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
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: