Volume 26 Issue 17 16 Jun 2017 22 Sivan 5777

Students’ review of Music Camp

Joshua Amoils – Year 11

Gabriel Sebban – Year 11

Music Camp 2017 in 499.75 words

Music Camp this year was particularly special, marking the first time in many years that there was a change in campus. For years, students had become accustomed to the campus at Galston Gorge, so a change in venue was a fresh addition to this year’s camp. The camp took place from 5-8 June at Lane Cove National Park.

As usual, the choirs were a huge success due to the organisational skills of Mr Burley and Mr Majsay and the amazing guest choral conductor, Elizabeth Scott. She pushed each singer to their limits, encouraging them to go above and beyond in their efforts. If any readers witnessed the concert, it was clear that her advice was noted and acted upon with great enthusiasm. Whether it be to add more expression to vocal tone through facial movements, or to allow for a greater contrast within the choir by exaggerating movements, Liz, through her dedication, patience and hard work, strengthened the choirs to become more cohesive units.

The Strings component of Music Camp was also quite interesting this year, being the first time both Primary and High School String orchestras combined and focused their efforts on a piece to play together. It was amazing being able to collaborate with all the string players at Emanuel from Year 4 up, although that many people in one room did make for some especially hectic rehearsals, more so than what is typical of normal Music Camp rehearsals.

On the louder (and much less reserved) side of campus dwelled the wide range of concert bands, stage bands and jazz ensembles. After two days of excitement and the surreal, the intuitive, unworried observer would note just how remarkable a phenomenon the Concert band really is. One would notice the diversity of the instruments, a plethora of finely crafted abstruse beasts of expression and higher order art. Indeed, such tools are literally brought to life by a mellow stream of action emanating from a player’s sensitive hands, to create an acoustic mosaic of beautifully constructed noise. The lower brass section provided the background, contributing the general colour tones beneath the more defined contour of the clarinets and trumpets. Adding on an extra level of sophistication are the flutes and oboes tweaking and tinkering in subtlety, whilst the percussion section contributes the much needed structural vectors and geometry of the artwork. Finally, stretched invidiously across the entire band sits the mob of saxophones, who kind of fill in the gaps, splattering paint all over the masterpiece. In a similar vein, that same observer related the senior stage band to freshly roasted seasonal chestnuts and the jazz band to a three-legged goat, galloping majestically through prospering rye fields. Through the guidance of guest conductor Jason Isaacs as well as the brilliant Emanuel music staff, these bands were able to enhance their quality of performance and musicianship.

Music Camp 2017 was a memorable experience and we look forward to creating more quality music next year.

Joshua Amoils and Gabriel Sebban