Music

Scott McCarthy and Timothy Soon (left) are presented with the Zenith Award for Secondary Metropolitan Schools and Colleges at the Catholic Performing Arts Finale Concert

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. Plato

Congratulations to our Music staff and students on a golden year. Not only winning the Catholic Performing Arts Zenith Trophy for Secondary Metropolitan Schools and Colleges for the tenth year running, but also conquering the World Strides Heritage Music Festival in New York by winning the Sweepstakes Trophy.

Mr Neville Talbot conducts the Trinity/Mercedes Wind Orchestra Darcy Port Kayvan Gharbi receives the Chapman Scholarship for Secondary Solo Strings and James Newcombe receives the Vera Chidlow Scholarship Soloist Matt Evans 1st (gold ) Award for the Trinity Mercedes String Ensemble

Outstanding Orchestra Trophy Adjudicators Award Miss Athena Litis with the Trinity & Mercedes String Orchestra

Mr Neville Talbot and Ms Claire Gamlin with the Trinity & Mercedes Wind Orchestra

Adrian Soares (11.2) Lachlan Harders on Marimba Kieran Lynch, Dr Robert Braham Timothy Soon, Scott McCarthy, Miss Athena Litis and Max Benson with the Zenith Trophy American Tour – Hollywood Studios American Tour – Walt Disney Concert Hall LA

Music

Music Captains and Vice Captains Kieran Lynch, Timothy Soon, Scott McCarthy and Max Benson proudly hold the Zenith Music Award which Trinity has won for the 10th consecutive year

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Dr Robert Braham Director of Music

At the end of the 2013 academic year we say farewell to a highly valued member of the music department. Natasha Rich has been our Junior School classroom teacher and choir director as well as wind ensemble conductor and has also had accompanying duties. Natasha’s contribution to the music department over her four years has been immense. Her work with the Junior School choirs has seen huge numbers of boys partake in the program and learn challenging repertoire and sing at a high standard. The Junior School class curriculum has been revamped along Kodaly and Orff teaching principles to great success and the Year 7 classes shared with Miss Athena Litis have never been more vibrant. We all wish her the best of luck for her future musicing.

Miss Athena Litis has been instrumental in taking the Kodaly program through to Year 10 this year with significant improvement in all round musicianship skills across the boys. Miss Litis also directs the Trinity/ Mercedes String Orchestra that must surely take the baton as the most improved ensemble of the year. Festival results pertaining to the strings and other ensembles are mentioned below. Thanks must also go to Mrs Lena Bennetts, Head or Strings and Ms Amber Day for their tutoring of the String Orchestra.

A new structure mirroring the band program has also been put in place for the string program, with a String Ensemble leading to the String Orchestra. This has been a successful change allowing string players to play in an ensemble of like-skilled students. I would also like to pay tribute to the large number of capable Year 12 students who led the music program this year. This top down setting of musical standards and attitude has allowed for many successful performances including those on the USA tour, and the Term 3 festivals.

Visiting Artists Program

Paul Jarman returned for two periods of time in 2013. The first was to workshop our commissioned work ‘Let go of My Hand’. This very funky ‘a cappella’ work was written with the USA tour in mind and it did not disappoint. Over the year it has been performed many times and has become a favourite of the Senior Chorale and audiences alike.

Paul’s second visit was for the Junior School Presentation Night where the Year 5/6 Choir premiered their new work ‘Spirit, Curiosity, Opportunity’. This challenging work about space exploration was a major success for the boys.

Commissioning of two choral works in the one year has been a significant first for the Trinity Music Department

Paul Holley conducts the Birralee Blokes and other youth choirs along the east coast of Australia. Apart from workshopping with boys from other schools our Senior Chorale had the opportunity to work with Paul on their own repertoire. This was perfect timing to polish our repertoire prior to the USA tour.

Later in the year Professor Heribert Koch from Germany, treated us to a piano master class. Heribert’s time with the boys was inspirational with many a fine point on the art of piano playing, musical interpretation and insights into the composers. These were highly motivating sessions which opened the eyes of our aspiring pianists.