Register 2019

in different year levels. The more senior students can explain what is involved in each subject the more junior students learn about and decide which subjects best suit them. This already happens informally among students, but it would be good to formalise it and create a structure to make sure it is accessible to everyone. I would recommend juniors try to seek out the advice of seniors on subjects they are interested in. Don’t be afraid to at least consider something new. What you value is your choice, and yours alone. Finally, thank you, everyone, for the honour of serving as your 2019 Head of Academic. Being a prefect has been incredible, but it is not the only way to lead, serve and build connections with others. Everybody has their own path to understanding and their own way to learn. Use your time at College to find yours. Kia ora rawa atu.

of all pieces, but in particular the traditional Ma ¯ ori waiata “Toia Mai”. Accompanied by guitarists Dominic Edmond and Alex Brett, the choir successfully managed to combine melody and haka in their performance. The choir won the award for best classical work for their stunning performance of Mozart’s “Dies Irae” from his popular “Requiem”. The final piece was “Sisi ni moja”, an upbeat contemporary work by American composer Jacob Narverud. Overall, the choir received well-deserved recognition for all their hard work. College’s premier senior choir, Schola Cantorum, also performed three pieces at The Big Sing, coming away with the best male choir award for their performance day. The vocal range and rhythmic precision of the choir was clearly evident and, despite being a fairly young group, the boys certainly stepped up when it came to performance. Head of Schola Cantorum Nicholas Lidstone led the boys in rehearsals and performance, with support from his fellow seniors. The group performed a varied list, including “Let all the world in every corner sing” by music teacher Nick Sutcliffe, the traditional Irish ballad “Danny Boy”, accompanied by Year 13 student Tom Kelly on flute, and Peter Cornelius’s haunting “Absolve Domine” from the Mass of the Dead. The year also saw the reformation of the combined Christ’s College–St

Margaret’s College choir Collegium. With rehearsals commencing in the middle of Term 1, the choir did extremely well to learn and perform three difficult a cappella pieces for The Big Sing in Term 2. They began with “Coelus Ascendit Hodie”, where the choir had to split into eight parts in order to perform the piece, followed by “People Look East” by Jack Body, and a brilliant arrangement of the ever-popular “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. Collegium was also able to perform at a showcase Chapel service, as well as at the St Margaret’s College cultural showcase. Under the direction of Mr Sutcliffe, it was incredible to see what the group was able to achieve in such a short time frame. While none of the choirs made it through to the national finale, both Collegium and Schola Cantorum were invited to sing at the South Island Cadenza competition. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend due to other College commitments. In recognition of the dedication and commitment to choral activities at College, Tom Kelly, Nicholas Lidstone, Logan Quigley and Matthew Todd were awarded Honours Ties in Choral Music. These students have been exemplary members of the Chapel Choir for five years, having attended more than 80 per cent of all rehearsals or services and concert engagements in that time.

Ellie Stevenson Head of Academic

CHAPEL CHOIR 2019 was another great year for the Chapel Choir and other choral groups at College. The choir of 88 boys led at weekly Chapel services, as well as performing in a number of concerts throughout the year. The seniors and I were extremely pleased with how the year went, with a particular highlight being our performance at The Big Sing. The Chapel Choir fulfilled their primary goal of leading weekday and Sunday services. With rehearsals twice a week, we were able to expand our repertoire, allowing us to perform a new work at each Sunday service. This depth in repertoire also provided a solid base from which to choose our pieces for The Big Sing. The Chapel Choir had another successful year at The Big Sing, performing three pieces, all significantly varied in style. National Adjudicator Robert Wiremu praised the choir for their performance

30

Christ’s College Canterbury

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs