Forward December 2015 | Page 23

SENIOR SCHOOL Music Week How do we put on Music Week without the services of the Director of Music? The next night was the large ensemble showcase, where the GGS Wind Orchestra, G-Jazz, G-Funk, Rock Band, Boodjar Bidi Dancers and Jarokaphonic Orchestra all showed why the music program at Guildford Grammar School is one of the most envied in Perth. Our special guests, the Preparatory School Concert Band, also joined in the fun of the concert. The final item, Solid Rock, provided the audience a chance to witness the act that we would be performing on Telethon after the holiday break. As I was recovering from shoulder surgery, the Music Department banded together to present a stunning array of performances for Music Week, 2015. Led by Mr Quentin Edmonds, and ably assisted by Mrs Lyn Hopkins, the theme of the concerts was celebrating the pieces that we had performed over the past three years, many of which the parents had only had the opportunity to hear once – or perhaps not at all (in the case of the Singapore Tour Repertoire). This allowed new repertoire to be played alongside some old favourites. The week commenced with the Small Ensembles concert, which also allowed the Year 12 students to showcase their pieces for the upcoming WACE Music practical examinations. Ethan Aird (12Be), Alexander Cannell-Lunn (12Ha), Miles Gilbert (12Be), James Holmes (12Be) and Marcel Niutta (12Be) all performed solo works, while Hayden Atterton (12Wb) treated the audience to a sneak peek of one of his compositions, Ruined Minds, All the money raised from the ticket sales for this concert was donated to Telethon. The concert alone raised over $1200, and contributed greatly to our final donation of $2000 towards Telethon 2015. which would be recorded by a professional ensemble a week later. Mrs Katherine Stevens led the concert through performances by the Guitar, Percussion, Brass, Clarinet, Cello and Saxophone ensembles, as well as the Piano Duet Club and the GGS Piano Trio. Special thanks to all involved in making this concert a success. To the parents, the students, the families and the staff, we couldn’t do this without you and thank you for your continued support of the School of Music. Mr Kieran Hurley Director of Music 23