2016 School Magazine

to sing at the annual Centaur service to commemorate the tragic sinking of Australian Hospital Ship Centaur in 1943. We welcomed Dr Mark Laycock as our first international musician- in-residence to work with the string orchestras and the bands were fortunate to experience the direction of Mr Jason Noble- New York, Professor Richard Saucedo- Indiana, Dr Rob McWilliams- Wisconsin and Dr Ralph Hultgren- Brisbane at various times during the year. Term III started with a bang as Symphonic Winds attended a two-day Senior Band Workshop at Villanova College, where the girls had a chance to expand their musical horizons. The Junior, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, and Senior Strings Festivals also took place during a very busy term, where girls — in just two intensive after-school rehearsals — worked with conductors and performed with students from Brisbane Grammar School to perfect their musical and ensemble skills, which were brilliantly showcased in an end-of-week concert. Term III also saw the annual chamber music competitions. After weeks of hard work and practice, a string quartet consisting of Chanelle Ren (12O), Fiona Qiu (11R), Young Min Kim (11G) and Cherie Shih (12R) won their section with their spectacular rendition of Death and the Maiden by Franz Schubert. Likewise, a vocal group consisting of Linnea Cain (12W), Bryleigh Parsons- Pope (8B) and Linh-Dan Pham (12O) were victorious through their joyful performance of It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) by Duke Ellington and a beautiful rendition of Les Misérables Medley by Claude-Michel Schönberg. This vocal group proudly showcased their winning performance at the annual Father-Daughter Dinner at Victoria Park on the 25 August 2016. At the annual BGGS Choral Concert every chorister, from Year 7 to Year 12, showcased a spectacularly high level of musicianship as they sung their hearts out and executed the perfect choralography, all refined by dedicated conductors and accompanists. On 3 August 2016, BGGS had their annual Open Day, which invited future families to view the School and its many curricular and co-curricular activities — including showcasing the Music Department’s dedicated musicians! 2016 marked the 20th annual Gala Concert, and as usual it was a major success, with beautiful performances from not only dedicated ensembles and choirs, but show-stopping performances from soloists and smaller ensembles. Only a few weeks later, the Year 12 music students were given an emotional but satisfying farewell from the younger music students at the Music Farewell. Thank you to the Year 11 music cohort for organising such a lovely (and tear-jerking) event. After the Year 12 girls graduated at Speech Day — accompanied by beautiful performances from Chamber Singers, combined choirs and Symphonic Winds — 2016 music came to a beautiful conclusion with the Carols Under the Stars, where the Co-Curricular Music students celebrated the end of a thrilling year in the BGGS Instrumental Music Department. Over the past year as Music Captains, we have seen each and every girl, in choirs, string ensembles and bands, not only grow musically but also foster new-found lifelong friendships in an ever-thriving Music Department. We know for sure that we will never lose contact with our fellow Girls Grammar music sisters in the years to come. LINNEA CAIN (12W), ELIZABETH SIMMERS (12W), AND GRACE DOIG (12B) MUSIC CAPTAINS

MUSIC CAPTAINS’ REPORT

From cello sonatas to opera arias and saxophone quartets, 2016 was a year of festivities in the Instrumental Music Department. This year the Music Captains aimed to tie into the school motto, ‘Blue Unity is Opportunity’ and achieve #blunity between all our ensembles. We believe that this was successful, as we saw many friendships blossom between the younger and older music girls. We are so glad to have had the opportunity to lead the instrumental girls in 2016. The 2016 Co-Curricular Music Programme kicked off with the Senior Music Camp held on the first weekend of term at Watson Park in Dakabin. Girls from Symphonic Winds, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Vivaldi Players worked extremely hard over two intensive rehearsal days to learn, refine and perform complicated pieces, which were brilliantly showcased in the end-of-camp concert. At the annual Choir Camp on 13-14 February 2016, the School’s various auditioned choirs – Chamber Singers, Grammar Singers and Encore – were exposed to their first pieces of the year. Term I also saw the Welcome to New Families Concerts, where Symphonic Winds, Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Singers provided Year 7 girls and their families with a taste of the vibrant musical experiences they would have at BGGS. The Autumn Concerts gave the younger girls an opportunity to showcase all their hard work – many had only picked up an instrument few weeks prior! To conclude a busy first term, the Edmee Gainsford Viola Competition showcased the refined skills of the School’s many viola players. After an extraordinary day of performance, Elizabeth Simmers (12W) was victorious as she wowed the adjudicator with her spectacular rendition of Rapsodie by Ernest Bloch. Term II started with the annual BGGS Cathedral Concert in St Stephens Cathedral – featuring spectacular performances by the School’s senior choirs, ensembles and soloists. Tokiwa Onoda (12E) is to be congratulated on her stunning performance of Rhapsody op.79 no. 2 by J. Brahms. Various BGGS bands, string ensembles and choirs competed in the annual Queensland Youth Music Awards (QYMA) in their respective divisions at St Peters Lutheran College and Mansfield State High School. Term II also held the May concerts, a smaller but no less impressive series where younger groups had a chance to perform for the Girls Grammar community. On the 4–7 May 2016, two Junior Choir Workshops took place where Grammar Voices, Grammar Chorus and Vox came together with guest choirs from Brisbane Grammar School and Mary McKillop College to refine their ensemble choral skills. Similarly, Wind Ensemble and Wind Band took part in the Junior Band Workshop in Week 6 with guest schools Brisbane Boys College and Brisbane Grammar School. This year, girls also had multiple wonderful opportunities to participate in and perform at various external community events. The School’s youngest auditioned choir, Encore, performed beautifully at the Nurses Vigil to honour Royal Brisbane Hospital ANZAC nurses, and Chamber Singers were once again invited

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