Diana Springford – Director of Music

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Here and on our portal page, you will find announcements about our busy Music Program – please check in regularly.

Recent Student Performances

On the last day of Term 1 the Senior Choir performed Ain’t No Mountain High Enough at the High School assembly. It was a lovely performance! Thank you to Mr Danny Burley for his wonderful guidance of the choir. Thank you and farewell to Mr Steven Kramer who has been such a marvellous piano accompanist. Steven is off to be Musical Director of the forthcoming Beauty and the Beast. Here is a link to the video of that performance.

Klezmer Ensemble made a great contribution of a Hora set for the High School Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration and Max Salamon did a beautiful job with the Last Post for the Anzac Day Assembly.

Term 2 dates 

Weekly ensemble rehearsals and Private Music Tuition and IP resumed this week on the first day of term. The first day of IP (Instrumental Program) for Years 3 and Year 5 is Tuesday 2 May 2023. Don’t forget your instrument and music folder. Years 4 and 6 also had their first IP day.

For your diary

•   Twilight Concerts (tutor-nominated performances): Monday 15 May 2023
•   Music Camp: Monday 19 May 2023 – Thursday 22 May 2023

Don’t forget to book for Music Camp asap!

An information letter about Music Camp and how to book was emailed on Thursday 30 March 2023 to parents and students from Years 4-12 music ensembles and choirs. Thank you to the many parents who have already registered their child. A list of students already signed up will be updated regularly on the noticeboard in the Music Department hallway for students to double-check whether they are registered. If you are concerned that you have not received this information, please contact Joanne De Araujo.    

If your child is about to join an ensemble or choir on the promise of attending Music Camp, please ensure they join this week and contact Joanne De Araujo immediately to send you all the information. Please note that we will expect commitment for the rest of the year.

To be eligible for Music Camp, a student must have been a committed member of a core ensemble for Terms 1 and 2 of 2023 and undertake to continue their commitment for the whole year. Core ensembles include: Junior or Senior Choir; Gershwin, Bernstein or Copland Concert Band; Rubinstein, Korngold or Mendelssohn Strings and Junior or Senior Guitar Ensemble. We plan to timetable rehearsal sessions for the extension ensembles of chamber choirs and stage bands. For smaller ensembles such as Rock Bands and Jazz Bands, if the whole small ensemble is at Music Camp, we will do our best to allocate rehearsal time for them to work on repertoire for their small ensemble as well as the large, core, camp ensembles, but this can’t be guaranteed in advance.

Music Camp is a wonderful celebration of our vibrant music culture and the talents and hard work of our young musicians. Each camp is a special experience for students as they unite in a shared love of music for an exciting immersion in rehearsals, performances (some serious, some fun, some ensemble, some solo). It’s an opportunity to work together in the pursuit of excellence and engage with the work of some very special guest conductors and/or composers. Emanuel School Music staff join with a team of highly skilled professional musicians to develop and hone students’ musical skills in preparation for an exciting showcase concert.

Music Camp is a four-day camp from Monday 19 June 2023 – Thursday 22 June 2023. The first three days are held in the beautiful bush setting of Lake Macquarie Outdoor Recreation Centre in Balcolyn and the final day is held at Emanuel School. Students return to Emanuel on the evening of Wednesday 21 June 2023, to be collected by parents in the early evening. Camp continues at Emanuel School on Thursday 22 June 2023 with an all-day rehearsal, a BBQ dinner for students and our Music Camp Showcase Concert in the MPH at 6.00 pm on Thursday evening.

We are delighted that once again we will be joined for the full duration of this year’s camp by a group of Primary School musicians and supervising staff from Mount Sinai College.

All members of participating ensembles and choirs in Years 4 -11 are expected to attend Music Camp at a cost of approximately $580.00. Payment can be made in full or in two instalments, the first of which would be payable on or by Friday 28 April 2023. Attendance for Year 12 students is encouraged but optional. Year 12 students who are interested in attending should speak to Ms Springford. More details will continue to be rolled out via Ma Nishma and directly to the parents of those registered to attend camp.