Scotch College

James Morrison and Showband together again

As a final preparation for the May Concert, the 70 strong choir was sentenced to be incarcerated at Castlemaine Gaol for some intensive choral training under the direction of our new Choral Director, Mr Andrew Hunter. Andrew was ably assisted by the recently appointed Head of Junior School Music and Conductor of the Junior Choir, Miss Jenni Allen, and another neophyte to Scotch, Mr David Brown of the Maths Department, who was formerly an organ and choral scholar at Cambridge University.

Castlemaine Gaol has been refurbished since it ceased to be a formal prison in 1990, and is now a very comfortable place to spend a few days. It is ideally suited to requirements placed upon it for the Choir Camp, having plenty of suitable rooms for sectional rehearsals, and a large conference room for the full choir. A side benefit for the staff was that once everyone was 'locked up' (two to a cell) for the night, it was exceptionally easy to supervise! The boys were given a detailed tour of the prison and told its history, which included some of the blacker chapters of Australia's penal system. The weather was beautiful, the food excellent and we all arrived back at Scotch a little early - time off for good behaviour, no doubt.

Off to the USA

Stephen Liew has won a scholarship to participate in an American Summer School Camp for Symphonic Wind players. He will be flown to the International Music Camp in North Dakota to participate as a percussionist. Stephen is the timpanist in the school Symphony Orchestra, and percussionist in the Symphonic Wind. He is also a most capable pianist, having gained his A.Mus.A on piano last year while in Year 9, and also played harpsichord for the recent Chamber Orchestra tour to Asia.