Music Festival

from Loreto Normanhurst Yearbook 2021

Sport Profiles

How true is the above statement! Music Festival, a highlight of the school year, is a testament to the care and investment the school places in our holistic education. And what an investment it is! It is an experience one can only truly comprehend if they have witnessed it firsthand: a night of pure celebration and amazing musical ability. I don’t know of any other school that invests so inclusively in its students, with every single girl performing in a student-led choir in front of thousands of people. Music Festival is an investment in teaching us resilience, perseverance and agility. As Mornane Conductor for 2021, I knew I had my work cut out for me battling COVID-19 restrictions. COVID rehearsals consisted of masks, social distancing and sometimes a keyboard in the outdoors. This made the first couple weeks of rehearsals in Term 4 2020 extraordinarily hard, especially since I couldn’t tell if any mouths were moving! Although it took a while for us to get into the swing of it, we eventually found our rhythm. With the help of our amazing accompanist Catherine Sun (Year 8), Mornane was able to learn ‘High Hopes’ by Panic at the Disco very quickly. Music Festival is an investment in teaching us to be creative, to celebrate, to be proud and to learn from our challenges. With the theme for 2021 being “Illumination of the Heart”, I knew Mornane’s song needed to represent the joy that music ignites within us. I incorporated this through adding a ‘stomp and clap’ during the song and encouraging Mornane to dance. Trying to get Mornane to bend their knees and groove was truly hilarious but worth it in the end. My main goal was to enable my fellow Mornanians to have fun and enjoy their time onstage. On the night, the smiles on their faces were evidence that every girl enjoyed themselves. Music Festival is an investment in the School’s commitment to

collaboration and inclusivity. One music lesson, I had the crazy idea to turn around and encourage audience participation during Mornane’s performance. I asked the Acting Head of Music, Ms Ashton, if it had ever been done before and when she said no, I knew that it had to be done. I have never been so proud of the way Mornane came together, with a special thanks to Mrs Prees, our Head of House. Overall, the night was my favourite memory from my time at Loreto (so far) and winning Best Conductor and Best Choir was just an added bonus. Music Festival is a shining example of the school investing in what it cares about. The commitment and work involved over many months is immense. I know that I speak for everyone in saying a huge thank you to Ms Ugonotti, the Music and Drama departments, all the teachers, support crews, parents and supporters. From every single girl, thank you for investing in us.