2024 School Magazine

Strings

Instrumental Music at BGGS in 2024 has undoubtedly lived up to its outstanding reputation, and it has been my great pleasure to be Strings Captain for 2024. From MC’ing the concerts to sitting in the audience, the musical talent and passion of my peers has been truly mesmerising. My role as Strings Captain has taught me the importance of communication and teamwork, but also what makes a good leader—understanding who you are leading. Whether it be handing out our special edition concert stickers or playing with different ensembles and sections during workshops and rehearsals, it has been fulfilling to connect with musicians from all ages and ability.

I would like to thank Mrs Laurinda Davidson, Ms Talluah Harper and Mr Michael Patterson for their guidance and unwavering support; the Instrumental Music staff for their engaging ideas; as well as Tessa Lloyd (12O) and Lisa Walsham (12R) for being amazing co-captains; and of course, all the musicians who have made my BGGS Instrumental Music experience one I will always cherish.

Mia Cheng (12B) Strings Captain

Cathedral Concert

On 25 May, the senior music ensembles performed at the annual Cathedral Concert at St John's Cathedral. Our conductors chose repertoire that beautifully complemented the acoustics of the cathedral. The concert notably featured Lisa Walsham (12R) performing Adagio and Tarantella alongside Symphonic Winds, and soloists Scout Sommerfeld (12L) and Dorothy Rae (12G) in Thulele Mama Ya with Chorale. The concert also featured Chamber Singers and Chamber Strings combining for two pieces. All performers enjoyed performing in this highly anticipated concert and the Cathedral provided a beautiful venue with the sun shining through the stained-glass windows and the wonderful acoustics. A massive thank you must go to all the conductors and performers who worked so hard to make sure this concert was a success. Caitlin Trappett (11O)

QSO Composers

Over the June holidays, I—alongside three other students—had the opportunity to hear our very own orchestral compositions performed by the QSO Connect Ensemble as the culmination of the QSO Compose Program. Beginning last December, we worked with professional composers and the QSO Connect Ensemble to create and workshop our compositions—inspired by the theme home —for the 13-piece ensemble. One part of the program that I found challenging was the instrumentation. I had never written for such a large ensemble. While the computer notation software gives a wonderful idea of how a piece sounds, it’s never the same as having a piece performed live by musicians. It was an incredible opportunity to listen to a professional orchestra rehearse our pieces, and to workshop ideas with them to create the most polished compositions we could. It was a unique experience to be part of, and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to not only have my composition performed—which many school-age composers never get to experience—but performed by such a renowned orchestra alongside many incredible student composers. Lisa Walsham (12R)

112 | BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2024