Middle School Quartet
The Middle School String Quartet has gone from strength to strength in its inaugural year of formation. The group, which is comprised of violinists Clarisse Liew and Lydia Tan, violist Joshua Choong and cellist Molly Fleming, provided some beautiful moments of prelude music on the stage of the Robert Blackwood Hall prior to the Celebration Evening earlier this month.
More recently, the ensemble presented themselves in a highly professional manner as they provided a delightful accompaniment for the opening of this year’s Art Exhibition. The ensemble received an unprompted rousing round of applause during the speeches.
Thanks to Mr Alex White for rehearsing this group of dedicated students on a weekly basis. We look forward to hearing many more performances from this promising young group of musicians.
by Mr Tim Veldman, Head of Strings
Final Twilight Concert for 2016
What a wonderful variety of solos and ensembles was heard at our final Twilight Concert for 2016 on 19 October. Students from Years 7 to 12 provided musical offerings ranging from delightful orchestral string, wind, guitar and piano solos, to duets on flutes, clarinets and harp with flute. There were two very impressive string quartet performances and a lively performance by ‘Blanc’, the contemporary Band most recently heard during the Prelude session at Celebration Evening.
As usual, our Head of Keyboard, Mrs Barbara Clementson, was on stage more than she was not, providing wonderful piano accompaniment for many of the performers. Mrs Clementson is retiring at the end of 2016. Her amazing contribution to music at Tintern over 16 years was duly noted and honoured at this concert, when the students in the year 8/9 String Quartet announced that they have requested to rebrand their ensemble the Clementson String Quartet, following in the strong tradition of other Tintern string ensembles in recent history such as the Walton Trio, the Colebrook Quartet, the Hamilton Quartet and the Kelson Quartet. I am sure there are scores of students and families who will be joining us in the coming weeks in wishing Mrs Clementson a lengthy, happy and healthy retirement.
It is most gratifying to see students practising hard for these performances, and many are in the throes of preparing for upcoming instrumental examinations, so a performance opportunity such as this provides valuable experience during this preparation period. Congratulations, also, to our student composers and arrangers who were featured at this event. Ron Chen arranged ‘Young’ by the TF Boys for the Clementson String Quartet and the concert concluded with a captivating performance of an original composition by Josephine Owen (Year 11) of a Minuet and Trio in Baroque style performed by the Kelson String Quartet. This work will form part of Josephine’s composition portfolio for her IB Music Course.
Saxophone Ensemble and Concert Band to perform at the Maroondah Festival
Our ensembles have, once again, been invited to perform at the Maroondah Festival on Sunday 6 November. If you would like to support the students in our Concert Band and our Saxophone Ensemble, come along to the Youth Stage at the Croydon Town Park at 10.00am on the 6th to hear them in action!
