Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Grand Finale: Easter Matinéé








What a morning to remember with all the performing groups in the Holy Family School Hall this morning The 4th class string groups  of Mr Corbett, Mrs Faherty  and Mr Ryan  accompanied by Ms Bridge on piano performed their diverse  programme for an invited audience of friends and family in a conclusion to the Level 1 Stringschool programme.   I loved the choir's opening Sir Duke , a suitable prelude.   There were teas and coffees courtesy of the Parents' Association and the welcoming team greeted patrons and escorted them to their seats. The band under Mr Connolly sounded fab with their selection of traditional repertoire. with the Faherty Ensemble  and how stirring was the Band's selection of marches. for the finale     . 
Among the band members were fiddlers who participated in the last two year's string programme .  Thanks to Mrs Barnes for her gracious words of appreciation. 

I am very proud of all the string students on the curricular programmes at Holy Family School and it has been a privilege and a pleasure to be part of the many stranded inclusive music activity at Holy Family School Ennis.  

Here is the programme


Holy Family Senior School
proudly presents…

The Holy Family 4th Class String Ensembles 2014

With Special Guests –
The Amazing Holy Family School Choir
and
The Outstanding School Band

A matinée recital at the Hall on Friday 11th of April at 10:40am. The classes of Mrs Faherty, Mr Ryan and Mr Corbett present some of the repertoire we have worked during the terms.
Piano accompaniment and choir directed by Ms Bridge and Mrs. Hickey. Band directors- Mr Connolly and Mrs Faherty assisted by Ms Áine Lynch

Choir: Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder
Corbett Ensemble
1.        Foxtrot          pizz.             P Martin

2.        First Finger Riff / Drunken Sailor

3.        Wintertime in Russia                arco               J Martin

4.        Scale in D

5.        Sharks Out
Choir : Best Friends – from the film Madagascar
Ryan Ensemble
1.        Toreadors March           pizz           Bizet

2.        Ireland’s Call                 arco           Phil Coulter

3.        Scale in D

4.        Twinkle  Twinkle Little Star    traditional
Choir: One World
Faherty Ensemble
1.        Rock You

2.        Selection of traditional repertoire with HFSS Band  Star of County Down, Leaving Lismore, Fonn Muire

3.        Grand Finale March Medley   with Holy Family Marching Band  

Thank you for being a wonderful audience – Happy Easter!

Music at Holy Family Senior School
From the beginning, music has been an important part of education at Holy Family School. In 2012 the school was winner of the inaugural Walton’s Music in Schools competition, and the choir participated in the Peace Proms for a second successive year. The string  programme was first commissioned in 2010 by Principal Sarah Barnes. It is one of a small but growing number of  inclusive class based music tuition projects running in Irish schools with the aim  of introducing every child to playing an instrument and participating as a team with their classmates. The project is coordinated by Jillian Bridge  and the team includes class teachers Mr Ryan, Mr Corbett and Ms Faherty. Graduates of last year’s programme have continued to receive mentoring by Mr Connolly and are represented  in the HFSS Band today . To date 250 children at HFSS over three years  have now participated and received two terms of violin tuition  as part of their school curriculum and participated in a number of performances.
The HFSS Strings project director, Cathy Desmond is a  graduate of NUI Maynooth, and holds a Licentiate of Trinity College London. A qualified teacher and professional violin and viola player, she has played with a range of ensembles including, the National Youth Orchestra, Limerick; Choral Union Orchestra and the Corn Barn Players. She was awarded a National Youth Orchestra Achievement Award for her work in establishing a school orchestra in St. Peter’s College, Dunboyne.
There are several accessible routes into playing an instrument available locally. We recommend the following:
1.       Ennis Brass Band  www.ennisbrassband.com offer free tuition and instrument loan and have an intake of novices in September .

2.       Custy’s offer good value tuition in small groups at their town centre premises. Cost for small group tuition is roughly €8 a class

3.       Both Clare Music Makers and Maoin Cheoil an Chlair offer one to one tuition on a range of instruments in Ennis. It is worth considering a paired lesson to bring costs down. 
Updates, reports and photographs of the programme were posted regularly on the dedicated web site, www.holyfamilystrings.blogspot.com which can also be accessed via www.hfss.org. You can look back over the course of the project on the site and send feedback or queries  via the site. 
  
The class kit consists of half size violins and double bass.  We use Stentor 1 instruments as supplied locally by Custy’s Music Shop, Ennis

Queries:
Cathy Desmond at cdstringschool@gmail.com





Jesse accepts achievement certs on behalf of Mr Corbett's Ensemble 





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