1981 School Magazine

The R. T. Jefferies Award The R. T. Jefleries Award was made possible by his youngest daughter Anne, who was Music Mistress at B.G.G.S. from I 923- I 935. In I 956 she asked the Trustees to hold an annual interform choral cornpetition as it was her wish to perpetuate the memory ol her lather, Richard Thomas Jefferies, who was the lirst Music master at the Girls'Grammar in 1874. He is regarded as the'Father ol Music' in Brisbane. He came to Brisbane lrom London in 1871 and as a distinguised violinist, organist and conductor, set about organising the young Colony's musical developement. He laid the foun- dations ol what we now know as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the State N{unicpal Choir. In l98l the R. T. Jelleries Award was reintroduced. and was won bv the Boarders' Choir.

Girls' Choir Report

This year has been a satisfying one, musically, for the choir.

The perlormance ol Pergolosi's "Stabat Mater" during the Easter week in St. John's Cathedral was a challenge lor the entire choir. We all benefited greatly from this experience. We perlormed at two end of term school concarts and the World Vision Concert at Aspley. In third term, Paul Neal and Enid Tardent conducted a Choral Workshop, which the choir lound very helpful. We sang a selection of Vaughan Williarns' songs for the Music Festival on School Day and enjoyed being hostesses to the music groups lrom other schools. We thank State High, St. Peter's, B.G.S., and Churchie lbr making the concert an occasion to remember. I hope there will be more such concerts in the future. In addi- tion to perlorrning at school concerts, we sang at a lunch hour concert at the City Hall, at the Brisbane Music Club, and at a croncert at Churchie. We thank Mrs. Best, our hard-working accompanist, and alscl Miss Hebden, lor their encouragement and support throughout the year.

Concert Choir Report Concert Choir took a while to get going this year, but once the true talent ('l) oi the male choiristers were discovered, there rvas just no holding back the girls. Now we have a choir of about 63 and can make a BIG NOISE (often too big for our poor conductor, Mr. Rod Wakefield, ol B.G.S.). Much to the delight (?) of the senior girls, a small group of boy sops have joined the girls. (Yes little grade 8's - Mother Grania just went wild!). It was not until alter the hard work at Music Camp, that we really began to sing well. We sang at Music Camp Concert, Prom Concert, and various other school recitals throughout the year. We also performed at the Salvation Army Temple Concert with the girls' Concert Band. We, along with other groups lrom B.G.S., sang at the Warana Schools' Music Concert and in lourth terrn sang in an Eistedford. A group of l2 singers from Concert Choir have gone "elec- tric" and lbrmed a new group called Show Choir. This group n.rade its debut at the B.G.S. Prom Concert. We hope to hear rrrtrre lrorn thern in the coming year. Thanks must go to Mrs. Coombs, the lovely lady on the keyboards, and Mr. Wakefield, who "wants to be single again". lor all the hard work they have put into the choir this year.

.lenny Battersby

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