SPC in Concert a Musical Success!

SPC in Concert Review

On Thursday August 15, the air was buzzing with expectation as the musicians of St Patrick’s College gathered to perform at the Wendouree Performing Arts Centre. The concert showcased the wonderful talents of the boys performing as soloists and in groups.

This year, the theme of the concert highlighted great Australian music that was either composed or arranged for students. The wide selection of music performed, showcased how varied our home-grown music is. The evening started with a -‘Stomp’ inspired piece by Percussion Ensemble, -‘Stick Around’, using broom handles to create music that incorporated choreography.

Several of the senior boys performed solo works. Cadel Martin played an unaccompanied alto saxophone work composed by Ballarat boy, Barry Cockcroft, demonstrating many contemporary performance techniques. Bradley Singe’s beautiful performance of -‘The Ascent’ evoked the images from the film Picnic at Hanging Rock while Alex Guevara’s playing of -‘One for Mum’ by Lachlan Davidson was wonderfully gentle. Matthew Duffy was the final soloist performing -‘Invisible Dance’ by Tim Dargaville on flute which demonstrated the lyrical nature of the instrument.

The Rising Stars performed together for the first time. This ensemble has a unique rehearsal schedule as they prepare as two smaller groups that come together just prior to a performance. Rising Stars performed beautifully showing confidence, skill and mature musicality that is generally only seen in older musicians.

The finale to the evening brought all musicians together from Years 7 to 12. It is so rewarding to watch the older boys mentor the younger students and for the younger boys to strive to emulate and challenge the expertise of the older. This was certainly seen in -‘Love is in the Air’, from the popular Australian film -Strictly Ballroom-, featuring Oscar Wilson and Matthew Duffy. This piece was certainly a highlight of the evening.

A special mention must be made of the beautiful artwork on the poster and program. The subtlety of merging music and Australian flora is outstanding and needs to be looked at with a discerning eye. I would like to thank the talented and very modest, Matthew Duffy (Year 12), for interpreting my brief and making it into an artwork that surpassed my loftiest expectations.

Congratulations to all the boys who performed and a heartfelt thank you to all the staff who worked so diligently to prepare each performance.

Fiona Wilson

Head of Music