Diana Springford – Head of Music

Emanuel School Term 4 Twilight ‘Concert’ 

Over the past few weeks, twenty five of our dedicated student instrumentalists and vocalists have been preparing for what, in any other year, would have been a live performance in the Theatre in front of family, friends and peers. This year, Danny Burley has recorded performances of these students and they are now available online in a presentation accessible via the “Music Performances” button in the Parent Portal for us all to enjoy.

I invite everyone to have a listen to these lovely performances by all ages of Emanuel students. 

Thank you to Danny Burley for organising, filming, accompanying and supporting these students. Thank you to our team of peripatetic tutors who have prepared these students so beautifully. Recording is actually a very different experience than live performance, as any professional musician will tell you, and has its own peculiar set of pressures and difficulties. Congratulations and thank you to the students who have worked hard preparing these sensitive performances and bravely submitted them for us to share! 

Our Twilight Concerts provide an intimate and formal performance opportunity for students receiving private music tuition here at School. We encourage students of all levels to perform regularly and to express their interest via their music tutor to participate in future concerts. The next Twilight Concerts will be in Term 2, 2021.

End of Year Performances for all (current, COVID-safe) ensembles and choirs

In a very strange year, when all our music making has been very distorted and, it turns out, quite a dangerous and risky past time (especially if you are a flautist!). Nevertheless, in a year when we can count the number of Emanuel School live music performances on the fingers of one hand, we would like all our ensembles and choirs to have something to share of their achievements with their family and friends. If you are in one of our ensembles or choirs, please keep an eye (and ear) out for information about when your recording is scheduled and plan to either wear or bring full formal school uniform on the day. These recordings will be done over the next couple of weeks and shared via the Parent Portal at the end of the school year.

Instrument Maintenance Check Day

If you are borrowing any school instrument (for IP, for ISP, or for your ensemble playing) please bring it into the Music Department on Tuesday 1 December 2020 (Week 8) to have it checked and serviced by our team. Please pick it up on Thursday unless you get an email from us or are returning it permanently. Instruments should be clean and have a student name tag attached with the instrument barcode on the reverse. If this name tag is missing, please ask Mrs De Araujo in the music staffroom to label it for you.

End of Year 6 IP (Instrumental Program) and continuing Music Tuition in High School

For parents of Year 6 students who are coming to the end of their compulsory Instrumental Program, you will have received an email about the return of your School loaned instrument in Week 8 and your intentions regarding private music tuition in High School. Thank you to all those parents who have responded.

If you haven’t yet done so, please reply to jdearaujo@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au.

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program for 2021

Please note that from 2021, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $46.00 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST). This is the rate advised by the NSW Music Teachers Association. Lessons shared in pairs are only available in special circumstances and would cost $24.00 per student per half-hour lesson (plus GST where applicable). The Infant Strings Program (ISP) for students in Years K-2 will be charged at $262 per term on school fees, in addition to an instrument bond of $200 which is fully refundable on safe return of the instrument with all parts and accessories.

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program enrolments for next year. The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 1, 2021 is Friday 20 November 2020. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students in Years K-1 who are currently participating in the Infant Strings Program will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for 2021, along with students commencing lessons for the first time. Parents should enrol or discontinue using one of the online forms accessed from the links below. If your child intends to discontinue, formal notification in advance must be received by the end of term to avoid being committed to the full term of lessons and liable for fees. 

Please contact Matilda Grieve if you have any questions about private music tuition. 

The schedules for Term 1, 2021 will be created at the end of term and emailed in late January.

Links to online forms  

• New enrolment requests for private tuition
• To discontinue private tuition
• To enrol into the K-2 Infant Strings Program (ISP)
• To discontinue Infant Strings Program (ISP)