Co-Curricular -The Arts
The college offers a comprehensive Arts Programme via quality arts activities and events. Students are offered opportunities to participate in art exhibitions, musical groups and bands, debating, photography and drama. Our regular musical and dramatic productions are renowned for their quality and are a highlight of the school calendar. Our musical groups, which include orchestra, choral groups, concert band, and jazz band, perform with considerable success in local, national and international competitions.
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| The 2011 Arts Faculty staff, from left, Miss Bell - Photography, Mr Tanner - Art, Ms Geldard - Art, Miss Rasmussen - Drama and Dance, Mrs Stone - Drama HOD, Mr Hamish Arthur, 2010 Arts Awards Guest Speaker, Ms Haggitt - Choir and Music, Mrs Myhre - Faculty Leader and Music Director, Ms Davis - Arts Coordinator and Ms Moore - Principal |
Recent Events, Awards and Other Activities
2011 Arts Awards
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2011 Leavers' Concert
On Thursday 29 September, 22 Year 13 students were recognised at our Leavers’ Concert. Mrs Myhre paid tribute to the service and commitment to music of these musicians over the last five years at Glendowie College. It was recognised that they had been part of many successes, both in Auckland and overseas, particularly the Concert Band’s Gold Award at KBB and Silver at Sydney this year.
Items were given by the Stage Band, Concert Band and Orchestra, and by soloists, Samuel Lee (piano), Mia Chung (violin, accompanied by Samuel Lee) Naomi Gribble (voice, accompanied by Ms Lucy Vaganova), and Al Al-Zubaidi (guitar). All was well received by a large, appreciative audience.
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St. Heliers Performance
On Saturday 17 September, the Concert Band performed at the St Heliers Village welcome to America for the Rugby World Cup. There was a large crowd gathered in the hall and all gave the Americans a warm welcome.
The Concert Band added to the flavour of the day by playing a range of music from America.
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Gold at KBB Music Festival
The Concert Band received a Gold Award at the KBB Festival, and the Orchestra and Stage Band were both rewarded a Bronze. The Orchestra and Concert Band were conducted by Christine Myhre and the Stage Band by Tim Atkinson. The KBB Festival ran a week in August at Holy Trinity Cathedral and Westlake Girls and Boys, attracting 122 groups from Auckland Secondary Schools.
Christine Myhre, Faculty Manager Arts
Musical Showcase Concert
The annual Music Showcase Concert was held in the college hall on Thursday 11 August to a large audience of parents and friends. The concert featured the Stage Band with vocalist Sarah Christie Wind Band, the Wind Quintet, tutored by Mr Webster and String Quartet tutored by Mrs Johnston. The Orchestra performed “Romance in F” by Beethoven with soloist Mia Ching who played superbly.
Other soloists included Samuel Lee playing the third movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Naomi Gribble who sang “Cry Me a River”. A trio from Year 12 played impressively before the Concert Band concluded the programme with their inspiring repertoire. The entertaining MC’s for the night were Arts Leaders, Freya Sawbridge and Harry Willis.
Mrs Myhre told the audience at the end of the night that she was extremely proud of the students who had participated and worked so hard to achieve such a high level of performance.
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Successful Concert Band Trip to Sydney
On Sunday 26 June, 44 students with instruments and 4 adults boarded a flight to Sydney, in spite of the volcano dust, to attend the International Music Festival. The group stayed in Kings Cross which gave easy access to the various performance venues in the city. We were excited at the prospect of playing in the Sydney Opera House, and this was a highlight, but the Sydney Conservatorium Hall and Angel Place were also outstanding performance venues.
We were given an informative workshop by a festival faculty member, as well as sharing a rehearsal exchange with a group from Singapore. Our outdoor performance at Darling Harbour, in brilliant sunshine, was also a highlight, especially as so many parents had come over to hear us play. Leisure activities included a Harbour Cruise, visit to Lunar Park, shopping, Bondi Beach, walking the Harbour Bridge, Rocks tour, visits to restaurants.
Meeting, and hearing the music of players from Singapore, China and Australia, was an amazing experience for us all. At the awards ceremony, we were honored to receive a Silver Award.
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Year 12 Drama-The Tempest
“Waiting between scenes and listening to the drunk scenes, Caliban shooting at Triculo, painting the glitter onto Ariel, the last bow where we heard the cheers of the audience... was the ultimate award to top off our feeling of accomplishment. My favourite moment was standing on stage the last night before the last show, all of us holding hands and just standing there breathing. Looking at everyone else in the circle and reflecting on what we had accomplished. All the hard work that each of us had put in, learning not just any old lines, but Shakespeare, which is just a different level and takes great depth to understand, I am proud that we overcame that challenge. Everyone created and connected to their character overcoming differences between the character and themselves, allowing us to embody the performance. As we are a class of 90% girls, we had Mr. Rouselle to give us workshops on how to be a man. I now fully understand the saying 'women are from Venus and men are from Mars'.
We had many early mornings, late nights, and working weekends in a two week mad rush…always with the alluding fear that we might not make it. But that last night standing there looking around at everyone and being proud of every single person because we did it. Our first performance filled us with adrenalin and the words ‘this is it!’ After the show the ecstasy was amazing, with a sigh of relief that we had done it and that it wasn’t that bad!
I am very thankful to my classmates: Harry for stepping in to read for us, the lighting crew, Jess for playing live music, our helpers, and most of all Mrs. Stone and Mr. Rouselle for giving us this opportunity and for guiding us through it.”
Giverny Forbes
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New Zealand Music Month
Tess Barnett, Mel Cottrell and Luke Peterson performed "You're Beautiful" on ukeleles, with Luke singing. This was the first and very successful performance by members of the newly formed ukulele group.
Summerfest 2011
21 - 25 February
Our annual Summerfest programme took place recently in the school grounds at lunchtime. Contemporary bands playing near the library were very popular with students, as were the Stage Band, Concert band and orchestra who performed near the quad. Drama contributions this year were Theatre Sports, Year 11 Drama. Year 12 Shakespeare and entertaining excerpts from “Top Girls” from Year 13 students. An air of celebration and colour were strongly evident in the centre quad where Art students worked on the initial stages of a 50 piece sculpture which will be completed at the Family Day of our 50th Jubilee Weekend.
C Myhre
Faculty Leader, The Arts
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Special Relationship with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra
On Friday 3 September, three members of the APO performed to our option music students and members of the Orchestra . Their programme, featuring gypsy music, had everyone’s feet tapping and was a good example of the versatility and skill of the players. Bruce played on banjo and guitar, as well as flute, and Greg on viola, piano and guitar. Greg stayed on at school for the rest of the day, mentoring senior music composition students and will return later in the month.
We always appreciate having these players in our college.
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Members of the the APO performing for the music students