Performing Arts
Holidays for Some
Despite the lack of professional theatre happening in and around Melbourne, I have been lucky enough to watch some outstanding live dance and monologue performances as our senior students prepare for their examinations.
Our dancers are at the point where fine tuning and making sure the narrative is clear and matching their statement of intention are the focus. Our actors have responded well to a little bit of rest and have been able to come in to school to work with set pieces and props.
The challenge in Theatre Studies is to establish the world of the play—showing that you understand the context and what has gone before and what is to follow. It is always exciting to see an actor grow into a role as they grasp the language in action.
Stewart Bell
Director of Performing Arts
Music
One VCE Music Journey Nears the End and Another Begins
While our most senior VCE Music students complete their final preparations to take Unit 4 Performance exams next week, Year 5 Brighton students begin their instrumental journey. They are receiving Band instruments in preparation for practical instrumental classes that begin online this week.
At Brighton, Berwick and City, all Year 5 students now participate in a semester of instrumental tuition on Band instruments—trumpet, trombone, euphonium, flute, clarinet, saxophone and percussion.
Delivered as a classroom program, each student learns one of these instruments alongside their peers in a fun and engaging setting that features many smiles, giggles, discoveries and, of course, instrumental success. Following a semester in the classroom program, students are encouraged to enrol in individual tuition and to continue their music journey at school.
VCE Rehearsals Taking Shape
At the time of recording the video links below, in the last week of Term 3, most VCE ensembles had only been able to have three rehearsals together in preparation for upcoming October final exams.
For the exams, each assessed student is required to perform a 25-minute recital program. As always, students who take the formal VCE assessments will be brilliantly supported by their peers who are not enrolled in Units 3 and 4. Special thanks must go to these wonderful people!
Aaron Nazaretian (Music Performance)
In the first link below, Aaron Nazaretian (Year 11) is rehearsing the first movement of Vivaldi’s Mandolin Concerto (RV425). While you can clearly hear the complexity in Aaron’s guitar part, a significant challenge for the ensemble rests in keeping the timing together while carefully matching the changing dynamics across the work.
Vivaldi's Mandolin Concerto - Rehearsal Link
Performers: Aaron Nazaretian (Guitar), Nathan Gu (Violin), Sam Koh (Violin), Sarah Tan (Viola), Elliot Guo (Cello) and Dr Christina Chao (Harpsichord).
Jacinta Bennett (Music Performance)
In the second link below, vocalist/keyboardist Jacinta Bennett (Year 11) works through a Laufey Lin song, Someone New. Performing comfortably on two instruments simultaneously is a sophisticated skill that requires many hours of practice. In addition to focusing on coordinating her own performance, Jacinta must at all times lead the remainder of the ensemble in terms of phrasing, balance and intensity. Similarly, the ensemble must listen carefully to Jacinta to follow the nuances of her interpretation of this lovely song.
Someone's New - Rehearsal Link
Performers: Jacinta Bennett (Vocal/Piano), Harry Marshall (Bass), Fraser Elvins (Drums) and String Section (Alicia Robertson, Rowena Ng, Harry Sun, Nathan Su).
Olivia Van Der Heyden (Music Investigation)/Harry Marshall (Music Performance)
The final rehearsal video below is a work that will be used by two students in separate VCE exams. This complicated tune, Run For Cover, requires considerable individual skill as well as a strong understanding of ensemble cohesion—meaning the musicians’ ability to accurately perform their own part while focusing on the collective rhythmic and stylistic cohesion.
The extended performance techniques also warrant mention. Olivia Van Der Heyden (Year 12) performs much of the work in the upper register of the alto saxophone. In fact, many of the notes you can hear are technically beyond the range of the instrument! Olivia has also developed a contemporary alto saxophone sound/tone that is well beyond what would be expected of someone her age.
On the electric bass, Harry Marshall (Year 11) uses the slap bass guitar technique of hammering and thumping the lower strings while percussively plucking the upper strings. This not only contributes melodic content to the bass line but also captures that funky rhythmic quality at the heart of this contemporary performance style.
Run For Cover - Rehearsal Link
Performers: Olivia Van Der Heyden (Alto Saxophone), Harry Marshall (Electric Bass), Tommy Caspers (Drums), Marcus Beyer (Keyboard) and Mr Kim May (Electric Guitar).
Rod Marshall
Head of Haileybury Music
Creative Industries
In Search of Architectural Excellence
Visual Communication Design (VCD) students have finally completed the enormous task that is their SAT folio. This creative process has been well underway since Term 1. After creating a hypothetical client and addressing their needs through design, all Units 3 and 4 students have successfully produced a body of work that demonstrates a range of manual and digital skills.