Grammar Gazette-Issue 1, 2021

Music

Beauty in Possibility Where challenge inspires creativity and dreams take flight

Mrs Emma Dron Director of Instrumental Music

In an art form thousands of years old, steeped in tradition and often bound in convention, it is relatively easy, and somewhat comforting, to approach the delivery of musical performances and concerts in familiar ways and contexts.

There is a known rhythm to the process, which can be rich with rewards Groups of young musicians work together with their teacher mentors for weeks or months to learn tried and tested repertoire, carefully selected for their experience level Published works can range from popular masterworks of ‘classical music’ through to new educational compositions and arrangements of contemporary songs Even the concert events themselves have known protocols, with audience members usually gathering in one space for the evening, waiting to experience the performances as each ensemble moves on and off the stage. This is a familiar vignette representing many, if not most, performance programs within school settings

the power of music to connect us across oceans, deepening the girls' connection and experience even further Closer to home, in recent years the work of three of our own emerging student composers has been premiered in the IWD Concert program, which has had a wonderful impact Through the launch of an annual composition competition, works by our Girls Grammar Music students representing strings, choir, and contemporary song genres, are brought to life providing little gems of promise and examples of outstanding mastery throughout the concert The spirit and joy in which the girls celebrate their Grammar sisters’ achievements as each student premiere is realised is extremely moving, and encapsulates the essence and purpose of this special event for our community Congratulations to our incredible Music students for embracing the 2021 IWD Concert’s journey with such commitment and passion It is also with deep gratitude and admiration that I acknowledge the creative minds of our ensemble directors—Mr Michael Patterson, Mrs Laurinda Davidson, Ms Clare Finlayson and Mr Jonathan Zorzetto—and thank them for their bold programming and demonstrating to the girls what creative and daring can look and sound like ■

in the representation of women in the Arts, female composers still only constitute roughly eight per cent of performed compositions worldwide One creative and meaningful attempt to address this challenge at Girls Grammar is through the annual commissioning of new works by female composers internationally and from within Australia Since the concert’s inception, we have proudly engaged and premiered the works of six nationally and internationally recognised composers for the event The rich opportunities for learning and growth engendered through the collaboration between composer, conductor and student performer are immense When a new work has been imagined and realised by a composer, created especially for the students, and then brought to life by them in the context of this event, an immeasurable and enduring depth of investment and sense of agency is created For this year’s commissioned work, Coordinator of Choirs, Ms Clare Finlayson, Ms Clare Finlayson, invited Estonian composer Mari Amor to create a work for combined choir and strings Ms Amor was honoured to compose for us, and on the eve of the world premiere of her work 'Tune thy Music to Thy Heart', sent a video clip to speak directly to the performers' about

looking at how to include as many of our senior ensembles as possible in a concert hosted at the beautiful Spring Hill campus This was where the idea of a ‘moving’ concert was born. Rather than managing the conventional and sometimes clunky stage changes of remaining in one venue, the notion of the audience as the group that moves into pre-arranged performance spaces across multiple venues opened up a world of new performance possibilities for staff and students to explore. One of the innovative uses of space includes the inner multi-level staircase and balconies of the Cherrell Hirst Creative Learning Centre (CLC), where magical choral performances of choristers winding up the stairwell allow the audience to enjoy the resonant ▶

echoes of sound spilling up and through the multi-storey building Audience members stand amidst the music, almost as if they are inside the art itself The notion of the audience entering the performance space rather than the performers entering the audience space also allows for some new experiences and connections Our performers and conductors have reported a different sense of calm and comfort for the musicians, who are already warmed up, focussed, and excitedly anticipate their audience’s arrival And, our audiences also report that the intrigue of moving from venue to venue brings a sense of adventure and discovery for them The performances elicited and received in these shared spaces of anticipation are said by many to have had an almost spiritual sense to them An important goal of the IWD Concert, which is scheduled to coincide with and honour the recognised date for International Women’s Day, is the annual mission to curate a concert entirely derived from compositions by female composers While the programming of female composers naturally occurs throughout the year at all Girls Grammar concerts, to devote a whole concert from year to year to this endeavour does provide an enjoyable challenge While there has undoubtedly been great progress made

But this was not the experience for performers and audience alike at the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD) Concert held at Girls Grammar on Friday 5 March An innovative concert experience delivered in its fourth iteration this year, the IWD Concert stands boldly in its purpose, process and delivery and is a unique celebration of the creative spirit It has been stated that creativity begins where conventional answers to challenges end, and it was in part by design and in part due to tackling some challenges that the Instrumental Music Department staff and students have seen the evolution of this very special event One of the first logistical challenges encountered when the inaugural IWD Concert was presented in 2018 was

previous page left Samantha Atherton (12L) performing with Symphony Orchestra previous page right Erin McNab (10B) and Symphonic Winds

above left Symphonic Winds above right Soloists, Vivian Lee (10O) and Serena Choo (12M), performing with Contemporary Ensemble

Gazette

Gazette

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

08

Issue 1, 2021

09

Issue 1, 2021