St Columba's College Music Department

Blog under construction

2010-11-02T14:42:00.001Z

The SCC Music blog is under construction at the moment but don't worry we'll be back online soon with lots more news and samples of pupils' works.

Coleman Irish Music Centre

2010-09-30T12:45:00.031+01:00

Last year music pupils from form IV, V and VI took a trip out west to the Coleman Irish Music Centre in Gurteen, county Sligo. The trip will take place again this year for pupils in forms IV and V. Irish music is an integral part of the Irish Leaving Certificate Music syllabus and for many German pupils who join the school in form V and study Music it can be confusing! The Coleman centre runs courses which help introduce Irish music in a hands on manner.

Below is a summary of the trip by pupils from last year's form VI, Catherine Crossey and Justine Heffernan. Also after the link is an account by Clara Staeler and Philippa Peters, German pupils from last year's form V.

Today after a long, but pleasant journey (on bus, train and bus again) we arrived at the Coleman Traditional Irish Music Centre in Gurteen, Co. Sligo. The centre is named after a famous fiddle player, Michael Coleman who travelled to the USA and was one of the first traditional Irish music players to record their music.

We were greeted with a fantastic Irish welcome and were quickly whisked into the lecture hall. We began our first lecture learning about Michael Coleman himself and about Irish regional styles of music. We then split into three groups for workshops.

Our first workshop was an introduction to string instruments with live performances and explanations of the origins of each instrument. We were then given time to experiment on them. This gave us each a unique insight into the instruments. After a lecture on Sean Nós singing and traditional Irish Harp we moved to our next workshop.

In our next workshop we were greeted by a true gaelgóir from Connemara. He introduced us to the world of the Accordion. Here we were able to try our talents on the various types of Accordion; Button, Keyboard and Concertina.

A lecture on the Uilleán Pipes followed this workshop. We were introduced to each part of them and were given demonstrations of ornamentation and a live performance to cement the sound in our memories.

We restored our energy with a quick lunch before our next lecture about the Flute and its origins and different sounds and styles.

All three groups were brought together for some Céilí dancing followed by an enthusiastic session from the traditional players. We all had a great ending to the day when we were given Bodhráns to play. We were taught different rhythms such as hip hop beats and different reel and jig rhythms.

Overall it was a really enjoyable trip and a great chance to experience the real Irish music tradition. Thanks to Mrs. Malone-Brady and Mr. Clarke for taking the time to bring us agus go raibh mile maith agaibh chuig na daoine go léir san Ionád Coleman, bhí sibh ar feabhas.

Our trip to the Coleman Music Centre

by Clara Staeler and Philippa Peters

On February 3rd at 7:45 in the morning the music classes from forms IV, V and VI left the college to go to Sligo. After four hours of travelling we arrived at the Coleman Irish Music Centre. Our first impression was rather disappointing as we saw a small building, in a lonely village, in the middle of nowhere! As we entered we were welcomed with biscuits and tea which lifted out spirits straight away!

After this small break we were given the first presentation about Irish music, immediately followed by workshops on Irish instruments like the accordion and the fiddle. We were allowed to try out some of these instruments; some of us were very talented! After the presentations and the workshops we all came together to learn some Irish dancing accompanied by our workshop teachers. We did our best at the dancing but it was more difficult than it looked! Finally we had a short workshop of bodhrán rhythms, including hip hop!

Ben Russell

2010-09-27T20:46:00.000+01:00

Old Columban, Benjamin Russell, continues his rise to fame, this time in the Netherlands. Ben, again the youngest performer, reached and performed in the semi-finals of the International Vocal Competition and was invited to have a masterclass with Russian Baritone Sergei Lieferkus. A clip of the masterclass can be seen by following this link.

Ben is also looking forward to being one of five invitees to Elly Amiling's Lieder course on Tuesday and Wednesday, a real treat for the young performer.

We wish Ben the very best of luck for the remainder of the competition and look forward to hearing him sing again soon.

The Orchestra

2010-09-18T21:21:00.004+01:00

Form I pupils are currently studying the orchestra beginning with the String Section. Below is an example of some research carried out by pupils Tessa Harley, Darcy Maule and Eleanor Moffitt.

The Violin

by Hollie Canning

The Violin is a string instrument. It has four strings. The Head of the Orchestra is a Violinist and they sit beside the conductor. You use a bow to play the Violin, but you can also pluck the strings. The bow is made of horse hair and wood. The Violin is informally called the fiddle. Mozart played Violin.

The Viola

by Tessa Harley

The Viola is made of wood. You play the Viola with a bow, arco, or by plucking, pizzicato. The Viola is played on the shoulder, like the Violin. Bach was a famous Violist. The Viola is a key element of a string quartet and the orchestra. The Senior Prefect, Carl Ibe, plays Viola.

The Cello

by Darcy Maule

The Cello is made of wood. It has four strings made of gut and steel. It is usually played with a bow which is made of horse hair. It is bigger than the Violin and the Viola and instead of playing on the shoulder, it is played sitting down and between the knees. Yo-Yo Ma is a famous cellist. Some Celli in the 1600-1800s had five strings.

The Double-Bass

by Eleanor Moffitt

The Double Bass is the largest and lowest instrument in the String Section. It is huge and gives a very deep sound. Pizzicato is often played on the Double Bass because of its longer lasting sound. It can also be played with a bow. This is called arco. You can often find Double Bass used in Jazz music. A famous player of Double Bass is Domenico Dragonetti. Camille Saint-Saens also composed a piece called the Elephant for the Double Bass.

Music Concert

2010-09-12T20:18:00.001+01:00

Saturday evening was the first of many concerts in St. Columba's College. It was a joint performance by Pat Coldrick, brother of Noel Coldrick, maths teacher in the college, on guitar and a Harp Trio from the DIT Conservatory of Music.

It was a whole school concert which began with Pat on guitar. He played a variety of pieces by various composers including himself. He showed outstanding technique throughout his performance and the audience were very impressed.

The harp trio were fresh from a victory at the Dublin Féis earlier on in the year. They were Claire, from Dublin, Clarie, from Monaghan, and Giovanna, from Milan. Again their mastery of their instruments was truly impressive and they, hopefully, encouraged several pupils to consider the harp as an instrument to study here in the school.

Below is a short review of the concert by George Reade (form V).

I had no idea what to expect of the concert but as soon as the guitarist started playing I was hugely impressed. His masterful playing was beautiful and relaxing and, in the best possible way, I could easily have been lulled to sleep by it! The harpists were following a very tough act but they showed amazing skills. I enjoyed them but the guitarist was my favourite.

Beat obesity... with drums!

2010-09-09T22:39:00.001+01:00

In an article in today's Irish Times Marcus Smith and Steve Draper, sports scientists, along with Clem Burke, the drummer from the band Blondie, exposed drum practice for the physical work out that it is!

Dr Smith explains 'when performing a full-length gig, 'the drummer is playing for 90 minutes, the equivalent to a football match'. Drumming for an hour can burn up to 600 calories. The exercise is intermittent so the heart rate goes up and down regularly.'

By gradually increasing the tempo of a click track played into a drummer's headphones the performer has to slowly increase effort which in turn pushes the heart into cardiovascular workout mode.

The study was undertaken as part of the Biorhythm Live event at the Science Gallery in Dublin. Rhythm is the first of three events at Biorhythm Live. The other two are Emotion and Voice.

Click here for the full article.

Choir Sine Nomine

2010-09-04T11:50:00.000+01:00

Choir Sine Nomine is a chamber choir consisting of senior pupils (forms IV-VI). We sing at various events throughout the school year including concerts and Sunday services. We are primarily an a capella (unaccompanied) group and we sing various genres of music.

Each group meets for rehearsals twice a week:

Monday 1:20-1:50 – Tenors and Basses

Thursday 1:20-1:50 – Sopranos and Altos

Monday 6:00-6:45 – Full group

There will be a short meeting for all those interested in joining the choir on Monday evening, 6th of September, at 6:00 in the chapel gallery. Members from last year are also asked to come.

Rehearsals will begin on Thursday 9th of September at 1:20 with the Sopranos and Altos.

Instrument Tuition

2010-09-03T09:00:00.002+01:00

Sign up for Instrument Tuition will take place today, Friday 3rd September, at 11:00 in the Cadogan building. There is a huge number of instruments on offer including Piano, Voice, Guitar, Cello, Violin, Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet, Drums, Organ among others!

So if you've ever fancied yourself as a virtuoso come along and sign up!

New School Year

2010-09-01T12:21:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again. New school year, with lots of new opportunities and lots of new pupils! We look forward to a new year in the Music Department with lots of new talent, so check back for updates on concerts and pupils' works.

Newpark Feis

2010-05-12T19:13:00.003+01:00

Columbans have had an extremely successful week at the Newpark Music Feis. Winners from various levels throughout the school will be taking part in the Winners' Concert in the John Field's room of the National Concert Hall this Sunday the 16th May.

The performers will include Lingfan Gao (IV) who won first place in the U16 Piano competition with an astounding 92%! Siobhán Brady (II) came first in the U16 Classical Singing, and was also very highly commended for her Cello in the U18 Concerto Cup. Molly Buckingham (II) won first place in the U14 Singing competition. Last, but certainly not least, Antonia Esses (I) also won first place in the U14 Piano solo with a mark in the 90s.

Very well done to all who took part and especially the winners. The concert on Sunday promises to be an excellent affair.

In the National Concert Hall

2010-04-27T12:47:00.006+01:00

Last year's winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition, Alexj Gorlatch, will be playing at the National Concert Hall this Wednesday at 8pm. Following the disruptions to flight schedules Gorlatch admitted he was ready to take a boat to Ireland, so determined was he to play in the city that helped launch his career as an International Pianist!

'Since the competition, I have played quite a lot of concerts across the world from New York to Japan' stated Gorlatch. His tour locations include Carnegie Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London. He also has plans to perform with the Berliner Philharmonie.

For more information see this article in Monday's Irish Independent.

Elisabeth Smalt premieres new work by Garrett Sholdice

2010-04-21T10:53:00.005+01:00

Friday, 23 April, 2010. 8pm
Ireland Institute, 27 Pearse Street, Dublin 2

Volcano permitting, the Dutch viola player Elisabeth Smalt, will be premiering Garrett Sholdice's The only thing to do is simply continue as part of Dublin's i-and-e festival. The title is from a poem by the New York poet Frank O'Hara. The i-and-e festival runs across 23–25 April. Please see this linked website or watch the Ergodos Twitter feed for updates regarding any possible volcanic interference.

Film Music

2010-02-05T19:40:00.004Z

Film: Toy Story

Composer: Randy Newman

I chose to research Toy Story because it had a great soundtrack with brilliant songs, all of which I love. The Toy Story soundtrack was produced by Walt Disney records and was released on November 22, 1995. The soundtrack received praise for its sprightly, stirring score. The album was scored and written by Randy Newman and had great success but only scored 94 in the billboard 200 album chart. Toy Story’s signature song ‘You’ve got a friend in me’ by Randy Newman was very popular, and a CD single was released of it on April 12 1996. The single was to promote the soundtrack’s release. Randy Newman produced the song in one day. Toy Story’s soundtrack also included the songs: ‘Strange things’ and ‘I will go sailing no more’.

by Fleur Pay

Film: The Simpsons' Movie

Composer: Danny Elfman

Elfman’s brother is a director called Richard Elfman and he gave his brother the opportunity to compose the music for the film ‘The Forbidden Zone’. This film then brought Danny to the attention of Tim Burton who has asked him to work on many of his films such as Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many people don’t know but Elfman also wrote the music for the Simpsons.

The movie I liked the best which Elfman wrote the score for was the Simpson’s movie. Elfman rewrote the theme for the movie along with the music for the rest of the film. He also wrote the lyrics for the choral version of ‘Spider Pig’.

by Max Caminow

Film: Avatar

Composer: James Horner

James Horner is a famous music composer. He was born on August 14th 1953 in Los Angeles, California. He composed music for lots of Hollywood’s famous films like: Braveheart, Apollo 13, The Legend of Zorro, Star Trek, The Missing and more. He is, probably, best known for composing the soundtrack of the film Titanic.

One of the most recent movie soundtracks which he composed was for Avatar which is one of my favourite movies and was also voted the best movie of the year 2009. Horner won the Golden Globe award and the Grammy Award for this soundtrack; he also won the Academy Award twice and has received ten Oscars nominations and a number of other awards for other soundtracks. Horner spent his early life in London and started playing piano and the age of five. In London he attended The Royal College of Music, and studied a famous Hungarian composer called Györgi Ligeti. James Horner has worked with many famous people such as Charlotte Church, Leona Lewis and more.

by Muqtadir Shah

The Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition 2010

2010-01-29T17:14:00.014Z

Congratulations to Old Columban Benjamin Russell who took part in the final concert of the 6th Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, 2010, last Tuesday evening. The evening was a very prestigious occasion boasting performers from all over the world and audience members such as her Excellency, President Mary McAleese. Benjamin gave a great performance and was very popular with the audience. Benjamin, despite being the youngest competitor by a large gap, came 5th and was also awarded the Dame Joan Sutherland Prize for the most promising young singer.

The Finals will be broadcast on LyricFM at 11am on the 10th and 11th February. On the assumption that they will broadcast the 6 finalists in the order in which they performed on the night, and as Benjamin sang first, we expect to hear his singing at 11am on the 10th.

There is a chance for all of us to hear Benjamin sing live, along with Ms. Anna Brady, at A Valentine’s Evening of Song on Friday the 12th of February at 8pm in the Grand Hotel, Wicklow Town. This is a great opportunity to support these extremely talented performers and have a very entertaining evening too.

Film Music

2010-01-22T18:58:00.004Z

This term's main theme in form I and Primary is Musicals and Music in Film. Two projects on a composer who wrote music for a film are found below. Check back soon for more of these projects.

Film: Up Music

Composer: Michael Giacchino
Up is a 2009 Disney Pixar film, and the music director is Michael Giacchino. Giacchino also wrote the music for Pixar’s The Incredibles and Ratatouille. I like the music in this film because it emphasizes everything that the characters do. Giacchio has compared the film to an opera because each character has their own theme that changes during a particular moment in the story. Giacchino himself is an American soundtrack composer, who has composed many other video game and film soundtracks other than Pixar films.

by Ally Boyd-Crotty

Film: Slumdog Millionaire

Composer: A.R. Rahman
This composer has composed music for more than 130 Indian films, incorporating jazz, rock, Indian pop and western classical music into their soundtracks. He was born on the 6th of Janurary 1966 in Chennai, India. Rahman lost his father, a famous composer in India, when he was at a very young age. He was then raised by his mother, Kareema. He studied many different styles of music. He uses all these styles in the film Slumdog Millionaire. The most famous is Jai Ho.

by Molly Maire

Alexandra Traditional Irish Group Visit: An International Concert

2009-12-09T18:40:00.004Z

Sophie von Brauchitsch one of our form V pupil's from Germany writes about the Alexandra Trad Band visit to the school.

On Tuesday, the 8th December, nine girls and their teacher from Alexandra College, Dublin visited our school to hold a concert of traditional Irish music in the BSR.

This concert was a great opportunity for the music students in forms V and VI to hear traditionalal Irish music, an important part of the Leaving Certificate Music course, live. However, not only music pupils attended this concert. Many others curious about Irish music style came too.

The group consisted of four harps, three fiddles, a flue, a tin whistle and a bodhrán, which is a traditional Irish drum. They played twenty-two pieces in blocks of three and four, dances like Reels, Jigs, Slip jigs and Slides along with traditional Irish songs, like The South Wind, Drowsy Maggie, Trip to Sligo and Sally Gardens. In some pieces, players performed solo accompanied by the harp, presenting their instruments and how they sound on their own.

In the breaks between the blocks, Justine Heffernan, a form VI pupil from our school, preformed three traditional Irish dances, first a Reel, then a Jig and finally a Slip jig.

After the concert, everyone went up to the Cadagon main room, where the performers and the audience talked about their experiences with traditional Irish music.

This concert brought Irish music, which can sometimes seem a little dry, nearer to the us all and gave the pupils who haven’t dealt with this topic before an idea about traditional Irish music.

Alexandra Traditional Irish Group Visit

2009-12-09T16:14:00.000Z

by Chris Doherty, form III

On Tuesday evening we were visited by a traditional Irish music group from Alexandra College. As one of the topics covered by the Junior Certificate course, I found it interesting to hear Irish music played live. It was a first for me and many others who attended but I think it was enjoyed by all.

They played a variety of different Irish songs like reels, hornpipes, jigs, slip-jigs and others, in sets of threes. Their band consisted of four harps, three fiddles, flutes and a bodhrán, all traditional Irish instruments. All the songs were performed to a high standard and I think the audience appreciated the quality of performance.

Along with the music performance there was also an Irish dance performance given by Juntine Heffernan, form VI. I personally have never seen Irish dancing performed live but even I could see that she executed the steps excellently and I’m sure the others would agree. She showed us three dances, a reel, a jig and a slip-jig.

Overall I think it was a very enjoyable evening giving some people, myself included, their first live performance of traditional Irish music and dance. The night was enjoyed by everyone and a big thank you on behalf of all of us who attended to those who performed, both the girls from Alexandra and Justine, and Mrs. Malone-Brady for organising the event.

Christmas Gigs

2009-12-04T21:01:00.012Z

Between correcting exams and writing reports, another member of staff has found the time to prepare for two concerts. Following the success of their most recent concert, which you can read about here, The Keynotes will perform twice over the Christmas Holidays. The concerts will take place on Saturday the 20th and Monday the 21st of December in the Freemasons Hall, Molesworth street, Dublin 2.

The Keynotes are a Barbershop Quartet, consisting of five members (don't worry Mr. Finn teaches History not Maths!) with a huge repertoire of pieces and a reasonably large repertoire of jokes. Mr. Finn's performances in the school are always met with tremendous applause and these concerts promise to be of equal entertainment.

Christmas Gigs

2009-12-04T19:48:00.004Z

'Ronan Swift and his trusty band' will make a popular return to the stage in Bewley's Café Theatre on Grafton Street on Thursday December 10th. Doors open at 8:30 with the sonorous musings of Mr Swift. Admission will be a recession busting €10 and the night will boast a host of new material from the man himself!

The Keynotes Concert

2009-11-20T18:04:00.005Z

by Michael McBurney

Last Friday a group of students accompanied by Mr Clarke attended a fund-raising concert in Rathgar Church of the Three Patrons in which the legendary singer Rebecca Storm performed. This event was very attractive but what made it so much more unique is that Mr. Finn and his barbershop group The Keynotes were special quest performers of Ms. Storm. Made up of five people, The Keynotes are a very unique act and have performed for the President and on a number of Irish tours. They are an a capella group specialising in male harmony with Mr. Finn often singing the soprano line himself, an expert in falsetto singing.

The night was truly outstanding with hits like O Sole Mio and In the Jungle on the set list. The act was made even more fun by the friendly vibe given by the group as they made fun of each other on stage in front of hundreds. The time and music seemed to fly and in no time the set was finished but they did of course produce an encore which replicated the amazing performance moments before.

Rebecca Storm then made her way onto the stage and performed some sensational numbers such as Don’t Cry for Me Argentina from the musical Evita as well as many other very famous and popular songs from Broadway and West End Musicals.

All in the all the night was very good, all the music being very well received by the audience and also by the students.

Music in the Classroom, Junior Cert.

2009-11-11T16:26:00.001Z

Below are two reviews of a trip to the National Concert Hall to a concert organised by the Irish Times Music in the Classroom project. The concert was aimed primarily at Junior Cert. pupils but even the Transition Year pupils who came with us gained alot from the performance. Gearóid Grant conducted the RTE Concert Orchestra, vocally aided by Emmanuel Lawler, giving examples of music through various periods of history and introducing the orchestra.

Nicola Dalrymple
On Tuesday the 10th of November we left St. Columba’s College at 9:00 and made for the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Form I, II, III and IV music pupils all made the trip.
When we arrived we looked around the park at the back of the concert hall. They were very beautiful. We then headed into the hall and sat down. (Click here to read more...)

Peter Quigley
On Tuesday the 10th of November we went to the National Concert Hall to listen to an orchestra play. They started off by playing the theme tune from Star Wars. The conductor, Gearóid Grant, then talked to us about the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern eras. (Click here to read more...)

RTE Cooperation Ireland Choir Competition

2009-10-27T17:07:00.002Z

Despite a sterling performance the St. Columba's College Choir were unsuccessful obtaining a place in the RTE Cooperation Ireland Choir Competition Finals. The choir performed admirably and were a fantastic example of the musical talent the school can boast. Well done to King's Hospital on their achievement. Siobhán Brady wrote a short article on her experience of the competition.

The St. Columba's Choir recently took part in a choir competition for RTE. We had to make a CD of two songs which we did one evening in September. We recorded "For the Beauty of the Earth" by John Rutter and the "Glory Train", a spiritual song. We found out a few weeks later that our choir had gotten through to the Regional Finals of Dublin along with four other schools: Notre Dame, Alexandra College, King's Hospital and Mount Anville. We were told that that this was going to be televised. Before the live competition RTE visited the college to take a few pictures and videos. They filmed people having lunch in the Dining Hall and lots of shots in the Cadogan. Robbie Hollis, Jessica Beresford and myself had to walk around Chapel square a few times and up and down Cloisters for the camera man. (Click here to read more...)

Music Soirée

2009-10-18T17:32:00.001+01:00

Ling Fan Gao writes on the first Music Soirée of the new term.

The Music Soirées organised by Mrs. Malone-Brady throughout the year provide a valuable opportunity for music pupils to perform in front of friends and other musicians. They provide a stage from which new musicians can practise playing and singing in front of others, gain experience and become more relaxed. The audience is very appreciative as they know firsthand the challenge that overcoming nerves poses. The event took place on Saturday evening in the Cadogan Music Centre. It was quite informal and anyone who wished to come along to play could.

There were a number of people playing from the very young to the more senior. No matter the standard of difficulty every performance was met with a big round of applause and a great confidence boost. This was a first performance for many and was a great experience.
Refreshments were provided by Mrs. Malone-Brady following the concert and it was a great opportunity to stand around and talk about the experience and exchange compliments to one another.

Many thanks to Mrs. Malone-Brady for organising the event.

Music Scholarship

2009-10-13T20:52:00.000+01:00

by Lingfan Gao

The music scholarship in St. Columba’s is a very competitive affair. The experience of the audition differs from person to person, they made me really nervous yet it was a pleasure to hear every soloist perform his or her own style of music. The order was chronological so the youngest members of the group performed first, pupils from form I right through to form VI. Scholarships are awarded to different categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior.

The junior section was great. Siobhán Brady (II) performed excellently on Cello and Voice. Kezia Wright (III) and Sally Bebby (II) both performed excellently too, both are talented singers.

In the Intermediate section Patrick Tice (IV), Emma Moore (IV) and I competed for the scholarship. Patrick gave a strong performance on guitar, his piece soft and gentle. Emma performed on the violin and sang, performing very well on both instruments. I played Beethoven’s Pathétique, first movement, on piano.

In the senior section, Robbie Hollis played saxophone, showing off his technique and command of the instrument. Michael McBurney sang a jolly and light hearted piece matching his personality and revealing his great voice. Sophie played the flute, a very challenging piece by Mozart but played very well. Poppy Vernon, however, stole the spotlight by singing a Mozart aria, sad and powerful, she brought the piece to life and communicated the meaning to the audience with powerful expressions that matched the mood of the song.

The event was adjudicated by the Warden, Mr. McCarthy, Ms. Malone-Brady and Mr. Clarke. Scholarships were awarded to Siobhán Brady (junior), Kezia Wright (junior), Emma Moore (intermediate), myself (intermediate) and Poppy Vernon(senior). To stand up and play in front of judges and fellow pupils is a hard thing to do and everyone who performed did so well and gained vital experience.

Music in the Classroom

2009-10-11T21:33:00.010+01:00

On Wednesday 7th October form Primary went on a class trip to The Irish Times Music in the Classroom Concert in the Helix. Each pupil was asked to write a review of the concert and the following, by Clara Murphy, was selected as the best.

Today form Primary went on a class trip to 'Music in the Classroom' in the Helix, DCU. We were the first people in the hall but after a few minutes loads of other schools arrived. Our class was the smallest group there. Shortly after this the orchestra walked on stage while everyone clapped and shouted.

The conductor, Gearoid Grant, came on stage and told us there would be a quiz for every school based on the songs from Carnival of the Animals. After they played the first piece St. Columba's was called out, after blanking for a few seconds we all came to our senses and answered.

The rest of the concert was great, we sang all the songs we spent time in class learning. The end was especially fun because we all got to sing ABBA songs.

Choir-mania!

2009-10-11T21:10:00.009+01:00

Congratulations to the Choir on their qualification for the regional heat of the RTE Co-Operation Ireland School Choir Competition 2009. The competition will take place on Friday 16th October and will be televised on RTE 1 on Sunday 25th October. Tune in at 6:30 to support them!

There is also a very small number of tickets available to the recording so if you are interested please email the music department on sccmusicdept@gmail.com.

Farewell Future Wives

2009-09-18T19:24:00.007+01:00

Congratulations to Mr. Ronan Swift, teacher by day, singer-songwriter by night, on the launch of his second album, Farewell Future Wives. Mr. Swift played to an extremely appreciative audience at the launch party last night in the Unitarian Church on Stephen's Green.

Mr. Swift is joined on this CD by his regular accomplices Eoin O'Brien, Josh Johnston, Bill Blackmore, Malachy Robinson and Dara O'Brien. The album was recorded in the St. Columba's Chapel and the acoustics captured lend the music an interesting, relaxed sound.

'The theme of the new album is the old-fashioned business of courtship. It uses a variety of settings and approaches – musical, lyrical and contextual – to capture the highs and lows of finding a soul mate (or even something less profound) in the first decade of a new ‘minnellium’.

'From full band tracks to more intimate solo performances, from a Henry Purcell male voice choir to a 10 minute epic set on New Year’s Eve 1999, variety is the spice of this release.Using different song styles, spoken anecdotes and Ronan’s naturally inviting storytelling lyrics, the listener is introduced to a colourful troupe of protagonists and onlookers.

'There’s the “west London fop” of You’re Havin’ A Baby, an Italian sweetheart in European Union, the Awful Man on the Tottenham Court Road, a national school mummy (Adulterous Thoughts) and a herd of Fresian cows (Interrupted By Cattle). Ronan is intuitive and versatile in his lyric writing; once wistful and poetic and then direct and bawdy, but always vivid and honest.'

The album is available online through iTunes and also Tower Records, Road Records, Shandon Records and CDBaby.

For more information please see the Unitarian Church News Website and Shandon Records.

First Concert of the new year

2009-09-07T17:27:00.002+01:00

The first concert of the new academic year will take place on the Saturday the 12th of September. The programme will consist of music the choir sang on its recent trip to Tuscany which will be intersperced by presentations given by the pupils involved.

Installation of the new Chaplain

2009-09-07T17:22:00.004+01:00

Last night saw the installation of the new college Chaplain, Rev. Nigel Crossey, in chapel at which the choir sang Pittoni's Cantate Domino, Caccini's Ave Maria and the Lord's Prayer.

This was also the first chance to showcase the fantastic renovations to the chapel's Pipe Organ which was overhauled over the summer break and is sounding better than ever.

The ceremony was held by the Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. Many congratulations to Rev. Crossey, we wish him the very best and well done to the Chapel Choir who sang wonderfully after a mere four days back in college.

Music Lessons

2009-09-04T12:40:00.000+01:00

Instrument lessons start next week so sign up as soon as possible! There is a huge range of instruments available here in St. Columba's including Piano, Violin, Cello, Guitar, Voice, Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Trombone, Harp, Drums, Xylophone and many more.

Lesson times will be published downstairs in the Cadogan on the notice boards early next week so check regularly for your day and time of lesson. Take your permission slip, from the notice board, with you to class and present it to your teacher when you ask to leave class. You will not be taken out of the same class each week.

Sign up sheets are available from Mrs. Malone-Brady and Mr. Clarke.

Welcome back!

2009-09-04T12:31:00.002+01:00

The academic year has begun again here at St. Columba's College and that means another year full of concert trips, pupil concerts, chapel performances and choir practices among other events.

Keep an eye on the blog and calendar for further updates.

Leaving Certificate Results

2009-08-13T19:24:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to all the pupil's who have just received their Leaving Certificate results today. The college average was a very impressive 445 points per pupil.

A special congratulations to the music pupils, all of whom obtained a Grade A at Higher Level. An outstanding result. Well done to them and to their teacher Mrs. Malone-Brady.

Lucca

2009-06-29T20:21:00.005+01:00

by Emma Moore

On our second day in Italy, we were to visit Lucca. After a somewhat early start, our bunch of fairly groggy students and teachers met by the piano in the hotel for a quick rehearsal before leaving for Lucca for the day.

When we arrived, we were given the afternoon free to explore. Almost every girl got lost in the fabulous Italian jewellery stores around town, and the teachers wisely found themselves a café to sit in for the duration. Having met up again at 7.30pm, we travelled to a little spa town just outside Lucca for our first concert.

Following a transfer from our coach to a shuttle bus for the steep roads to take us to the spa town, we arrived to find a somewhat eerie village. We saw only a couple of people, and wondered whether we were in the right place. Luckily we were, but had to wait a while for someone to come and actually let us into where we were performing.

The Barbershop took these minutes as sacred time to have a last minute practice while the rest of us looked around. When we were let in, we had a while to have a quick practice and get changed. Our audience arrived and the concert began.

We were performing our Light Music folder, which I think was our favourite one of the two! After the interval, we and our audience were serenaded by the Barbershop Quartet. Having performed their line-up of English songs, they introduced their star guest, Ms. Sylvia O’Regan, to do an old Italian classic, O Sole Mio, which had been arranged by Mr. Barry Finn on the bus on the way to the concert! This went down very well with the audience.

Following the concert we were fed and watered by the residents. The hospitality was fantastic and a great time was had by all.

Our trip to Pisa

2009-06-28T17:20:00.000+01:00

By Molly Buckingham.

On Tuesday 23rd June,the choir were just ready to go home from our wonderful trip to Tuscany, but there was one place we had to visit; Pisa. We got there at around midday and the weather was definitely at its best. We all walked to the main historical part of Pisa. It was amazing.

We each had about three hours to walk around and explore. The best part for me was to see the leaning tower of Pisa. To see it for real was an amazing experience that I definitely won't forget.

All around it were lots of stalls selling souvenirs and things so we all got presents for our families there! The tower looked huge but we couldnt quite bring ourselves to climb it! Lots of people took pictures and there were many tourists, like ourselves, eager to take a picture of somebody appearing to hold it up!

In the late afternoon we headed to the airport. It was quite sad to leave Italy, but although it was such a fantastic and memorable trip we were all looking forward to going home after a long year of school.

Tuscany Trip

2009-06-28T16:38:00.003+01:00

by Siobhan Brady

The Choir trip to Tuscany was first mentioned to us in September 2008 and it was hard to believe, as we were waiting for the bus to the airport at 4.30 am on Friday 19th of June, that the day had finally arrived! Everyone was exhausted on the bus as we had just finished our exams the day before and here we were at the crack of dawn. Things improved in Dublin Airport when we had checked in our bags and had finally had something to eat. As the plane took off we really felt we were on our way.

Once we stepped off the plane the heat hit us straight away. It was a welcome change from Ireland. We collected our bags and a brand new coach was waiting for us in the Arrivals. We wasted no time and were on our way quickly to our hotel in Montecatini. We were sorted into our rooms first and each group was given a key. I was delighted to be sharing with Dearbhala Gernon and Nicola Dalrymple. Our room was quite big and it had bunk beds and two single beds. We also had a lovely en suite. We had to be downstairs for a meeting at 2 o’clock with Mrs. Malone-Brady and Chiara, our Club Europe rep. We were told some rules about the hotel, and then to our delight we were told that we had free time until 6pm when we had to be back for a rehearsal.

We were starving! The first thing we did was go to the pizzeria where we had a HUGE slice of pizza and a drink each. It was boiling hot outside so we immediately went across the road to an ice-cream parlour where we had the most amazing ice-cream ever. While I got strawberry and Dearbhala got mint, to Nicola’s surprise she ended up with Sherry flavoured ice-cream instead of Fruit of the Forest that she thought she was getting!

We headed quickly back to the hotel as it was so hot and we were dying for a swim. We were so glad the hotel had a pool, even if it was pretty small. The pool was outside and was already warm from the sun and was absolutely gorgeous. We had a lovely swim and had a shower and got changed. We headed downstairs with our Light Music Folders for our rehearsal. We learned Freedom Train, which soon became a favourite among the choir members. We then went through all the songs for the concert the next night. Although we were all tired, it still sounded pretty good.

We finished at 7 o’clock and then we had more free time until dinner at 8 o’clock. It was a three-course meal with a pasta dish first and then turkey and chips and even more ice-cream for desert. That night we sat outside the hotel in the green plastic chairs and chatted to the Americans who were staying across the road. We headed to bed around 10 o’clock and went straight to sleep. It was a great start to an amazing trip.

Kumidaiko

2009-06-18T12:18:00.005+01:00

Here's a little information on Kumidaiko as seen in the Actiontrack production, Tinseltown Meltdown.

Kumidaiko is the name used for a percussion group using traditional japanese drums. The drums, Taiko, which are used in the group vary. There are several types of Taiko. Byou-uchi daiko taiko have skins which are attached directly to the body of the drum, while Tsukushime-daiko have skins which are first attached to rings which are then laced to the body of the drum.

Byou-uchi daiko taiko are usually made from a single, hollowed out piece of wood which dictates the size. The largest Byou-uchi daiko taiko is the ōdaiko. Some ōdaiko are made from trees which are hundreds of years old and so big that they cannot be moved. Byou-uchi daiko taiko cannot be tuned.

Tsukeshime-daiko are a tuneable taiko. The skin is attached to a ring which is then attached to body of the drum, also usually made from a single piece of hollowed out wood.

While there are a large number of taiko they all have some things in common. Firstly, they are all members of the percussion family. Most taiko are struck by bachi which are straight wooden sticks used to hit the taiko. Taiko are also famous for the huge tension put on the skins. This is probably because they originate in such humid regions that the tension was used to stop the skin from sagging.

Actiontrack

2009-06-15T09:56:00.006+01:00

The all singing, all dancing Actiontrack performance took place in the college on Saturday evening, to a packed BSR. The show was simply excellent, the array of talent was enormous with pupils taking to the stage as if born for it.

The plot told the story of a superficial Tinseltown populated by celebrities. André Peters (Harry Bravery) is told to leave when he displays 'genuine emotion'. When he leaves Tinseltown André meets a variety of social 'misfits' one of which, Tara Cards (Miriam Poulton) predicts the annihilation of Tinseltown when a group of Hippos walk down mainstreet. He also encounters a group of Ice-cream miners, Ben, Jerry and Mr. Whippy (Dudley Browne, Michael McBurney and Jack Armstrong).

The climax of the play was a fantastic pyrotechnics show behind the BSR, accompanied by the stirring rhythms of the Kumidaiko drums performed by various members of the Transition Year.

Have a look at the slide show to the right for more pictures.

Chapel Performance

2009-06-13T14:36:00.008+01:00

Many thanks to Ronan Swift and Matt Walker, two member of staff here in the college, for their performance of Mr. Swift's song 'Bad Cess to You Rich Boy' in chapel this morning.

Both Mr. Swift and Mr. Walker are accomplished musicians and performers and have a number of recordings under their respective belts, including 'Farewell Future Wives' from Mr. Swift and 'Star Turtle', 'Nightmares and Videogames' and 'Grin and Bear' from Mr. Walker's group Star Turtle.

What I'm hearing...

2009-06-13T13:52:00.006+01:00

Today we asked a few random people what they have been listening to lately. Below are some of the replies. Enjoy.

Rich (of ActionTrack fame) has been listening to the group Eels, a famous rock group whose discography include Beautiful Freak, Electro-Shock Blues and Daisies of the Galaxy among others. Here is a sample:

Mr. Watts (of Art Room fame) has been listening to Ry Cooder, a guitarist, singer and composer born in the U.S.A in the forties. He has been making music since 1970 and recorded several new songs last year. He is especially know for his slide style of playing. Cooder is also responsible for the formation of the Buena Vista Social Club. Here is a sample of Cooder.

Today in Music History

2009-06-12T10:43:00.009+01:00

Today is the birthday of Alexandre Tansman, a famous composer.

Tansman was born in Poland to a wealthy family, and, like a number of other famous composers, studied law in the University of Warsaw. He did, however, also study music at the Łódź Conservatory and when he moved to Paris he continued working on his compositions. While in Paris he studied under Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel and associated himself with a group of foreign composers working in France who called themselves École de Paris.

During WW2 Tansman fled to Los Angeles, with the help of his friend Charlie Chaplin, and on his return to Paris after the war Tansman found his music outmoded. He then turned to his Jewish and Polish heritage and used this as inspiration.

In his hometown of Łódź there is a competition, entitled the Alexandre Tansman Competition for promising musicians every year to promote his music.

Form Primary Presentation

2009-06-10T17:59:00.003+01:00

After studying Irish music with Primary form, the pupils prepared a project on their own cultural music. Attached is a presentation on Indian Music by Rishi Manuel.

Click on the on the full screen button to enlarge the slideshow.

St. Columba's on tour!

2009-06-09T14:11:00.019+01:00

Preparations are well underway for the college choir trip to Tuscany. There are 39 pupils, staff, past pupils and parents leaving Dublin at 6:30 am on Friday the 19th of June.

The choir will sing at a number of concerts and choral festivals while in Italy including the final event of 'La settimana delle terme' an annual festival celebrating the local thermal baths. This performance takes place in Bagni di Lucca on the 20th of June at 9:00.

Our second engagement will be Mass at the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore on the 21st. The last concert will be at the Chiesa di s. Agostino on the 22nd.

The itinernary is well laid out and boasts a number of cultural visits to local monuments and tours of the surrounding regions.

Check back for pictures soon!

Lunchtime Recital

2009-06-09T14:07:00.002+01:00

Here's a clip of Benjamin Russell's performance of 'Go Lovely Rose' by Quilter which he sang at the recital, and also at the opening of the Opening of the Cadogan building.

Lunchtime review

2009-02-06T21:30:00.002Z

Below is a review of the lunchtime recital from the last post written by Mark Russell, brother, but unbiased!, of Ben.

Review

On Thursday the 29th of January, we went to St Anne’s church on Dawson street to hear Benjamin Russell, a baritone, and Anna Brady, a soprano, give their recital. Lasting about an hour, the performances were very well accompanied by the pianist Mairead Hurley. Ben started off the concert brilliantly with ‘Deh vieni alla finestra’ from Don Giovanni. After that Anna beautifully sang ‘In uomini in soldati’ from ‘Cosi fan tutte’ also by Mozart. This was followed by the duet ‘la ci darem’ which also features in Don Giovanni.
Next Ben sang two songs, first ‘Mondnacht’ by Schumann and secondly ‘Der Musensohn’ by Schubert. Followed by Anna’s performances of : ‘Ich atmet einen linden Duft’ by Mahlen and 'Ich hab’im penna' by Wolf. Ben then entertained us with ‘I hold your hand in mine’ by Tom Lehrer, an amusing song about an insane husband missing his dead wife! Anna created a lingering atmosphere with the next song ‘Sure on this shining night’ by Baber. As everyone agreed, the following three songs, really showed off Anna and Ben’s musical talent, especially the duet ‘Bess, you is my woman now’.
I can’t decide which was my favourite: the final songs ‘Last night was one of those nights’ performed by Anna and the’ Hippopotamus song’ performed by Ben, both of which were very entertaining and got a lot of laughs. Or, the unexpected encore of the Popagena duet, which must have been very difficult to learn because of its incredible speed!
Everybody really enjoyed the concert and we look forward to future performances by Ben and Anna!

My Fair Lady

2009-01-09T10:22:00.001Z

Following the performance run of My Fair Lady the Primary and Form I music students were asked to write a review and the below composition by David Lowsley is a good example of the standard submitted.

Review of My Fair Lady
by David Lowsley

I went to see My Fair Lady on Saturday with my Dad. I really enjoyed it. The singing was really good. The songs I liked best were ‘I have often walked down this street before’ and ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely’.
The characters I liked were played by Poppy Vernon, Richi Manuel, Mark Russell and Aidan Chisolm.
The dancing was really good. The costumes were excellent. The backdrops were really amazing too.
The audience seemed to really enjoy the play also as there was a lot of clapping and cheering at the end.
All my friends on the show acted very well. All their hard work and effort really paid off.
My Fair Lady is based on a George Bernard Shaw play based on Pygmalion and was adapted by Lerner and Lowe.
I loved the character of Eliza Doolittle and also Henry Higgins. I think it is a great story. I really like the last scene.
Overall I was very impressed by the show and really enjoyed it.

Congratulations!

2009-01-09T10:13:00.001Z

Congratulations to past pupil, James Danaswamy, on achieving a scholarship to study singing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. James completed his Leaving Certificate with an A in Music, in June 2007. He commenced his singing studies in St. Columba’s College with Sylvia O’Regan, and studied with her for a further year in Dublin. He then moved to Bristol where he studied with Chris Turner, and prepared for his Guildhall audition. He will commence his studies in Guildhall in September 2009.
We wish him all the very best!

Christmas Concert Review 2008

2009-01-09T10:09:00.003Z

December 6th was the date of the Annual Christmas Concert where the wealth of musical talent in the school is tapped for an evening's light entertainment. The extraordinarilyhigh standard of talent is a testament to the diligent work of the teaching staff and pupils in the Music Department.

Christmas Concert 2008
by Anna Traill

To start the concert off the SCC orchestra, who I was really looking forward to listening to as I hadn’t heard them before, played 2 songs. The orchestra have members from I all the way up to form VI. They’ve been practising a lot and they sounded brilliant. They played ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon’ and Handel’s ‘La Réjouissance’ from Music for the Royal Fireworks. The two contrasting pieces went well and brought a great atmosphere to the start of the night.
Mia Peters was next playing a clarinet piece by Debussy. Mia, who is one of the senior music scholars, played this instrument extremely well and the sound of the clarinet rippled beautifully through the audience.
Michael McBurney, fresh from his performance in our musical production ‘My Fair Lady’ as Colonel Pickering, sang a beautiful Christmas song, ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’ to put us all into the Christmas spirit. Michael sang beautifully and put a smile onto all of our faces.
Kyung Min Kim was next on the stage with the guitar and played a wonderful piece. This was the first guitar piece heard and was definitely a good one to start off with, the practice undoubtedly paid off for Kyung.
Daphne Wright, another music scholar sang Oh Holy Night. This was truly beautiful. I was talking to her before-hand and she was worried about forgetting her words, but her voice was stunning. The high notes soared over the audience and I think I speak for everyone when I say that it was simply stunning.
Poppy Kirwan Browne was next and after loud applause and much cheering Poppy played a piece on the piano, a Sonata by Scarlatti. Poppy, who plays in the Royal Irish Academy, played this beautifully; it was accomplished and atmospheric. Well done Poppy.
The Transition Year choir, consisting of Daphne Wright, Olivia Plunket, Sope Anthony-Ojolola, Andrew Martin and Michael Mc Burney sang next, a four part piece, Sunrise Sunset from “Fiddler on the Roof”. The Transition year don’t have much time to practise, as I know this from being in the same choir last year. They did a fantastic job singing this, their voices complementing each other to give a great performance.
Rebecca Kuelby from form V played the concert harp, the first such performance in SCC. This was captivating, she played ‘Hit the road Jack’ by Ray Charles. This was brilliant because everyone knew the song and it sounded brilliant on the harp, jazzy but well controlled.
Siobhan Brady, from form I, following her performance with the SCC orchestra, played the cello at a very high standard and sang as well. This was a very successful night for Siobhan, both her pieces were outstanding. She sang, ‘As long as he needs me’ and played ‘Danse Rustique’ on the cello. Both of these were beautiful and she showed she was worthy of her music scholarship.
Justine Heffernan, a new pupil to form V this year, played a piece on the clarinet unaccompanied called ‘Scardy Cat’. This is a jazzy piece and was extremely well played.
Young Molly Buckingham from form I, having changed her song 5 minutes before her performance sang an Irish song called ‘Let him go or let him tarry’. This was beautifully sung and she carried it really well. Having a solo in Silent night in the School Concert, I’d say her singing is going to improve wondrously.
Luisa Hell from form VI played a piano piece by Chopin. This was fantastically played and the emotions of the piece were very well conveyed. Luisa is another of the music scholars and plays the piano beautifully.
Patrick Tice, form III, played ‘Blues no.1’ by Weil on the guitar. This piece was very well put across, was a ‘bluesy’ performance and he really got into the rhythm of it and seemed to enjoy it.
Rishi Manuel, one of the soloists in the Carol Service, from form Primary sang ‘I’m Walking in the Air’ from the Snowman. This sounded angelic and extremely clear, the song really suited him and everyone loved it.
Antonia Esses, another Primary pupil, who also plays in the Royal Irish Academy, played the piano to a remarkably high standard, a lovely sonata by Gueseppi. She executed this brilliantly.
Sally Beeby, from form I, sang a really cute song called ‘Smile’ by Charlie Chaplon. She sang this with such clarity and it put a smile on everyone’s face.
Lingfan Gao, another music scholar, from form III, played an intricate piano piece by Haydn. This was outstanding and he showed his full musical ability in his performance.
Johannes Stolberg-Stolberg played the trombone with true enthusiasm. He played ‘Big County Trombone Solo’ and should be very pleased with his performance.
Carl- Victor Wachs from form V played the piano very clearly and steadily, his passion shining through his playing. This piece was quite demanding technically and he executed it extremely well.
Shane Lavin rounded off the evening with his fantastic performance of ‘O solo mio’. The piece suited his voice well and he really raised the roof of the BSR. His voice was bold and strong it was a brilliant end to the night.
This concert was an extreme success and it couldn’t have been done without the hard work and dedication of Geraldine Malone-Brady. It was a pleasure to watch and everyone’s spirit was lifted for the weekend.

2008-11-06T19:55:00.004Z

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, roll up one and all for the college musical, Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady. Performances will take place in the Big School Room on Friday, 14 November and Saturday, 15 November. All are welcome and it promises to be an excellent evening's entertainment.

Poster by http://wordle.net/

Music in the Classroom

2008-11-03T22:42:00.005Z

Form One and Primary recently went on a school trip to the Helix in DCU to attend the Irish Times' Music in the Classroom Concert. After the concert each pupils was asked to write a review and rather than me prattle on about my opinion, here is a very small sample of the brilliant reviews written by the pupils.

At the Helix
by Mark Russell

We went to the Helix on the 14th of October to see a performance. During the performance there were loads of songs and two short stories; ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. There was also a section where the orchestra played Nursery Rhymes including: ‘She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain’, ‘Yankee Doodle came to town’ and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’. The nursery rhyme part was my favourite part and I think my least favourite part was when the orchestra played ‘Hairspray’ because I didn’t know any of the songs so I couldn’t sing along. My favourite play was ‘Peter and the Wolf’. It was my favourite because I really felt that the music and instruments played for each character really symbolised them and described them really well. I also thought that the ballet dancers were really entertaining. I thought that the Conductor was great. He was really enthusiastic and funny. I think he was great at making the concert very interactive for the audience. I loved seeing a proper orchestra playing live, first hand.

My Story on the Helix
by Nicola Dalrymple

We entered the Helix and were handed a sheet with all the songs and the main routine. When the concert first started a man came out wearing a conductor’s suit and I recognised him by his voice which I heard on the CD we used to learn the music for the concert. So he came out and told us the story of ‘Peter and the Wolf’ which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was very good. In fact it was excellent! It was played just like it was on the CD but it was that much more beautiful because it was live. We had a very good view of the stage and we could see all of the instruments and some of them were very unusual and I thought it was a great opportunity to see and hear them. I also liked all the nursery rhymes because I had not heard some of them for a very long time and they brought back funny childhood memories. I was sitting beside Archie and Rishi and behind me sat Antonia and Muqtadir. My favourite part had to have been the catchy song ‘You gotta be’ by Des’ree. It was very fun practising it and even more fun when we sang it ‘live’! It was great to hear it altogether with the first years and the pupils from other schools. I also quite liked the tune. The ballerinas were very elegant and beautiful. Watching them was like seeing poetry in motion. Their beautiful costumes really added to the whole thing. I thought the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was ok but I saw a different version lots of times. I thought it was very funny when we did the ‘Phantom Regiment’ because of the actions. I thought that they were really funny and that we actually looked like soldiers marching when I looked at the pupils downstairs. I loved everything and when it was over we were talking to a lady and her daughter was a past pupil of St. Columba’s College. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I liked everything except for the long journey. I would go back any time. I thought it was a brilliant day.

The Helix Theatre
by Rishi Manuel

On Tuesday the 14th of October all Primary and First Form went to the Helix theatre to watch a concert. There were also alot more other schools there and the theatre was huge. When we first came into the theatre we were the only ones there, but more people soon came.
There were musicians on the stage with lots of funny and interesting instruments. Then a mad conductor came on stage with another man and told us the story of ‘Peter and the Wolf’. During the play, ballerinas acted by dancing and making movements with their arms. After the play we sang nursery rhymes like: ‘Yankee Doodle’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’, ‘Old MacDonald’, ‘This Old Man’ and ‘She’ll be comin’ ‘round the Mountain’.
My favourite was ‘She’ll be comin’ ‘round the Mountain’ because hardly any of the pupils knew it.
Then we sang our song ‘You gotta be’ by Des’ree and after that we watched the ballerinas perform a version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. All in all it was a great show and I really enjoyed it. Thank you Mr. Clarke, Mrs. Malone-Brady and Mrs. Heffernan.

Music in the Classroom
by Sally Kemp

On the 14th of October we (form I and form Primary) went to the Helix to see Music in the Classroom. It was really good and I had lots of fun! The show started off with a fantastic portrayal of ‘Peter and the Wolf’. Each different character ad a different instrument which represented their voice and it was performed by ballet dancers. This was really funny and quite entertaining, on of my favourite bits! Next we sang loads of different nursery rhymes such as ‘Yankee Doodle’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ and ‘This Old Man’. Then there was a performance of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with the same ballet dancers. I thought this was told in a very sweet and cute way which I really liked. After this we sang ‘You gotta be’ by Des’ree. That would have to be my least favourite part of the show! Although the song was catchy and upbeat it was really, really long! After a while the song got very repetitive but it was still nice. What really scared me was that the guy singing lead vocal was just a little too enthusiastic! After a ‘number the tune’ game, we finished off with a series of songs from ‘Hairspray’ the musical. We sang ‘Welcome to the 60s’, ‘Good morning Baltimore’, ‘ Mame, I’m a big girl now!’, ‘Nicest kids in town’ and finally ‘You can’t stop the beat!’ It was really lively and great fun singing those songs. On a whole I think the show was really very entertaining and loads of fun. Also we learned a lot about different musical instruments! I recommend it to all students who want to learn about music while having a great time!

The Helix School Trip
by Tara McCormick

I enjoyed this trip. It was a lot of fun singing along to some of the songs. I didn’t like the nursery rhymes though as I thought they were very childish, although it was fun remembering all the words from when I was younger.
‘Peter and the Wolf’ was good. I liked all of the ballet dancers and some of the actions were quite funny!
My favourite bit was definitely when we sang the ‘Hairspray’ songs at the end because I have seen the movie and the RTÉ Orchestra were really good. The violinist played by plucking and bowing to get totally different effects. There were so many different instruments that you wouldn’t believe it if you heard it on the radio!
Going back to ‘Peter and the Wolf’ I thought it was really clever the way they used different instruments to sound like different characters. For example, they used big Timpani Drums for the hunters because it sounded like the guns shooting! I liked the way the conductor made it a bit of fun and stopped it being boring.
The ballet dancers were great because they were dancing and acting. The costumes were really good as well.
I liked the song ‘You gotta be’ and I thought that the singer was really good.

Music in the Classroom
by Bronagh McHugh

On the 14th of October 2008 all First Form and Primary went to Music in the Classroom. I thought it was extremely enjoyable and exciting. Our seats were beside the stage. I sat beside Lauren. We sang fourteen songs. It began with Peter and the Wolf and they showed us a little play. Then we sang eight nursery rhymes. Then we sang ‘You gotta be’ which I enjoyed immensely. Then the orchestra and ballet dancers did another play which was Beauty and the Beast. Then we sang five ‘Hairspray’ songs which was great fun. The conductor was really funny and the orchestra was amazing. They had every instrument you could think of, it was fantastic. The conductor asked a lady in the Orchestra her opinion of our singing and she said it was great. The lady’s name was Bronagh. I enjoyed dancing and singing along to all the songs.
I would have to say my favourite part of Music in the Classroom was ‘Peter and the Wolf’ because it’s an amazing story and the performance was really spectacular and the costumes were very pretty and the ballet was unreal! The music the Orchestra played was amazing and I loved the way every character had its own sound. It was just fantastic and I truly recommend it!

Up and running

2008-10-13T00:22:00.001+01:00

This is the first post on the new St. Columba's College Music Department's Blog. Please be patient as we build up our blogs.

Keep an eye out for news and reviews.