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 4^th 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 11^th 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

Jillian Bridge jillianbridge@hfs.ennis.tinet.ie

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

Final Class

Taking a shine to a cello

A very busy day today as we put the finishing touches to our final programme. Ms Bridge joined us to rehearse the piano numbers and I called to the band room to liaise with Mr Connolly and the band.

Here is the running order for next week's concert in the Hall

Mr Corbett rehearse 9.10
Mr Ryan                 9,35
Ms Faherty +Band 10.00
Sos           10,30
Concert 11.00

Mr Corbett
Foxtrot
First Finger riff 4 chords 4 times
Wintertime in Russia Slow Fast
Scale on D
Sharks Out

Mr Ryan
Toreador's March BT                                                      
Irelands Call
Scale on D
Twinkle Bowing   two group divided tune    leader Israel Robert Alex. Mary percussion cello D6

Mrs Faherty

We Will Rock You x 2  BT
Fonn Muire 2 groups D string and A string  Down Bow Retakes
Leaving Lismore  sniff DD
March Medley   Treaty Stone Star of County Down Minstrel Boy

Draft Programme for Final Concert

                                Here is my pack up team for today . Great girls .

Here is the draft programme for our concert. 

 Choir to open 

Mrs Faherty 

Mentor Group 

Sophie , Emily, Johanna, Darryl, Frank 

County Down       First Finger Riff 

 Fonn Muire         Descending Scale two groups   D'C#B A    G F# E A  D C#B A G F#ED

Minstrel Boy        DD AA    Tremelo on A   3rd phrase   Arco 

Leaving Lismore   Two off beat quavers on D

Mr Ryan

Toreador's March     Twsice ?
Scale On D
Twinkle Twinkle   Bowing Rhythm Only tutti
                            Two Groups
                            Tutti with Band

 Ireland's Call  b  Mary Robert Alex Loren

Mr Corbett 

Foxtrot
1st Finger riff   Drunken Sailor
Wintertime in Russia   Slow Fast
 Hot Cross |Buns

Ceolchoirm sa Halla

CONCERT DATE ANNOUNCED   April 11th

Bhí béim ar cheoil Gaelach inniu agus bainn me an taitneamh as an cheolchoirm sa halla.

I went to fear HFSS Band this morning and Ms Faherty's class began work on some ostinatos to play with the band at our concert. Great to see all last years students settled into full participation in the band.

Star of County Down

First finger riff modified

Star of County Down 

A A A A G G G G A A A A  G G G G

A A A A G G G G A A G G  A A A A



E E E E D D D D  E E E  E  D D D D 

A A A A G G G G A A G G  A A A A

The Minstrel Boy 
Ta Ta  sh sh   2 strings
Fonn Muire 

Descending scale D  triplets 

Fort Dunree   4 quavers   G and D 

Mr Ryan 
Scale on D 
Work on Twinkle

Rhythm only

pizz fingers  Q and A

Mr Corbett
Hot Cross Buns

First Finger Riff Drunken Sailor

Seachtain na Gaeilge Special

Is é Seachtain na Gaeilge. Bhi go leor mar gheall ar ceol damhsa ar an chláir inniu. Tá suim sa ceol Gaelach ar fud an domhain. Riverdance , a theatre show based on Irish traditional dance has been touring the world for 20 years and has been seen and loved by millions all over the world. The show grew from a a six minute interval act in an international song competition. Dublin was hosting the competition that year. You can see for yourself what made us so excited Here is interval act from the 1994 in the clip below. The best bit I think is when the two solo dancers are joined by the full company of dancers about 4 and 1/2 minutes in . The dancers feet in hard dancing shoes made a great percussion sound


Here are the rhythms we played today


Port - Jig 6/8 The Irish Washerwoman Wriggleys chewing gum


Ríl -Reel 4 beats in a bar. McLeod's Reel Kilfenora Cei-li Dan-cer


Polka John Ryan's Polka 1 2 1 skip rhythm


Hornpipe- 4 beats like a reel but slower tempo

Heartbeat rhythm (dotted rhythm) Cornpíopa Off to California


I enjoyed my visit as a guest to 2nd class today for more singing and playing.

Buíochas díobh go léir.

Thank you to Ms Forde's 2nd class fora wonderful rendition of The Lost Sheep







Which rhythm suits a jig best

http://www.thespeks.com/index.php  Check out The Speks of Glasses Island for more songs and Irish music

Tempo Changes: Allegro/Andante

It was good to be back today after a break due to bad weather plus half term break. Here is what we did today.


Chord changes for tango La Cumparsita   Mrs F
Twinkle rhythm only
Twinkle fingers down pizz
Tempo allegro/andante Wintertime in Russia

Mr Corbett
Sharks Out

Sharks and Stars

My pack up team . Thanks

We are moving in to  the last phase of our level 1 beginners course. Here is what we did today ,

Groups 1/2   Twinkle Twinkle
              Scale on D

Step 1 Tap Your toe and say /sing the letter names

Step 2 Play pizz and say/ sing letters

Step 3 Shadow bow and sing letter names

Step 4 Play the rhythm on any open string

Step 5 Bow and play the whole tune working on one phrase at a time

Group 3   New Tune 

Sharks Out 

Now You Has Jazz . Check Out the video on the Right