Small Ensemble Showcase 2016

June 07, 2016 at 11:56 AM

Starting at 7am each day, up to 400 individual itinerant lessons are delivered weekly in the College Music Centre. On top of this, many more hours of committed practice and rehearsal are put in by a variety of large and small instrumental ensembles, and choral groups to hone their skills. However, there is nothing that can quite prepare for playing in front of a live audience than doing exactly that. In preparation for the Auckland round of the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, our finest jazz and classical musicians came together last week to display their talents at the Small Ensemble Showcase. The 13 groups of three to seven students playing key, string, brass and wind instruments entertained an eager audience of parents and friends in Elliot Hall.

Being a part of a chamber group is definitely no mean feat, it requires a high level of musicianship and judging by the performances, the students had been working diligently to perfect the pieces and produce a seamlessly integrated sound. It was a wonderful evening of musical entertainment and a great way for the students to ready themselves for the competition.

Our sincere thanks go to Middle School Head of Music, Mr Oliver Gilmour for his leadership of the Chamber Music Programme. We would also like to acknowledge Elizabeth Lau, Matt Baker, Karen Middleton, Siobhan Gerritsen, Gracie Francis, Mike Merry, Tim Carpenter and Miranda Hutton for their passion and dedication in tutoring the groups.

The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is presented annually by Chamber Music New Zealand. It is the longest running youth music competition in New Zealand and the only nationwide chamber music competition for young secondary school musicians and composers in the country. The Auckland round is held at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre at Epsom Girls Grammar School and our students would love your support. They will be competing at the following times:

Wednesday 8 June 2:30pm – 4:15pm

Saxophone Ensemble

Trio Fandango

Shostakovich Trio

Brio Trio

Six Hands

Tim’s Trio

Clara Schumann Trio

Javelin Trio

Wednesday 8 June 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Trilogy

45 Fingers