Scotch College

David's big night in May

If one musician from the 500 who participated in the May Concert, can be said to have had a really good night it would have to be David Sheludko.

David performed the exacting and taxing Trumpet Concerto by Arutunian with security, aplomb, and an individual sense of identity and style.

He maintained his presence, his smile, and his infectious enthusiasm as he performed with the Latin Doctors, the Senior Choir, the Show Band and the Symphonic Wind. A most worthy Captain of Music.

As the audience arrived at the Robert Blackwood Hall for the May Concert they were treated to some lovely playing from the Monday Morning Big Band, a new ensemble directed by Lachlan Wilson. This band is effectively the feeder band to the Show Band.

The concert opened with the familiar 'skirl' of the Pipes and Drums, and was followed by the Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's dramatic 'Egmont' Overture.

Following the Arutnian Trumpet Concerto, the Junior School Choir under its new conductor Andrew Bainbridge (Choral Director) performed two works with a beautiful tone and richness to the sound.

The Henri Touzeau String Orchestra under John Officer and The Ted Joyner Concert Band under Roger Schmidli showed great potential.

Peter Rickard skilfully concluded the first half of the concert with the Friday Live Wind Ensemble performing with dynamic variation and maturity of phrasing and tone control.

At interval the Saxophone Quartet delighted the audience, and then the Latin Doctors under Andrew Mott practically presented a concert of their own with their infectious Latin rhythms and sheer energy. The 'Docs' were in peak form, and mention must surely be made of a spectacular keyboard solo from Daniel Mathews.

The second half of the concert opened with the Year 7 massed choir with an accompaniment of percussion, bass and keyboard. Sea Chant by Peter Sculthorpe was enormously effective, while Crocodile Rock was enthusiastically received.

The Senior School Choir (under Choral Director Andrew Bainbridge) was particularly effective. It performed the famous madrigal Now is the Month of Maying by Thomas Morley and followed this with a Samoan folk song. It concluded its performance with the Cole Porter's: Don't Fence Me In.

Another ensemble which has developed very well during the last couple of years is the Show Band. This year its director, Roger Schmidli, advertised for a vocal soloist and following extensive auditions appointed Matthew Gurry.

Matthew sang Duke Ellington's Don't Get Around Much Anymore with great confidence and security. The Show Band concluded with Sesame Street which featured an excellent vibraphone solo from Felix Riebl, a full toned baritone sax solo from Charles Wark, and an exceptional drum solo from Peter Harris.

Senior Strings gave a particularly spirited rendition of the Hoe Down from Rodeo by Copeland under Head of Strings Angie Robertson, and the concert concluded with the Symphonic Wind under Andrew Mott.

Symphonic Wind has won the Gold Shield at the Melbourne Schools' Band Festival (the biggest band festival in Australia) for the last two years. It opened with the deceptively difficult Serenade by Derek Bourgeois and then proceeded to delight the audience with the Warren Barker arrangement of tunes by George Gershwin. It was a great end to a terrific concert.

Churchill Fellowship winner from the Music School

Elowyn Leonard joined the clarinet staff at Scotch at the start of the year and quickly established a superb relationship with her students and the staff alike. Elowyn won the ABC Young Performer of the Year award in 1994, and has since played concertos with all the major Australia orchestras, including the Melbourne Symphony and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. Elowyn is also a keen runner and squash player. The Churchill Fellowship has been awarded so that she can further her studies in Chicago with the clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She will be away from Scotch for the whole of Term One in 1998, and we will look forward to her return.