Scotch College

School Captain's column September 2001

School Captain's column

Singing for the fun of it

With Term 3 nearing its conclusion and Year 12 boys busily completing SAC's in preparation for the upcoming exams, the hectic pace of school life hasn't by any means taken a back seat. With Premierships in Hockey, Gymnastics, Cross Country and Rugby, sporting success has also been prominent this term as the winter sports season has come to a conclusion.

But it was while participating and watching the House Chorals Competition recently that led me to believe that the area where the greatest change in involvement, enthusiasm and talent over my years at Scotch has been in the musical arena.

Many Scotch boys would not openly admit that they enjoy singing in front of a crowd, let alone in front of their peers. I am sure a competition in which boys sing in front of their fellow students and the school wouldn't be a common competition within other APS schools.

But with the House Chorals competition this is a reality for all boys in Year 10 and above. Many sources tell me that the House Chorals competition didn't exactly get off to a flying start at Scotch when it was reintroduced in 1987 by the then Director of Music, Mr Shirrefs. Boys were reluctant to participate and with many feeling that singing wasn't their forte, the quality level didn't reach the heights initially anticipated.

Over the past five years, however, the House Chorals Competition has developed into a stage where boys are able to sing to their utmost potential and help their House in gaining valuable Cock House points.

Last year's winner, Field House, typified how the trend of enthusiasm has been growing over recent years and Ed Clark's solo rendition of 'Hooked on a feeling' almost brought the house down in the Memorial Hall. It was his solo and the fact that he subsequently led his house to the Chorals title that seemed to act as the catalyst to inspire many other soloists, of all varieties, for this year's competition.

The growth of this particular House Competition is testimonial to the growth and diversity of the community that is Scotch College. With the recent opening of the James Forbes Academy and its glowing reports, it seems that singing has become a centre where morale and much enjoyment can be gathered. Mr Ferguson, director of music, even commented this year on the improvement in the overall quality of the music in comparison to previous years.

Such enthusiasm and involvement has to be related to the overall attitudes of the senior students in the school. More hours are spent in preparation for this event than any other House competition and it is the willingness of boys to commit themselves to rigorous training and practise that is most promising for the upcoming years.

Undoubtedly House Chorals has now turned into a theatre where great entertainment can be enjoyed for all boys. While the change has taken a while to achieve, I can now confidently say that many boys are enjoying being involved in such a competition, and with talk already of next year's competition, we only have to wait another twelve months to see what surprises and tunes each house will throw at the audience.

Sam Webb
School Captain