RSCM Qld Events - Spiritfest
     

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Why do schools become involved in the RSCM Australia Brightest & Best Secondary Schools’ Choral Festival?

  • To give your students the opportunity to sing in a choir of 400 accompanied by pipe organ, performing masterworks of sacred repertoire and contrasting musical fare.
  • The Artistic Director and Conductor of the festival will once again be Graeme Morton. Graeme has an excellent reputation for his work with high school age students. Singers who have not yet worked with Graeme will find him, dynamic, exciting, and encouraging of all students at all times. Graeme regularly directs the choral programme in festivals and schools such as MOST, Bonyi and the Southern Cross Soloist’s vacation music school in Rockhampton.
  • Students find these festivals an excellent adjunct to their studies in elective music and their experiences in their own school choirs.
  • The festival is deliberately held early in the year to kick-start your choral programme.
  • Due to the fantastic opportunities and positive student feedback many schools keep coming back!

Event Details

Friday, 27th April 2007 at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral, Ann Street, Brisbane commencing at 7.00pm.

Tickets prices are adults - $15.00, Concession - $10.00 & Family - $30.00. “Concession” means a school or university student or a retired person. “Family” refers to four members of one’s immediate family i.e. two parents and two siblings. Where families have more members (other siblings, grandparents etc.) they would need to buy adult or concession tickets or another family ticket.

Schools involved

    1. Bremer State High School
    2. Coorparoo Secondary College
    3. The Gap State High School
    4. Immanuel Lutheran College – Adelaide
    5. Immanuel Lutheran College – Maroochydore
    6. Ipswich Girls' Grammar School
    7. Mt St Michael’s College
    8. St Peters Lutheran College
    9. Villanova
    10. West Moreton Anglican College

Car parking

We have managed to have the Kings Car Park (under Cathedral Square Ann Street – across from the Cathedral itself) extend its hours until 10.00pm on the night of the performance (normally closes at 8.30pm). This will be the closest to the Cathedral and by far, the most convenient place to park. Please advise parents of this arrangement.

CD of the event available for purchase

Should you or your students wish to preorder a CD recording of the Brightest & Best performance, please return the attached order form (and associated $10.00 payment per CD) to Music Reception, West Moreton Anglican College, Keswick Road, KARRABIN, QLD 4306. Payment may be made in cheque and should be made out to RSCM Qld Youth Activities.  It will not be possible to order a CD at the performance, however we will accept orders after the event. Interested families will be asked via the programme to place their order with their associated school.

Pre-purchase tickets

Whilst there is no reserved seating in the Cathedral, guests who have pre-purchased tickets are guaranteed a seat and will not be required to queue at the door. Tickets can be purchased by money order or Cheque (made out to RSCM Qld Youth Activities).  Please print out the attached purchase form and send this with payment to Music Reception, West Moreton Anglican College, Keswick Road, KARRABIN, QLD 4306. The tickets will be mailed directly to you. If you have any queries, please contact Miss Carly Colenso on (07) 3813 4591.

The cost is adults - $15.00, Concession - $10.00 & Family - $30.00. “Concession” means a school or university student or a retired person. “Family” refers to four members of one’s immediate family i.e. two parents and two siblings. Where families have more members (other siblings, grandparents etc.) they would need to buy adult or concession tickets or another family ticket.

Associated Activity

In association with the Brightest and Best Festival, RSCM is also organising some activities for your students to be involved in. They include:

Pipe Organ Scholar Programme

  1. Allows students to learn about the pipe organ and to learn some of the basic playing techniques
  2. Will be taken by several tutors led by Dr Ralph Morton (Director of Music, St. Stephen’s Cathedral)
  3. Allows students to play the mighty Jubilee organ at St. Stephen’s (3 manuals, 1 pedal board, approx 50 stops, approx 2500 pipes) as well as other instruments in the Brisbane area. 
  4. Workshops concentrate on classical organ music (though the techniques can be adjusted for other styles of music – jazz, pop etc).  The workshops allow you to develop your ability with modern techniques and methods – recordings and videos of your playing, digital practice keyboards, computer operation etc.
  5. Sessions are open to the following:
    1. Secondary students in schools registered for Brightest and Best Festival
    2. Adults (staff and parents) associated with your school
    3. Current or intending organists at your church
  6. It is assumed that all students are either currently learning keyboard or at least have had some lessons in the past.  Workshops will be aimed at the level of each student –advanced, medium, or very basic. 
  7. Six sessions from 7.30 am – 9.30 am on the following Saturday mornings:  March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 21. 
  8. Students must commit to a few hours of practice each week. 
  9. Cost is a bargain - $25 for the whole six sessions which includes a rather thick tutor book! 
  10. Because these sessions are early on Saturday mornings (one of the few free times available at a busy Cathedral), many students will need parents to bring them and perhaps take them home.  This is strongly encouraged – parents should sit in on the workshops and will be able to contribute to them in many ways. 
  11. Students will be presented with certificates at the RSCM Brightest and Best Choral Festival – Friday evening April 27.
  12. For more information please e-mail Dr Ralph Morton (mortonr@bne.catholic.net.au)

2008 Brightest & Best Choral Composition Competition

  1. At this stage we are hoping to have another Brightest & Best Choral Festival in 2008 (usually the festival is biennially). There will be a composition competition associated with the 2008 Festival where students will be invited to compose a choral piece for the massed choir.
  2. The winner of this competition will have their composition performed by the massed choir at the festival.

Some comments made by 2005 Brightest & Best Participants

  • “What amazing work you and your committee did to organise and implement such a wonderful Choral Festival.” 
  • “The overall experience was just fantastic: music, friendly welcoming people, wonderful cathedral, great solos." I could go on and on.”
  • “From the very first email I received, I knew I wanted to get some of our choristers to Brisbane to participate in this exciting event.”
  • “I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  It is wonderful when our Brisbane colleagues take the time to include those of us from the regions.”
  • “We had an amazing time and from the bottom of our hearts we thank everyone involved. We could never hope to participate in something like this either at a school or regional level so to provide the opportunity was truly amazing.”
  • “Our billets were wonderful and all the people I met went to great length to personalise the communication”
  • My very warmest regards and congratulations