| St Malachy's Music Department 2008-9 Donal McCrisken M.A, B.Mus, M.T.D, L.T.C.L., Adv. Cert. Ed Head of department Paul Davison B.A, P.G.C.E. Teacher of music Heather Lowry B.Mus, P.G.C.E. Teacher of music Daragh Gillen B.Mus Administrative assistant Martin Wall L.T.C.L. Director of music performance/
french horn tutor Robert Briscoe B.Mus, Dip ABRSM Trumpet tutor Jonathan Griffin Dip R.C.M. Violin tutor Shelagh McLeod G.G.S.M. Violin tutor Richard Hadwen G.R.N.C.M. Viola tutor Morag Griffin A.R.C.M, D.R.S.A.M. Cello tutor Kerry Bryson B.Mus, PG Dip Mus Cello tutor Roisin Lambe Double bass tutor Phil Richardson M.A, B.Mus, L.T.C.L., P.G. Dip. R.S.M.D. Guitar tutor Anita Owens B.Mus Piano/theory tutor Ian Mills M.A., B.Mus, A.R.C.O. Sinnging tutor Colin Irvine B.Mus, C.F.S.M. Flute tutor Erwin Shaw M.A, B.Mus, M.T.D, A.R.C.M, L.T.C.L. Oboe tutor Gillian McCutcheon B.Mus, M.Mus, L.R.A.M. Clarinet tutor Julian Partridge GMus R.N.C.M., P.P.R.N.C.M. Bassoon tutor Nathan Power B.Mus, M.Mus Trombone/tuba tutor Brian Rice Ph D, B.Mus, Dip Mus Percussion tutor Patrick Davey B.Mus Traditional music tutor
Music Department Annual Report, 2007-8
This was the second year of the Music Specialist Pilot, a year in which we aimed to build on the initiatives undertaken in the first year and to spread the benefits of the programme to an ever widening circle of students both within and outside the college. It was a year rich with memorable performances, culminating with the thrilling Gala Concert in the Waterfront Hall in April. There were along the way though some more modest, if no less memorable, events such as the evening concert given by the sensationally gifted David Browne Murray prior to his departure for America to study at Berklee College, Boston. As usual boys were entered for local music festivals and Associated Board examinations in huge numbers; the marvellous results of these outings are detailed below. There seemed to be more visits than ever by St Malachy’s students to venues in the community. The Senior String Quartet and the College Traditional Groups bore the brunt of these visits to other schools, Queen’s University, the Grand Opera House and many other places. I am delighted to see that younger players are happy to fulfil these roles, and the Intermediate Quartet and Junior Traditional Group have already had the experience of representing the college at a variety of functions.
There follows a brief rundown of the main events of the year. However no mere listing can do justice to the intensity of activity in the music department. I have to pay tribute to the zeal and energy of all our students and staff. The boys who study music in this school continually bring the greatest credit on themselves and their families. They achieve the highest of standards, support each other in a generous and open fashion and continue to promote the good name of this college with little or no accounting of the cost to themselves. The music tutors are listed at the end of this article; they are just about the best collection of music tutors it is possible to gather together and we are all grateful that they put at our disposal the totality of their skill and experience.
September The world class classical guitarist Allan Neave visited the college to give a recital in the College Chapel on Friday evening 21st and a Masterclass on Saturday morning in the music department. The students and visitors who attended either or both of these events were richly rewarded as Allan proved both a wonderful performer and an excellent communicator. Thanks to our guitar tutor Phil Richardson for organising this visit.
October On Thursday 4th Gillian McCutcheon, our clarinet and saxophone tutor, gave a most entertaining lunchtime recital in M1 accompanied by Michael Harrison on piano. A most appreciative audience of pupils and staff enjoyed what proved to be the first of a series of such recitals.
The Senior String Quartet and the Traditional Group played for a group of visiting American School Principals in the Radisson Hotel. The occasion was a reception for the visitors organised by the RTU on Thursday 18th.
The Senior Quartet was in action again on 24th October in the Baby Grand auditorium of Belfast’s Grand Opera House. This time the hosts were CEA and the occasion was their annual awards ceremony.
November 7th was the date for this year’s Mass for St Malachy, attended by the entire college community and celebrated by Bishop Walsh in St Patrick’s church. The college choirs and Chamber Orchestra gave their customary support and it was notable that the whole congregation was impeccably behaved and participated in the liturgy throughout.
November also marks the start of the Music Festival season and the results for the Holywood Music Festival are outlined below.
On Monday 26th November the college hall was the venue for ‘The Road to Berklee’, a concert to mark David Browne Murray’s achievement in gaining a scholarship to Berklee College in America. David held the audience spellbound with his virtuosic display on guitar. He also played piano and was joined by John Gillen on drums. The occasion was also notable for the public appearance of Mr Paul Davison and Mr Michael Harrison as performers; both showed that, despite their modest demeanour, they are no mean exponents of jazz and popular music themselves. Guest performer on the evening was Brian Irvine, composer-in-residence with the Ulster Orchestra and an himself an alumnus of Berklee, who led our jazz ensemble in an arresting improvisation session. All in all a memorable evening.
On 30th November a group of staff and students attended an Ulster Orchestra concert in the Waterfront Hall. The tickets for these concerts are provided to the college at a greatly reduced rate and we would encourage any student to avail of the offer; visits to these concerts are advertised in the music department on a regular basis.
December dawned and with it came a clutch of pre-Christmas engagements. On 10th members of the Junior Traditional Group visited Chestnutt grove Residential Home, Somerton Road and entertained the residents with songs, airs and dances.
St Anne’s Cathedral was the venue on 13th for a charity concert in aid of the Northern Ireland Childrens Cancer Fund. Our Chamber Orchestra gave excellent performances of music by Vivaldi and Telemann in this very uplifting event.
None of the students or teachers who attended David Browne Murray’s guitar recital on the last morning of term is likely to forget the experience. He played for a full hour for the junior school and then repeated the performance for the seniors. I have never seen large groups of boys so spellbound; it was obvious to all that we were in the presence of a very rare and special talent.
The sequence of Carol Services in the College Chapel during the final week of term – one for each year group – was a memorable experience. Fr Spence led an atmospheric group of prayers, readings and music and boys from each year group played or sang for their peers. By and large the participants were very reverend and attentive and there was an encouraging response to the community carols.
January 2008. Our 2 Open Nights on 9th & 10th January were, as ever, busy occasions for several musicians. The Senior String Quartet played for guests as they arrived while individual musicians and ensembles played for the tour parties in the music department. I am highly impressed with the way in which our students handle these situations; not only do they perform willingly over and over during the evening but they answer visitors’ questions with directness and courtesy. They give prospective students and their parents a very positive first impression of our college.
On 23rd January Frank Lyons, Senior lecturer in Music at UUJ, Magee, visited the music department for the morning and delivered a fascinating seminar on composition to our GCSE, AS & A2 music students.
On 31st 8 of students delivered the monthly Rush Hour Concert at 5.00 pm in Belfast’s Central Library. The varied concert included songs, string quartet pieces and solos for clarinet, saxophone and piano.
February is dominated by the annual exodus to Ballymena Music Festival. Over 2 weeks groups of boys travelled to the beautiful new Ballymena Arts Centre and gained the valuable experiences of performing on stage to an experienced adjudicator and hearing others interpret their music. All participants are to be commended for their willingness to perform; the results for this highly successful outing are given below.
March. 20 members of the Senior Choir had the marvellous experience of joining the Belfast Philharmonic Choir for a performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in the Waterfront Hall. As well as devoting several Wednesday afternoons in M1 to learning the work we joined the Philharmonic for 3 joint rehearsals and finally hooked up with the Ulster Orchestra for a thrilling performance on the 14th. The event was conducted by Christopher Bell, originally from Northern Ireland and now a choral conductor of international stature. Working with him was a most rewarding experience, though I would have to add that both he and the Phil choir members were highly impressed with the contribution of our tenors and basses!
On 5th March the Senior String Quartet performed at the Annual RTU Graduation Ceremony in the Ramada Hotel. This group were in action again on 4th April for another annual event, the St Malachy’s Old Boys’ Dinner.
Five of our Traditional musicians spent St Patrick’s Day in Washington DC helping different groups of Americans to celebrate their sense of Irishness. Gerard McNamee, Paul McCusker, Colm O’Neill and Matthew Lenaghan joined past student Declan McLaughlin in performances at the Chamber of Commerce, Georgetown Prep School and Bethesda First Methodist Church. Several Northern Ireland politicians attended the Chamber of commerce event, a breakfast hosted by the Northern Ireland Bureau. These public figures were very struck by the talent of the boys and were generous in their attentiveness and praise.
April If the entire year of celebration was dominated in the music department by the Gala Concert in the Waterfront Hall this really kicked in for the month of April. The effort of planning, rehearsing and staging this event was herculean and the eyes of the community were on us as we took on the grandest and most ambitious of concerts. Eamon Manning had the nightmarish task of co-ordinating the arrival and rehearsal of 200 children from our Specialist Partner Schools. Our own boys had to find their way about the huge Waterfront Hall stage, practise in a very restricted time slot and be fresh for a very long concert starting at 7.30.
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