News: Music

Canzonetta do St Joseph's proud at Birmingham National Choral Festival in July 2009 and the Senior Chamber Choir went on tour to Spain this summer.

Well Done to St Joseph’s students who took Associated Board of the Royal School of Music exams in piano and singing, about a week after the summer term had ended.  Lily Robinson was required to act as well as sing in her Music Theatre exam for the London College of Music. Despite a very hectic schedule at the end of last term, quality preparation time was found enabling all the candidates to be successful.  Their teachers Mrs Jones and Mrs Barclay congratulate the following:
YR 6  Zola Courtney-Bridgey Pianoforte  Grade 3Distinction
  Rosie Hellyar   Pianoforte    Grade 1 Merit

YR 7  Summer Dunscombe  Pianoforte Grade 2   Merit

YR 8  Elizabeth Maunder  Singing Grade 3 Pass
  Lucy Jones   Singing Grade 2 Merit

YR 9  Florence Pillman  Singing Grade 4 Distinction
  Lorna Marshall  Singing Grade 1 Distinction

YR 10  Lily Robinson   Music Theatre Grade 5 Distinction
Holly MaCartney-Filgate Singing  Grade 4 Merit
  Hannah Hockin   Singing Grade 4 Pass

YR 11  Natasha Routly  Singing  Grade 4 Merit

Many congratulations to the girls who have just passed their Royal School of Church Music Dean’s and Bishop’s Awards.  The following were all successful in the ‘Dean’s Award’: Holly Macartney-Filgate; Freddie Bowden, Abi Logg, Mary-Ann Screech, and Penny Tilsley all passed with Merit,  whilst  Bethany Hulme-Teague, Amy Marks and Grace Waterhouse, passed with Distinction.   

The following girls were successful in the prestigious ‘Bishop’s Award, Natasha Routly:  Josie Kane and Heather Sampson both passed with Distinction.   The eleven girls were presented  with their distinctive green and purple ribbons by the Dean and Bishop at a special service held at Truro Cathedral.    Not only did the girls have to prepare up to four pieces of music to sing,  perform aural  and sight-singing tests,  but they had to undertake a rigorous viva-voce exam and had to answer questions on the Church’s calendar, liturgy, suitable music for the different services and seasons within the church, compare, contrast  and analyse anthems and discuss their musical  experience and contribution within the choir too – no mean feat!   Well done to them all.

Many of you will no doubt have seen the Senior Chamber Choir perform on BBC Spotlight in the days leading up to Christmas.   You may even have seen us on The Big Screen in Plymouth during late night shopping prior to Christmas!   We had been invited  to record some of the music we had been preparing for our Carol Service and on the day before the end of term, we went to the church of St Peter and the Holy Apostles in Plymouth to take part in the recording session. What an amazing church – and what an acoustic!    We had the most fantastic time exploiting this acoustic to our advantage and wallowing in the beautiful sound reverberating around the church.    Following run-throughs for sound and camera positions, we recorded a number of carols –  The Holly and the Ivy, Away in a manger, Fanfare and A Coventry Carol.   We also recorded Let there be peace on earth with the Plymouth Area Police Choir with whom we have sung on many occasions – our next being at Central Methodist Church, Launceston on Friday, 5th March. Without a doubt, this was a fantastic experience for the girls and one which they will remember for many years to come:  the excitement of the cameras and the experience of recording, the friendliness of all the BBC staff and the amazing acoustic all made a wonderful and memorable impression upon all of us.

 

Senior Chamber Choir raises £2,175 in one week!

The Senior Chamber Choir has been very busy over the past week and has raised a staggering amount for charity and a local church.   The first concert of the season saw the choir ‘in concert’ with the Plymouth Area Police Choir and as always, was tremendous fun! Singing to a full house at Central Methodist Church, the choirs complemented each other superbly and joined forces to sing Jerusalem, Let there be peace on Earth and Morte Christe.  £1,750 was raised for Cancer Research UK which was a great achievement for an evening’s work.  

The second concert, a week later in Tresparrett Methodist Church, saw the choir in fine voice again, this time ably supported by soloists Kate Marks, Bethany Hulme-Teague, Natasha Routly, Josie Kane and Lily Robinson. The acoustic in the church was fantastic; we welcomed Alice Waterhouse and Ellie Robertson back into the choir; we were served a sumptuous feast afterwards and raised £425 for church funds.  What more could any choir want?! Many thanks once again to all the girls for their extremely hard work, and to the parents for all their support and commitment too.