Music in the Classroom

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.