Scotch College

Junior School Concert

 The annual Junior School end of year concert opened at the Camberwell Civic Centre with the Junior School Concert Band under the baton of Jude Hallum. This ensemble started modestly a few years ago, but is now a vibrant band of some 70 players. Their lively rendition of skeleton bands was followed by a remarkably mature and controlled performance of Sibelius' wonderful evocative Finlandia.

Pictured: Guy Mason on bass guitar with the Year 7 Brass ensemble.

All the smaller ensembles contributed to a very varied program, and all demonstrated remarkable control with impressive intonation and phrasing. The Year 5 Woodwind and Percussion ensemble gave a smooth and rhythmic performance of Acapulco Holiday under the direction of Megan Philip, while the Year 5 Brass ensemble contrasted brightly with the Classic Tequila under Glenn Bardwell. The Year 6 Percussion ensemble gave a magical performance of Sweet Georgia Brown - yet another product of the Jude Hallum Academy of Percussion, which was followed by year 6 Woodwind under Peter Rickard performing Act of Defiance.

The Year 6 Brass ensemble was the final small group for the evening (although with 31 members, 'small' is a relative term!). Other highlights included an amazingly disciplined performance by the Junior Drum Core who performed admirably as a self controlled unit.

A remarkable performance was given by the Suzuki ensemble under Bob Wakely's imaginative direction. The ensemble performed the first movement of the A Minor Concerto by Vivaldi, this was at once relaxed and precise, and displayed secure intonation and rhythmic finesse. There was even some choreography - the players at one point walked around while playing (a useful training mechanism for establishing an even sense of pulse) then thrilled the audience by regrouping effortlessly into the original configuration! It would be fair to say that the Strings department had an impressive night, with the Junior School Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Angie Robertson giving a very mature performance of the third movement of Vivaldi's A Minor Concerto with soloist Nathan Su. Nathan was calm and authoritative in his presentation of this famous work. It was a remarkable achievement for a Junior School soloist and ensemble.

The Junior School String Orchestra concluded the contribution from the Strings department with a performance of the Animal Survival Suite. Not only was the playing impressive, but the narration between items delivered by players was almost as impressive as the playing itself.

The Junior School Choir under the direction of Head of Junior School Music, Jenni Allen, and accompanied by Julia Piggin, sang two really exciting works. The 'Szello Zug' by Lajos Bardos was most challenging, a challenge the choir was able to meet with precision and authority. It was followed by a rendition of the light hearted Johnson Boys which delighted the large and receptive audience.

Another impressive feature of this concert was the commentary given by a number of boys between the items which provided interest and wit during the necessary stage changes required by the variety of ensembles.

Pictured: Nathan Su (Junior School Soloist).

The stage management itself (directed by Jude Hallum) was slick and precise - a credit to the boys involved who displayed remarkable precision and discipline.

The evening concluded with the Years 4, 5 and 6 massed Choir in a selection from Oliver, a topical choice given the current professional production running in Melbourne. The performance was enhanced by some dramatic input directed by James Robertson who also performed as the soloist in the immortal Pick a Pocket. It provided a colorful conclusion to a delightful concert. What was particularly impressive about the concert was the consistent high quality of all the ensembles, and the large numbers of students involved. The future of Music at Scotch is clearly secure. Congratulations to the Head of Junior School Music Jenni Allen, and the music staff, and of course, the boys!

John Ferguson
Director of Music