It has been a busy week in the Performing Arts department with multiple events and visits from The Juilliard School.
It has been a busy week in the Performing Arts department with multiple events and visits from The Juilliard School.
On Saturday 26th January, Nicole Li, Anastasia Strohmayer, Valentina Pinto and Dorci Kiss officially opened the Burns Supper at the Corinthia Hotel with a vocal performance of ‘Take Me Home’ in front of an audience of 340 attendees. The students gave a wonderful performance and received many compliments for both their vocal ability and their professionalism.
On Monday 28th January, we welcomed Andrew Munn; our Juilliard alumnus visitor. Andrew is a professional bass singer and worked with a variety of students throughout the day. He performed for all our Primary students, conducted a vocal masterclass with our Secondary KS4 and KS5 students to help guide them regarding performance anxiety and technical developments. Andrew also worked alongside all our choirs during the day, sharing his knowledge on vocal warm-ups and passion for singing in an ensemble. The school’s musical students worked with Andrew to showcase the progress they are making for our upcoming show, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ on 9th and 10th April 2019. Even our Community Choir, made up of parents and staff, participated in the day’s programme. Andrew, assisted by Ms James, helped the Community Choir rehearse the challenging piece, Rossini’s ‘Messe Solennelle’, that they have recently begun working on. It was a fabulous day of music making and incredibly beneficial for everyone involved.
On Thursday 31st January and Friday 1st February we welcomed back our Juilliard curriculum specialist, Stephen Dunn, for two days. During Steve’s time at school, Year 4 and Year 9 students experienced a Juilliard lesson by Steve, linking to their current projects in Music; Film Music and Exploring Musical Elements. Our school musical team also had the opportunity to engage with Steve during rehearsals. During the two days, Music teachers in the department delivered a range of lessons for Steve and had the opportunity to participate in professional development activities to enhance our students learning further.
It has been a hive of activity in the Performing Arts department this week with a range of further opportunities and experiences lined up for the rest of the term such as: IB Art, Film and Music Exhibition, Primary Big Sing trip to Bratislava, Year 10 Drama Evening, the NAE/Juilliard 3- day Music Festival in Bratislava, Primary Music Showcase and our school musical, ‘Little of Shop of Horrors’. It is certainly shaping up to be a very exciting Spring Term! #Beambitious #Juilliard
