Students from St Patrick’s Wallsend, St Columba’s Adamstown, St Joseph’s Merewether, Holy Family Merewether Beach, St John’s Lambton and St Therese’s New Lambton spent the day taking part in a variety of choral workshops, before closing the day with a concert.
A number of students from St Pius (choir, concert band, sound technicians and photographers) assisted the teachers and primary students throughout the day.
The 50-minute workshops were facilitated by Anna Kerrigan, Artistic Director of ASPIRE, Michael Nolan, from The Michael Nolan Vocal Studio and Mrs Asha Lunarzewski, St Pius Music Teacher and Choir Director. Each workshop focussed on a different aspect of singing.
Michael Nolan’s sessions encouraged the young singers to think about the lyrics they were singing, focussing on the importance of reading lyrics and matching physical performance – expressions and body language – to the words being sung.
Anna Kerrigan focussed on musical theatre as students participated in a number of fun exercises, making lots of different sounds to get the articulators working. Students also learnt the song Seasons of Love from the musical Rent and were encouraged to come up with their own movements to help them practice thinking creatively and take ownership of the piece.
Asha Lunarzewski taught students how to enhance singing in a choir by adding harmonies. The St Pius choir members assisted during the workshop, teaching the younger singers about different vocal parts. During the workshop students learnt two songs; Siyahamba (a South African hymn in Zulu language) and If I Could Only Imagine.
The day concluded with a concert where each of the primary schools performed a song. The concert finished with a combined choir singing Seasons of Love, Siyahamba and If I Could Only Imagine.
It was a day full of joy and laughter as the students met potential future friends and enjoyed their time being part of the St Pius community.
The day provided a wonderful opportunity to excite the primary students about the opportunities that await them in the Performing Arts at St Pius, with plenty of positive feedback from staff, students and parents.
Photography by Emily Wilson.
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