Issue 23
The Arts
CLASSICS IN THE CATHEDRAL Beneath the lofty ceilings and towering columns of St John’s Cathedral, the audience at last June’s Classics in the Cathedral concert enjoyed student orchestral, ensemble and vocal performances from composers ranging from Mozart to Chopin. Head of Performance Brad King said this much-loved annual event broadened students’ performance experiences, giving them the opportunity to learn classical repertoire and perform within the spectacular setting of St John’s Cathedral. ‘One of the joys of performing in the cathedral is the ability to explore the unique properties of the acoustics within the space. St John’s has one of the longest reverb times for a cathedral in the southern hemisphere, with delays in sound of approximately seven seconds. The acoustic, therefore, can be both exciting and challenging for musicians. The soundscape created is certainly something that is unique and special for our students to experience,’ Mr King said. Performances ranged from the triumphant To Dance Among the Stars, the moody Days of Beauty, a dazzling strings rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky to a performance of Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major. Each year, an Old Girl is invited to perform. In 2021, the school was honoured to welcome mezzo soprano
Xenia Puskarz-Thomas (’13) prior to
All student performers combined for
her leaving Australian shores to resume
the evening’s finale performance of
her studies in person at Julliard’s in New
Tintinnabulum by Welsh composer
York. Xenia gave a magical performance of
Karl Jenkins.
Morgen! by Richard Strauss, accompanied
When participating in the school’s music
by Jonny Ng on piano with music extension student Ashleigh Witenden on violin. She also performed the classic operatic aria O mio babbino caro from Gianna Schicchi.
program, students do more than make music. They develop their creativity, teamwork and critical thinking skills, which transfer into other areas of schooling and life.
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