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MUSIC

Music, like the other arts, has always been an integ

Music at Somerset consists of the following areas:

• Choral
• Instrumental
• Stage

Choral

Within Somerset College a strong tradition of choral music exists. This has been developed over the life of the school through a strong choral programme in the Junior School and the follow up in the Senior School.

The Senior Vocal Group

The Senior Vocal Group is the principal choral group within the school. This group enables pupils of the Senior School, both male and female, to sing together regardless of ability levels. Pupils are not required to audition, all are welcome. The Senior Vocal Group has a major role in most of the ceremonial events at the College such as Chapel Services, Founders’ Day and Scholars’ Day. As well as College functions, the group performs for the greater community and participates in competitions. They compete with frequent success in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. As with all performance groups, rehearsals and attendance are extremely important.

Rehearsal time: Thursday 7.45am to 8.30am

Show Choir

Some members of the Senior Vocal Group participate in the Show Choir. This is a small group of 8 to 20 pupils who perform at various College functions. The members of this group are auditioned and have quite a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule.

Rehearsal time: Friday 3.30pm to 5.00pm

Year 8 Choral Studies

The foundation of choral work in the Senior School is laid with the Year 8 Choral Studies course. All members of Year 8 participate in this course once a week which is timetabled into the normal school day. The works tackled by this choir are not ones designed for a high level of technical mastery but for fun. It is hoped that pupils leaving Year 8 will have an appreciation for choral music. The culmination of the course is the Year 8 Choir performance on Scholars' Day.

Middle and Upper Primary Choirs

The Primay Choirs are an optional activity for Years 3 to 7 children and is conducted by the Junior School Music teacher. The performance outlets for the choirs include The Gold Coast Eisteddfod (held in Term 3 each year), concerts and special College functions such as The Christmas Service and Scholars’ Day.

No audition is held as all pupils are welcome to become a member of a choir, the criteria are, a keenness to be part of it and a commitment to being at rehearsals. We believe at Somerset that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy being part of a choir.

Middle Primary Choir (Years 3 to 5)

Rehearsal time: Monday 8.00am to 8.30am

Upper Primary Choir (Years 6 to 7)

Rehearsal time: Thursday 8.00am to 8.30am

Cool Cats Choir

The Cool Cats Choir is an activity for Years 1 and 2 pupils. Performance outlets include the Gold Coast Eisteddfod (held in Term 3 each year), concerts and special College functions such as The Christmas Service.

Rehearsal time: Thursday 8.00am to 8.30am

Girls’ Choir

The Girls’ Choir works throughout the year as an avenue of extension for the choristers in the school. Members are not auditioned and membership of the Vocal Group is not essential. The choir competes in the Eisteddfod and also sings at various College functions. Music written for treble choirs is a performance medium that these choristers enjoy exploring.

Rehearsal time - Wednesday morning 8.00am to 8.30am

Men's Chorus

The Men's Chorus as for the Girls’ Choir, is an avenue of extension of the male choristers in the school. Members are not auditioned and membership of the Vocal Group is not essential. The chorus competes in the Eisteddfod and also sings at various College functions. Music written for male choirs has a special place in music repertoire and the young men enjoy singing in this combination.

Rehearsal time - Monday lunchtime 1.05pm to 1.30 pm.

Year 9 and 10 Choir

This choir is formed for Scholars’ Day and gives the pupils in these year levels the opportunity to experience choral singing on a different level to that of Year 8. The repertoire covered allows the pupils to explore their abilities and talents in this area.

Ensemble Groups

Various vocal ensemble groups exist within the College. Ensembles are formed at special request and as a result of pupil demand.

INSTRUMENTAL

Somerset offers a wide range of instrumental options.

Year 3 String Programme

The Year 3 String Programme allows for all members of Year 3 to undertake string tuition for twelve months. The tuition is free of charge while the instruments are hired from the school at a minimal cost. This programme has proved highly successful enabling many pupils, who perhaps would never have considered this option earlier, the opportunity to learn an instrument. A concert is given in September to demonstrate the pupils' progress. After this concert, pupils have the opportunity to decide whether to continue with the tuition and become part of Junior School Orchestra 3.

Year 5 Band Programme

The Year 5 Band Programme allows for pupils in Year 5 to undertake tuition on a band instrument (clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, flute) for 12 months. The tuition is free of charge while the instruments are hired from the school at a minimal cost. The objective of the programme is for pupils to participate in the Year 5 Band.

Co-Curricular Programme

A programme exists which offers pupils lessons in the following areas:

• Brass
• Dance
• Guitar Chess
• Keyboard
• Music Theory
• Percussion
• Piano
• Recorder
• Speech and Drama
• Strings
• Voice/Singing
• Woodwind

These lessons are taught by very competent peripatetic specialists who come into the College to offer these lessons. Pupils may start at any age (although with younger pupils an assessment may be made with regards to readiness to learn, size of hands, etc). The College does have available a limited number of instruments for hire. Full details of tuition are outlined in the Co-curricular Handbook.

Senior Concert Band

The Senior Concert Band provides Senior School pupils with an opportunity to showcase their talents. Although many of the pupils are quite experienced, the group provides for all ability levels, with the more experienced pupils ably assisting the more junior members of the group.

The Senior Concert Band is called upon to perform throughout the year at various College functions such as Chapel Services, The Christmas Service, Scholars’ Day and Founders’ Day. Other commitments for the group are involvement in competitions and community service. The Concert Band has performed well in competitions and is set to continue this fine standard. Pupils who join the Concert Band are required to commit themselves to regular attendance at rehearsals.

Rehearsal time: Tuesday 3.30pm to 5.00pm

Junior School Concert Band

The foundation to the work undertaken in the Senior Concert Band occurs in the Junior School Concert Band.

This group consists of members of the Junior School who are learning instruments. The Concert Band is open to all levels of abilities and provides pupils with the opportunity to learn the basic techniques of ensemble work. This allows the pupils to become aware of the other facets involved in playing an instrument. The Junior Concert Band performs at various College functions such as Scholars’ Day, concerts and assemblies and it provides a solid feeder group for the Senior Concert Band.

Rehearsal times: Monday 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Junior School String Orchestras

Through the comprehensive string programme the Junior School offers three string orchestras. These orchestras are a fine model demonstrating the expertise of the young string players of the College. These orchestras perform at various College functions, give recitals and compete very successfully in Eisteddfods. The groups form a very solid foundation for the Senior String Orchestra.

Rehearsal times are:

JSO 1 Wednesday 7.45am to 8.30am

JSO 2 Friday 7.45am to 8.30am

JSO 3 formed after September

Senior String Orchestra

To complement the Junior programme, the Senior String Orchestra follows the strong string tradition through into the upper school. This group is kept busy with various College commitments as well as invitational performances throughout the year. The orchestra competes in Eisteddfods and allows for the extension of the string pupils and exposure to a repertoire not covered by the Chamber Orchestra.

Rehearsal time: Tuesday 3.30pm to 5.00pm

The Senior Chamber Orchestra

The Senior Chamber Orchestra allows for pupils to be involved in works of the orchestral repertoire combining all families of instruments. This group of young musicians works hard during the year performing at various College functions, including Scholars' Day, as well as competing at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod.

Rehearsal time: Monday 7.45am to 8.30am

Ensemble Groups

Within the College, various ensemble groups rehearse and perform. These allow for pupils with like interests to gather and share musical experiences. The groups currently working include:

• Brass Ensemble
• Chapel Band
• Clarinet Ensemble
• Flute Ensembles (Senior, Junior)
• Jazz Band
• Percussion Ensemble
• Recorder Ensembles (Junior, Senior)
• Saxophone Ensemble
• Various Chamber Ensembles (String Quartets, Piano Trios, etc.)

Rehearsal times for these ensembles can be found in the Somerset Diary.

The make-up and functions of these groups change from year to year as the expertise and interest within the pupil population changes.

STAGE

Early Education Class to

Year 4 Christmas Concert

At the end of every school year, each of the year levels from Early Childhood Class to Year 4 present a short musical drama for parents and friends of the children in our own Performing Arts Centre. In this concert, children are given the opportunity to sing, dance and act on stage in front of an audience. As Somerset has a very strong tradition of producing musicals and plays, these early experiences are not only great fun for the children, they also prepare them for participation in performances in years to come.

Junior School Musicals

Participation in the Years 6/7 musical is optional. All rehearsals for productions are held outside school hours, requiring a commitment from the cast to attend one after-school rehearsal per week from the beginning of the year until show time. The musical is presented at either the end of Term 1 or the beginning of Term 2.

The musicals provide an opportunity for budding young actors and actresses to gain experience on stage, and to be part of choreographed dance routines.

Auditions are held at the end of the previous school year.

Senior Musical

The principal production in the Senior School is the Musical. Participation in the musical is open to all members of the Senior School. No audition is required for chorus work but it is a requirement for solo parts. The musical is a huge team effort with all members of both cast and crew working together to make the most successful production possible. The success of past productions is due to this teamwork. The commitment to rehearsal is extremely important for the production. Pupils are required to attend a full week-end camp as part of the preparation.

Rehearsal times: Wednesday 1.05 pm and Thursday 3.30 to 5.00 pm .

As the production nears performance, rehearsals on weekends will be required. Although a lot of hard work, the musical has been found to be a rewarding experience for all participants.

Technical Services Crew

The Performing Arts Centre has state of the art technical equipment and, as a result of that, a crew is needed to operate the equipment. There are also a substantial number of events that occur during the school year that require their services. Most of the activities outlined in this booklet will require the expertise of that crew. Some events include the Somerset Celebration of Literature, House Chapel Services, Year Level Dinners, Assemblies, Christmas Concerts and various other performances. If the activity requires sound or lighting, the technical crew will be involved.

Pupils are able to join the crew at the beginning of each year. The younger pupils are trained by both the older pupils and outside professionals. The workload depends on the amount of work required, the expertise and seniority in the crew.

Competitions and Festivals

There are various competitions and festivals in which pupils may participate. Some of these are:

- the Australian Academy Festival of Music

- various Eisteddfods

- The Young Composers Competition

Information regarding these events, as well as camps and scholarship offerings, are passed on to the pupils at appropriate times. Notification also appears in the College's weekly Newsletter.

Somerset Festival for Young Performers

At the end of Term 3, the College holds the Somerset Festival for Young Performers. The aim is to encourage performance pupils to share their developing skills in their chosen field, and at the same time foster a sense of achievement and pride in their hard work and effort.

Although run in an eisteddfod style format there is no attempt to compete with the more formal and large competitions. Indeed, some pupils use this festival as an opportunity to practise for examinations and eisteddfods. The emphasis is on providing opportunities for all pupils to perform in a comparatively relaxed atmosphere, and encouraging them to continue with their studies. All pupils receive a report on their performance and a certificate of participation.

Workshops and Master classes are options on this weekend.

A Music Day of Excellence follows in the week after the festival.

EXCURSIONS

Throughout the year, the pupils will attend various cultural performances. Some of these are of a compulsory nature where others will be elective. As the cultural area is concerned with performance, all pupils are encouraged to see as much live theatre and music as possible.

MASTER MUSICIANS' CONCERT SERIES

Throughout the year artists of both national and international stature perform concerts at Somerset College. Artists have included the Australian Wind Virtuosi, Jane Rutter, Diana Doherty, The Australian String Quartet and Piers Lane. These concerts are an opportunity to experience Chamber Music at its best in our comfortable and intimate auditorium. The series is a permanent facet of our cultural programme and conducted in conjunction with the Celebration of Literature and Somerset Festival for Young Performers.