Performing Arts Awards Evening 2018

In a fantastic evening of celebration, the College Performing Arts community came together last night to bring the 2018 performing arts calendar to a close. It was an evening to reflect back on some amazing performances from throughout the year and give worthy recognition to our many talented student performers – including naming the Middle College and Senior College Performers of the Year! 

The Jazz Combo played in the foyer of Elliot Hall as our guests arrived, setting the tone for a relaxed and enjoyable evening. Our jazz players have had a most successful year, with both the Big Band and Jazz Combo winning gold at the Auckland Jazz Competition. 

Guests were seated café-style at tables to enjoy refreshments as the entertainment got underway. As befitting all Saint Kentigern events, the evening opened with the skirl of pipes and beat of the drums as The Pipes and Drums made a grand entrance to play a set of five pieces to stir the soul! This year, The Pipes and Drums continued their winning ways, holding onto their U19 Auckland grade title for the tenth year in a row! 

The curtains opened to another gold awarding winning group, the Concert Band. After the completion of the KBB Music Festival and the departure of Mr Gerritsen, the Concert Band re-started rehearsals with Mr Gilmour. They performed ‘Danzon No. 2’ by the prominent Mexican composer, Arturo Marquez. The piece featured solo pianist, Catherine Chang, and is one of the most popular and frequently performed Mexican orchestral pieces. 

Head of Performing Arts, Ms Jane Horder welcomed our guests and with a plethora of images playing out on screen, reflected on an amazing year of dance, drama, music and musical theatre. 

From the very first concert, the fundraising Masquerade Music Evening, leading to our first major performance of the year, as the first secondary school in New Zealand to perform ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ the opportunities for our students kept rolling! 

Shake the Quad, our homage to Shakespeare followed and soon after, 42 students and 6 staff members jumped on a plane and headed to the US for a Performing Arts Tour that encompassed professional dance and drama classes, music workshops and visits to tertiary Performing Arts institutions. 

At the same time as ‘Phantom’ was rehearsing, our Middle College students were preparing to open Term 2 with their magical staging of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ As the rest of the term got underway, we enjoyed the Senior Solo Music Finals, Rock Quest, an engaging choir workshop by world-renowned composer, Paul Mealor, the Small Ensemble Showcase, Chamber Music Concert, Choral Showcase, the Big Sing, and in amongst all of this, was the ever-entertaining House Music evening that gave six House choirs and their bands the chance to shine! 

During the year, the Senior Drama classes each staged their own evening of edgy, contemporary drama for assessment, making full use of the new dance studios, bringing to reality the intention that this space was designed for multi-purpose performance use. 

Between plays, the spectacular Dance Showcase commanded the stage in Elliot Hall and we were particularly proud of Monet Hewitt, who was awarded a scholarship to the English National Ballet School. Meanwhile, our Premier Choir, Kentoris prepared to perform at the Big Sing National Finale where they were awarded silver. 

The focus for the Music Department during Term 3 was the KBB Music Festival, held across a week at the Holy Trinity and Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Parnell. As well as the gold medal winning performance by the Concert Band, the Chamber Orchestra was also awarded gold with the Symphony Orchestra, String Ensemble and Big Band receiving bronze. 

No sooner had KBB finished, than the Senior College Drama presented a ‘promenade-style’ devised theatre piece ‘The Red Shoes.’ This was a performance that took the audience by surprise as they moved between theatre spaces throughout the evening with not one moment - or place -to sit! At the same time, planning and costume making for the highly anticipated Middle College Wearable Arts Show got underway. This was another spectacular night in the Performing Arts calendar, as students modelled quirky, creative costumes, and our youngest dance troupes took to the stage. 

Lesser known, but equally active, Theatresports has a huge following of 110 students who are actively involved! The Premier Theatresports team made it once again through to the Auckland finals where they performed against some tough competition to place third by one point in a thoroughly entertaining evening! 

As Term 3 came to a close, the pace didn’t let up! In the very last week of term, the Maori and Pasifika Cultural Evening dazzled the audience with a heart-warming display of dance, song and sense of community. And then, to the very last day of term, when students packed Elliot Hall to watch the final of SKC’s Got Talent! 

WOW, what a year! 

Co-host and Arts Prefect, the ever-bubbly Molly Griffiths picked up the flow, keeping the rest of the evening moving between a mix of entertainment and awarding those students who have dedicated many mornings, lunchtimes and evening hours to the arts; achieving great things for both themselves and Saint Kentigern. Molly was awarded the Chadderton Family Drama Production Cup for outstanding performance, commitment and leadership in a Senior College drama production. 

The most anticipated item of the evening was the naming of the ‘Performer of the Year’ – this year, also extended to include the Middle College. An exceptional programme is only made possible by an exceptional group of students, which made the decision extremely difficult. But there was one student in each age group who stood out for covering all areas of the arts – Chloe Haerewa for the Middle College and Amelia Elliot for the Senior College.

PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS AWARD RECIPIENTS 2018

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