absent: Jermaine Beins, Kristen Di Gregorio, Caleb Hutcheson, Luke Hutcheson, Marcus Tobin

TRINITY/MERCEDES WIND ENSEMBLE

Back Row: Miss Simone Armstrong (Director), Calum Braham, Clement Lynch, Thomas Durkin, Samuel Cox, Leighton Taylor, Joseph Clear, Alexander Caldera, Mr Burhan Güner (Director) Third Row: Jonathan Chung-Wah-Cheong, Patrick Gummer-Wilson, Shoshana Beins, Bridget Cleary, Ashleigh Moore-Crouch, Tansy Barr, Monique Polini, Philippe Kilpatrick, Joel Bahemia Second Row: Adam Taylor, Stephen Loughnan, Joshua Clayton, Luke Geoghegan, Daniel Caddy, Nicholas Guglielmino, Sam Crucitti, Martin Hoang, Henry Hollingworth Front Row: Madeleine Lester, Elizabeth Goi, Megan O’Sullivan, Caitlin De Souza, Taylor Cardozo, Madison Cogan, Elena Dedear, Jasmine Duffield Absent: Michael Hay, Thomas Hussey, James Drewett

TRINITY/MERCEDES WIND ORCHESTRA

Back Row: Sam Carbone, Samuel Watson, Timothy Dixon, Jordan Cardozo, Corbin Mondy, James Cumming, Luke Screaigh, Alexander Murphy, Christian Ruggiero (Instrumental Captain) Third Row: Benjamin Tomasi, Stuart Love, Daniel Hart, Matthew Rechichi, Julian Serra, Mitchell Mollison, Kieran Toye, Patrick Tomasi Second Row: Renae Hambley, Jin-Nee Wong, Thea Walton, Danielle Millet, Lara Scivolo, Ria Carbone, Sophie Lester, Mr Burhan Güner (Director) Front Row: Julian Sieber, Myles Hollingworth, Alexander Bray, Dylan Dewsbury, Thomas Crowther, Daniel Tassone, Reuben Soares, Gerard Rosario Absent: Michael Ferrinda, Clinton Hodges, Mark Watson, Sally Newman, Emily McLure

TRINITY/MERCEDES SENIOR STRING ENSEMBLE Back Row: Mrs Clare Gamlin

(Director), James Doddemead, Dannel Yeo Front Row: Priscilla Gardner, Grace Gardner

SWING BAND ONE Back Row: Mr Kevin Fenner

(Director), Mitchell Mollison, Stefan Pugliese, Timothy Dixon, Matthew Cowie, Corbin Mondy, Christian Ruggiero (Captain), David Chua Front Row: Matthew Rechichi, Samuel Watson, Kieran Toye, Reuben Soares, Thomas Crowther Absent: James Cumming

SWING BAND TWO

Back Row: Alexander Murphy, Jordan Cardozo, Anthony Erskine, Mark Watson, Samuel Cox Third Row: Patrick GummerWilson, Calum Braham, Thomas Durkin, Julian Serra, Julian Netto, Peter Walsh

Second Row: Mr Kevin Fenner

(Director), James Drewett, Philippe Kilpatrick, Clement Lynch, Myles Hollingworth, Robert Douglas, Andrea Rispoli Front Row: Joshua Clayton, Caleb Fetzer, Joel Bahemia, Michael Hay, Julian Bordoni, Alwyn Chan, Thomas Newman

ROCK BAND

Clinton Hodges, Matthew Rechichi, Charles Douglas, Andrea Rispoli

Absent: Mr Mark Shanahan (Director)

MIDDLE SCHOOL GUITAR ENSEMBLE

Mr Duncan Gardiner, Alexander Guglielmino, Rohan Cox, James Hyder, Aidan Hobbs Absent: Thomas Boyle, Alexander Goi, Liam Gale

MIDDLE SCHOOL PERCUSSION

Sam Crucitti, Mihali Palassis, Cody Versteeg, Mr Neville Talbot, Jayden O’Neil, Daniel Caddy

TRINITY/MERCEDES ORCHESTRA

Back Row: Matthew Rechichi, Eloise Gilles, Lara Scivolo, William Scheggia, James Doddemead, Samuel Watson, Danielle Millet, Thea Walton, Jin-Nee Wong, Dannel Yeo, Mitchell Zekulich Third Row: Mrs Claire Gamlin (Director), Grace Gardner, Naomi Jack, Niamh Dell, Philippa Lester, Sarah Binns, Dominique Cleary, Laura MacLean, Roisin Mollatt Second Row: Joshua Lee, Alwyn Chan, Dylan Dewsbury, Mitchell Mollison, Arnold Rodricks, Alexander Bray, Philippe Kilpatrick, Danny Lam, Ethan Wainwright Front Row: Eleanor Leung, Shoshana Beins, Zena Ferguson, Adele Madigan, Caitlin Cocks, Diana Truong, Priscilla Gardner, Ella Tobin Absent: James Pennefather, Nives Purcell, Maebh Walton

‘FROM THE TOP’ JAZZ COMBO

Mr Kevin Fenner (Director), Stefan Pugliese, Christian Ruggiero, Matthew Cowie, Daniel Purcell, David Chua

YEAR 8/9 CHORALE

Back Row: John Paul Mondelo, Patrick Gummer-Wilson, Calum Braham, Cody Versteeg, James Pennefather, Gerard Ryan, Thomas Durkin, Arnold Rodricks, Matthew Dixon, Joel Bahemia Third Row: Nicholas Erskine, John Samineeni Jesudoss, Lachlan Sinclair, Jonathan Chung-Wah-Cheong, Michael Duan, Caleb Gilroy, Alexander Caldera, James Drewett, Philippe Kilpatrick, Jordan Ding, Siddhanth Sharma, Dr Robert Braham (Director) Second Row: Joshua Lee, Jack Dewsbury, Thomas Boyle, Liam Green, Sebastian Gatt-Lodding, Joshua Clayton, Stephen Loughnan, Alwyn Chan, Joseph Matthys Front Row: Rhys Weaver, Marcus Callus-Gannon, Ashley Teo, Adam Taylor, Bradley Winton, Xavier Clarke, Ethan Sumich, Connor Brown, Elliott Cooper Absent: Paris Buti, Eliott Iustini, James Usher 171