Jazz Night 2023
On Saturday 2 September, Tintern hosted the 20th Annual Friends of Music Jazz Night. This event celebrates all of the wonderfully talented jazz musicians who attend our school, as well as bringing in a professional jazz band to play for us. This year we had the Intermediate Stage Band, Combo Blue, the Trigg Combo, Choo Choo Singers (aka Girls Chamber Choir), Razzamatazz Singers (aka Concert Choir) and Senior Stage Band all performing a variety of programs and they did an amazing job.
Returning from last year by popular demand, we were lucky to have Ross Irwin and his band perform for us. Ross Irwin is an Australian trumpeter and singer who has performed with musicians such as Brian May, Harry Connick Jr., Jimmy Barnes, and Hugh Jackman. He has also toured worldwide with the band The Cat Empire. The band were phenomenal and had everybody up dancing.
Every year at Jazz Night, the Ron Trigg Jazz Musician Award is given to a senior student who has demonstrated great commitment and contribution to the Tintern jazz ensembles for at least two years. This year a well deserving Year 12 student, Zachary Ho won this award. This event would not be possible without the support of the Friends of Music committee. This is a dedicated group of parents who help set up and run events like this. The parents on this committee put hours of work behind the scenes and on the night to run this event, so we thank them for all their many and varied contributions to our Music Program throughout the year.
Zachary Ho recipient of Ron Trigg Jazz Musician Award
Liam Rosewarne | Choral Captain 2023
Congratulations to Taylor Grant
A number of our students competed in the Speech and Drama Teachers’ Association of Victoria Performance Festival on 27 August at Loreta Mandeville Hall in Toorak. We congratulate Taylor Grant (Year 8) on a well-deserved silver medal and second placing in the 12-14 year old poetry section, where she recited an extract from Roald Dahl’s Cinderella. Well done, Taylor!
Congratulations to recipients of Kelson and Penelope Thwaites Music Awards
On 25 August, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Michael Kelson, Mrs Kate Butterworth attended an Assembly at Tintern to bestow this year’s Kelson Music Scholar Awards and the Penelope Thwaites Music Awards to five talented musicians. The awards were initiated in 2004 and honour the memory of Mrs Ilma Kelson (Mr Michael Kelson’s mother), who was Director of Music at Tintern from 1958 to 1973.
In honour of her memory, the Kelson Family has provided annual encouragement scholarships to be awarded to support the tuition of students in the pursuit of their music education. In 2010 the family expanded the Ilma Kelson Music Scholar Awards and added Music Scholarships in honour of Ms Penelope Thwaites. Ms Thwaites, who is a world-famous pianist and composer, was a student at Tintern from 1953 to 1960 and was School Pianist during her final three years at the school. She attended Tintern during the time Mr Kelson’s mother was Director of Music at the school.
Family members of award recipients also attended this special Music Assembly.
VSMF Success!
Congratulations to both our Tintern Grammar Concert Band and Wind Symphony on receiving Silver Awards at the recent Victorian School Music Festival, on 21 and 23 August respectively. The event is held at the Hawthorn Arts Centre and the students enjoyed warming up in the rather grand old Council Chambers. Both bands performed commendably and also enjoyed hearing other school bands perform in the same sections.
Brass and Woodwind Concert
On Monday 21 August we held our Woodwind and Brass Concert. There was a wonderful display of talent from all our woodwind and brass students, from small ensemble performances to solo pieces. It was such a privilege to witness all the hard work our music students have put into their instruments, and it was a great opportunity for the students to gain some more experience performing. It can be daunting to get up in front of everybody to perform, but there was a warm and supportive audience of family and friends there to encourage our musicians. Throughout the evening, we heard from three small ensembles, the Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble and Saxophone Ensemble, as well as duets and solos.
Everybody put their best foot forward and delivered a performance they should be proud of. A special thank you to our lovely accompanists, Mrs McKenzie and Mr Bathgate, and all the music teachers who have worked with the students behind the scenes.
Joanne Chang | Instrumental Music Captain 2023
Monash Youth Music Festival
Our Senior Girls’ Chamber Choir brought home an Honourable Mention from the Secondary School Chamber Choir section of the Monash Youth Music Festival on 14 August. The girls enjoyed warming up in the Childcare room at the Salvation Army Temple in Mount Waverley, before they performed beautifully against some stiff competition in the main hall. They were “pipped at the post” by PLC who placed first and St Monica’s, Epping who placed second. It was a great opportunity for the girls to hear some other excellent choirs during the afternoon.
Singing Soiree
Thirteen talented young singers provided a delightful array of songs at the recent Singing Soiree on 14 August.
On Monday 14 August, Tintern hosted the annual Singing Soiree for 2023. This is an event open to anyone doing singing lessons inside and outside of school. There was a range of outstanding performances from Years 7-12, some even performing in their very first soiree! This is a great opportunity for people who have just started lessons to sing in front of an audience that is encouraging and supportive. It also gave the VCE Music students an opportunity to practise their repertoire live before their upcoming performance exams. Some students performed accompanied on piano by Ms Heather McKenzie and Tori Wood, while others used pre-recorded backing tracks. We saw a range of different styles of song performed such as musical theatre, jazz, contemporary, pop and country. Everyone who performed had amazing confidence and such beautiful voices. It was an enjoyable night of singing for all!
Emily Stokes and Liam Rosewarne | Choral Captains
Year 8 French Incursion
On 8 August Tintern Grammar, Years 7 and 8 students were treated to a performance of Traditional French Folk music by Phillipe Carroll. They explored and learnt about the different regional music styles and how integral music and dance were to the fabric of country life in France. They heard instruments such as the bombard and the piano accordion and were fascinated by Phillipe’s career as a performing musician both in Australia and abroad.
Rebecca Coveney of Year 8 reflection:
On 8 August 2023, Tintern grammar welcomed the French folk performance ‘C’est Si Bon’. Phillipe Carroll presented the Years 7 and 8 with an engaging and enthusiastic performance as part of their world music curriculum unit. He played many different songs from France and took the students on a music tour of France. He provided the students with history and knowledge of the different instruments and types of songs from France. The instruments in the performance included the bombard, piano accordion, bass drum and whistle. The performance was engaging, and he got the students involved using dances and handing out tambourines. After the performance the Year 8’s had a workshop with him, anyone who could play an instrument learnt the songs and the other students were taught different dances to go with the music. It was an energetic, interactive, vibrant and bubby performance. Phillipe Carroll had the perfect balance of energy and education.
Annual Concert
What a stellar evening of performances we enjoyed on Friday 4 August at the Tintern Grammar Annual Music Concert. Congratulations to all ensemble and choral performers for your hard work over the past few months preparing for this major event on our school’s music calendar.
Alison Bezaire | Director of Music
