st johns prep and senior school - music matters - june/july 2014 newsletter

16
music matters Issue #09 Jun/Jul 2014 ST. JOHN’S PREP. & SENIOR SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINE The instrument you cannot touch in order to play C H O I R T O U R T O R O M E T h e P r e p . S c h o o l c h o i r e m b a r k o n t h e i r f i r s t m u s i c t o u r o v e r s e a s PREP. SCHOOL SUMMER CONCERT R e h e a r s a l p h o t o s a n d s h o w i n f o r m a t i o n THERAMIN School Edition LES MISÉRABLES We look back at the success of our Easter term production by the Senior school A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 1 09/06/2014 11:45

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St Johns Prep and Senior School music newsletter. The June/July 2014 edition of the schools newsletter.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

music matters Issue #09 Jun/Jul 2014

ST. JOHN’S PREP. & SENIOR SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINE

The instrument you cannot touch in

order to play

CHOIR TOUR TO ROME The Prep. School choir embark on their first music tour overseas

PREP. SCHOOL SUMMER CONCERT Rehearsal photos and show information

THERAMIN

School Edition LES MISÉRABLES

We look back at the success of our Easter term production by

the Senior school

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 1 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 2: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

2

Editor’s MESSAGE

Dear reader, Welcome to this new issue of Music Matters! And what a busy year 2014 has turned out to be. Visits, performances and even a music tour have been taking place over the last two terms. Following the two very successful Christmas shows at the end of last year, we have been focusing our time on the two yearly musical productions, which St. John’s puts on across both the Prep. and Senior schools. In the autumn term, we staged a highly successful production of Les Misérables with the Senior school, and are currently well underway with rehearsals for Aladdin Jr., which is the Prep school’s choice of musical this year. The new Lower Transitus Recorder Club, led by Mrs. Bowman, will be making their debut performance at the Lower School Summer Concert for the Prep. School on the 24th of June, so make sure you get your tickets for that! Aladdin Jr. will also run at the Wyllyotts Theatre on the 3rd of July, the penultimate day of the academic year, so do get your tickets early in order to avoid disappointment. I hope you enjoy this issue! MR. JONATHAN ANG Editor Music Matters

CONTENTS

3

4

7

8 10

11

12

13

15 16

16

Choir Tour to Rome

Prep School: Lower School Summer Show

Visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hall

Lower Transitus Recorder Club

LES MISÉRABLES: School Edition Review

Featured Instrument: Theramin

Featured Artiste: Clean Bandit

Featured Article: Most Popular Musical Instruments

Prep School: Aladdin Jr. Rehearsals

Featured Young Musician

Spiral Crossword

3

Clean Bandit are a British electronic group, founded in Cambridge six years ago. They are perhaps best known for their first UK Singles Chart-topping single, “Rather Be”, featuring elements of classical music, along with a dance music beat. “Rather Be” remained UK’s number one single for four weeks.

OF This issue FEATURED ARTISTE

Every month this newsletter will feature a musician, artiste, composer or singer for you to discover. Remember, if you want to know more about the featured artiste of the month,

you can always find more on the internet, especially on YouTube!

CLEAN BANDIT

Clean Bandit’s music has its own distinct sound, which has been often described as ’fusion’ music, mixing electronic music with classical features. The group’s four members, Jack, Grace, Neil and Luke, first met while they were studying at Jesus College at the University of Cambridge. Neil and Grace are both string players, and back then Jack would record their performances and start re-mixing them with drum beats and other electronic music. They would then ask their friends to write lyrics for their pieces and sing on these recordings, a process which they still use today. Today, Clean Bandit like to refer to themselves as “pioneers of electronic chamber music”, and between them they hold seven Cambridge degrees ranging from

Russian to Architecture! Although they might not be quite the people you would expect to go into making seriously cool electro-classical tunes, they have curtained proven themselves with their success of “Rather Be”. Some of their music either features or is heavily inspired by well-known classical composers, especially Mozart’s string music, which is natural given how Grace is a trained cellist and Neil is an experienced violinist. Clean Bandit are also well-known for their elaborate music videos, which they mostly film and produce themselves. In fact, their style of filming is so unique that Channel 4 has approached them to make something “fictional and hopefully interactive”. They certainly are a very talented quartet indeed!

FAMOUS CONCERT VENUES

trict of Singapore. It is best known for its very unique roof design, which is made using triangulated glass which act as sunshades. This is essential as it prevents the entire building from becoming a giant greenhouse in Singapore’s tropical hot weather! The shape of its dome is said to closely resemble the durian, a tropical fruit with a spiky exterior, or the eyes of a fly. Hence, the building is colloquially known to locals as “The Durians”. The entire complex consists of a 1,600-seat concert hall, a 2,000-seat theatre and two smaller, more intimate recital and theatre studios,

The ESPLANADE THEATRE is located in the Marina Bay dis-

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 2 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 3: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

2

Editor’s MESSAGE

Dear reader, Welcome to this new issue of Music Matters! And what a busy year 2014 has turned out to be. Visits, performances and even a music tour have been taking place over the last two terms. Following the two very successful Christmas shows at the end of last year, we have been focusing our time on the two yearly musical productions, which St. John’s puts on across both the Prep. and Senior schools. In the autumn term, we staged a highly successful production of Les Misérables with the Senior school, and are currently well underway with rehearsals for Aladdin Jr., which is the Prep school’s choice of musical this year. The new Lower Transitus Recorder Club, led by Mrs. Bowman, will be making their debut performance at the Lower School Summer Concert for the Prep. School on the 24th of June, so make sure you get your tickets for that! Aladdin Jr. will also run at the Wyllyotts Theatre on the 3rd of July, the penultimate day of the academic year, so do get your tickets early in order to avoid disappointment. I hope you enjoy this issue! MR. JONATHAN ANG Editor Music Matters

CONTENTS

3

4

7

8 10

11

12

13

15 16

16

Choir Tour to Rome

Prep School: Lower School Summer Show

Visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hall

Lower Transitus Recorder Club

LES MISÉRABLES: School Edition Review

Featured Instrument: Theramin

Featured Artiste: Clean Bandit

Featured Article: Most Popular Musical Instruments

Prep School: Aladdin Jr. Rehearsals

Featured Young Musician

Spiral Crossword

3

Clean Bandit are a British electronic group, founded in Cambridge six years ago. They are perhaps best known for their first UK Singles Chart-topping single, “Rather Be”, featuring elements of classical music, along with a dance music beat. “Rather Be” remained UK’s number one single for four weeks.

OF This issue FEATURED ARTISTE

Every month this newsletter will feature a musician, artiste, composer or singer for you to discover. Remember, if you want to know more about the featured artiste of the month,

you can always find more on the internet, especially on YouTube!

CLEAN BANDIT

Clean Bandit’s music has its own distinct sound, which has been often described as ’fusion’ music, mixing electronic music with classical features. The group’s four members, Jack, Grace, Neil and Luke, first met while they were studying at Jesus College at the University of Cambridge. Neil and Grace are both string players, and back then Jack would record their performances and start re-mixing them with drum beats and other electronic music. They would then ask their friends to write lyrics for their pieces and sing on these recordings, a process which they still use today. Today, Clean Bandit like to refer to themselves as “pioneers of electronic chamber music”, and between them they hold seven Cambridge degrees ranging from

Russian to Architecture! Although they might not be quite the people you would expect to go into making seriously cool electro-classical tunes, they have curtained proven themselves with their success of “Rather Be”. Some of their music either features or is heavily inspired by well-known classical composers, especially Mozart’s string music, which is natural given how Grace is a trained cellist and Neil is an experienced violinist. Clean Bandit are also well-known for their elaborate music videos, which they mostly film and produce themselves. In fact, their style of filming is so unique that Channel 4 has approached them to make something “fictional and hopefully interactive”. They certainly are a very talented quartet indeed!

FAMOUS CONCERT VENUES

trict of Singapore. It is best known for its very unique roof design, which is made using triangulated glass which act as sunshades. This is essential as it prevents the entire building from becoming a giant greenhouse in Singapore’s tropical hot weather! The shape of its dome is said to closely resemble the durian, a tropical fruit with a spiky exterior, or the eyes of a fly. Hence, the building is colloquially known to locals as “The Durians”. The entire complex consists of a 1,600-seat concert hall, a 2,000-seat theatre and two smaller, more intimate recital and theatre studios,

The ESPLANADE THEATRE is located in the Marina Bay dis-

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 3 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 4: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

4

ST John’s PREP. SCHOOL

CHOIR TOUR In March this year, the Prep School choir embarked on their first ever overseas performance tour to the Italian capital of Rome. Nineteen young and talented singers, led by their choir director Mr. Ang, departed in the early morning hours of 10 March for a week-long trip where the choir would give four performances, sing at one church service and embark on three-and-a-half days of solid sight-seeing around the city. This was all pre-empted by plenty of preparation over the course of the Spring Term, where the choir worked extremely hard to per-fect a diverse repertoire of a dozen songs as well as learn the dif-ferent anthems to be sung for a Eucharist service. Their hard work was clearly demonstrated throughout their performances, and they were in turn rewarded with the consistently positive feedback given by the teachers and pupils of the schools, which we visited and sang at. Throughout our trip, we visited three different international schools in Rome: the St George’s British International School, Ambrit Interna-tional School and Rome International School. The choir had the pleasure to sing to other pupils ranging from Year 1 to Year 8, as well as the opportunity to sing with Ambrit’s own choir on stage in a collaborative performance of John Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth.

A visit to the grand Colosseum.

Exploring one of the many piazzas in Rome.

The choir also sang for the Anglican parish in Rome at a service at All Saints’ Church, located in the centre of the city. Given how this was the choir’s first ever experience singing as a chapel choir, it was one to be remembered fondly, albeit a challenging one in terms of preparation. Nonetheless, they sang beautifully and it was certainly a wonderful oppor-tunity to hear their sound reverberate throughout the grand building. In addition, the choir had a brilliant time exploring the sights, sounds and taste of this culturally-rich city. Throughout the week, the choir was taken on visits to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel and even an underground crypt, just to name a few. It provided and su-perb insight into the glory and grandeur that was Ancient Rome, as well as an educational understanding of how papal Rome was established and how its legacy still lasts till this day. The choir also had the opportunity to tuck into the gastronomic treats on offer, ranging from visits to different gelato shops and pizzerias to a luxu-rious dinner at Hard Rock Café. On our final day in Rome, the choir also had the chance to stock up on souvenirs to bring home. The St. John’s Prep School choir hope to ride on their success of this inaugu-ral overseas performance tour and hope to embark on another one in the next academic year. Singing at All Saint’s Church

along Via del Babuino.

5

“Whilst we were in Rome, we got to meet so many different people — our tour guides, the teachers at all the different schools as well as the pupils all received us warmly and helped us along the way. Our singers had a chance to interact with other pupils from all different parts of the world, and we even dined with them. Our tour guides, in particular, were also wonderful. They were extremely knowledgeable and showed remarkable tenacity when it came to leading a group of children, traipsing around the very busy streets of Rome! When we returned, I thought it would be nice to send all of them a thank you note, but using photos of the choir in action at different venues. Here is what I have come up with, see if you can spot someone you recognise!”

- Mr. Ang

CHOIR TOUR

“We were all a bit nerv-ous at the very begin-ning, because it was our first performance in Rome! It was a good

challenge singing outdoors as we had to project our voices in order to be able to be heard.”

Sophia, F.2

St. George’s British International School in Rome

(Nomentana Campus)

St. George’s British International School in Rome (La Sorta Campus)

“We really enjoyed visit-ing this school! Apart from singing, we en-joyed their playground and went on their

climbing frame and hung upside down! During lunch, I made a friend called Jade as well.

Nitu, F.2

Ambrit International School

When we first entered the school, we were amazed by the impres-sive display of flags in the foyer. We were giv-

en the chance to visit the school library and read some of their books. After that, we went to the dining hall and we performed for the entire school.

Michelle, F.2

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 4 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 5: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

4

ST John’s PREP. SCHOOL

CHOIR TOUR In March this year, the Prep School choir embarked on their first ever overseas performance tour to the Italian capital of Rome. Nineteen young and talented singers, led by their choir director Mr. Ang, departed in the early morning hours of 10 March for a week-long trip where the choir would give four performances, sing at one church service and embark on three-and-a-half days of solid sight-seeing around the city. This was all pre-empted by plenty of preparation over the course of the Spring Term, where the choir worked extremely hard to per-fect a diverse repertoire of a dozen songs as well as learn the dif-ferent anthems to be sung for a Eucharist service. Their hard work was clearly demonstrated throughout their performances, and they were in turn rewarded with the consistently positive feedback given by the teachers and pupils of the schools, which we visited and sang at. Throughout our trip, we visited three different international schools in Rome: the St George’s British International School, Ambrit Interna-tional School and Rome International School. The choir had the pleasure to sing to other pupils ranging from Year 1 to Year 8, as well as the opportunity to sing with Ambrit’s own choir on stage in a collaborative performance of John Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth.

A visit to the grand Colosseum.

Exploring one of the many piazzas in Rome.

The choir also sang for the Anglican parish in Rome at a service at All Saints’ Church, located in the centre of the city. Given how this was the choir’s first ever experience singing as a chapel choir, it was one to be remembered fondly, albeit a challenging one in terms of preparation. Nonetheless, they sang beautifully and it was certainly a wonderful oppor-tunity to hear their sound reverberate throughout the grand building. In addition, the choir had a brilliant time exploring the sights, sounds and taste of this culturally-rich city. Throughout the week, the choir was taken on visits to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel and even an underground crypt, just to name a few. It provided and su-perb insight into the glory and grandeur that was Ancient Rome, as well as an educational understanding of how papal Rome was established and how its legacy still lasts till this day. The choir also had the opportunity to tuck into the gastronomic treats on offer, ranging from visits to different gelato shops and pizzerias to a luxu-rious dinner at Hard Rock Café. On our final day in Rome, the choir also had the chance to stock up on souvenirs to bring home. The St. John’s Prep School choir hope to ride on their success of this inaugu-ral overseas performance tour and hope to embark on another one in the next academic year. Singing at All Saint’s Church

along Via del Babuino.

5

“Whilst we were in Rome, we got to meet so many different people — our tour guides, the teachers at all the different schools as well as the pupils all received us warmly and helped us along the way. Our singers had a chance to interact with other pupils from all different parts of the world, and we even dined with them. Our tour guides, in particular, were also wonderful. They were extremely knowledgeable and showed remarkable tenacity when it came to leading a group of children, traipsing around the very busy streets of Rome! When we returned, I thought it would be nice to send all of them a thank you note, but using photos of the choir in action at different venues. Here is what I have come up with, see if you can spot someone you recognise!”

- Mr. Ang

CHOIR TOUR

“We were all a bit nerv-ous at the very begin-ning, because it was our first performance in Rome! It was a good

challenge singing outdoors as we had to project our voices in order to be able to be heard.”

Sophia, F.2

St. George’s British International School in Rome

(Nomentana Campus)

St. George’s British International School in Rome (La Sorta Campus)

“We really enjoyed visit-ing this school! Apart from singing, we en-joyed their playground and went on their

climbing frame and hung upside down! During lunch, I made a friend called Jade as well.

Nitu, F.2

Ambrit International School

When we first entered the school, we were amazed by the impres-sive display of flags in the foyer. We were giv-

en the chance to visit the school library and read some of their books. After that, we went to the dining hall and we performed for the entire school.

Michelle, F.2

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 5 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 6: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

6

CHOIR TOUR

Rome International School

I enjoyed visiting and performing at this school, partly because I also made a friend over lunchtime. His

name was Daniel and he was Ital-ian! We sang in their sports hall to quite a large audience. It was slightly nerve-wrecking!

Roham, F.2

All Saints’ Church, Rome

When we arrived at the church, we were amazed by the lovely decorations on the walls. We sang a few

hymns and anthems, and a few of us also took Holy Communion as well. Some of our parents even came all the way from London to watch us sing, which was such a proud moment for me!

Madeline, F.2

In Rome, we not only sang, but explored lots of the city as well. We saw many sights, such as the Pantheon, the Fontana di Trevi and St. Peter’s Basilica. Rome is famous for its art and grand architec-ture, so there was much to see and do! It was a truly fantastic experience and a great opportunity to

see all the different sights. My favourite attraction was the Fontana di Trevi, as it is an enormous fountain with many intricate statues. Leg-end has it that if you throw toss a coin behind your left shoulder into the fountain, you will be granted lots of good luck and fortune. The Catacombs, which we visited on our last day, were the scariest part of the trip for me! There were countless of weaving underground tunnels over four levels, and it felt claustrophobic especially when we started going deeper. Luckily, we did not go too far as most of the Catacombs are still closed off to visitors for safety reasons! Our trip to Rome was a memorable experience, and it will remain in my memory for a long time to come. Anahitha, F.3

7

CHOIR TOUR

Lower Transitus

The Lower Tranistus children who take part in Recorder Club every week are looking forward to their first public performance. This is a free club that takes place at lunchtime. It introduces the children to reading standard musical notation and it is often a stepping stone to play-ing a more difficult instrument as the child matures.

The entire trip was such a fascinating experience for us! We visited lots of different ancient sites, and felt it was easier to learn about the history of Rome when we could actually see it in front of our eyes. It certainly beats just reading about it in a book! It was also amazing to be able to experience things that other people usually talk about.

The artwork was really detailed in the Sistine Chapel, and it was incredible how they managed to do such an amazing job on the walls - I find it hard to paint, even on paper! We were all wowed by Michelangelo's tenacity and patience. The Time Elevator, which was a 3D ride with moving seats, was good fun but also really informative because it helped us to understand the history of Rome in an enjoyable and adventurous manner. We were quite surprised to see that so much of the Colosseum was still standing, given how ancient it was! We also enjoyed walking along the streets of Rome - they were really colourful because there were lots of people selling all different sorts of things. Over the course of the trip, we also had a chance to try out some famous Italian gelato on a couple of occasions. They were really tasty, and came in lots of different flavours! We had a great time shopping on the last day, as we finally had the chance to buy some souvenirs that we had seen being sold at all these different tourist attractions!

Olivia & Sarina, F.3s

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 6 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 7: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

6

CHOIR TOUR

Rome International School

I enjoyed visiting and performing at this school, partly because I also made a friend over lunchtime. His

name was Daniel and he was Ital-ian! We sang in their sports hall to quite a large audience. It was slightly nerve-wrecking!

Roham, F.2

All Saints’ Church, Rome

When we arrived at the church, we were amazed by the lovely decorations on the walls. We sang a few

hymns and anthems, and a few of us also took Holy Communion as well. Some of our parents even came all the way from London to watch us sing, which was such a proud moment for me!

Madeline, F.2

In Rome, we not only sang, but explored lots of the city as well. We saw many sights, such as the Pantheon, the Fontana di Trevi and St. Peter’s Basilica. Rome is famous for its art and grand architec-ture, so there was much to see and do! It was a truly fantastic experience and a great opportunity to

see all the different sights. My favourite attraction was the Fontana di Trevi, as it is an enormous fountain with many intricate statues. Leg-end has it that if you throw toss a coin behind your left shoulder into the fountain, you will be granted lots of good luck and fortune. The Catacombs, which we visited on our last day, were the scariest part of the trip for me! There were countless of weaving underground tunnels over four levels, and it felt claustrophobic especially when we started going deeper. Luckily, we did not go too far as most of the Catacombs are still closed off to visitors for safety reasons! Our trip to Rome was a memorable experience, and it will remain in my memory for a long time to come. Anahitha, F.3

7

CHOIR TOUR

Lower Transitus

The Lower Tranistus children who take part in Recorder Club every week are looking forward to their first public performance. This is a free club that takes place at lunchtime. It introduces the children to reading standard musical notation and it is often a stepping stone to play-ing a more difficult instrument as the child matures.

The entire trip was such a fascinating experience for us! We visited lots of different ancient sites, and felt it was easier to learn about the history of Rome when we could actually see it in front of our eyes. It certainly beats just reading about it in a book! It was also amazing to be able to experience things that other people usually talk about.

The artwork was really detailed in the Sistine Chapel, and it was incredible how they managed to do such an amazing job on the walls - I find it hard to paint, even on paper! We were all wowed by Michelangelo's tenacity and patience. The Time Elevator, which was a 3D ride with moving seats, was good fun but also really informative because it helped us to understand the history of Rome in an enjoyable and adventurous manner. We were quite surprised to see that so much of the Colosseum was still standing, given how ancient it was! We also enjoyed walking along the streets of Rome - they were really colourful because there were lots of people selling all different sorts of things. Over the course of the trip, we also had a chance to try out some famous Italian gelato on a couple of occasions. They were really tasty, and came in lots of different flavours! We had a great time shopping on the last day, as we finally had the chance to buy some souvenirs that we had seen being sold at all these different tourist attractions!

Olivia & Sarina, F.3s

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 7 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 8: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 8 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 9: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 9 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 10: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

10

Of this issue Featured Instrument

In every issue we will feature an instrument, which might be a common instrument, or sometimes a strange

and mystic-looking one instead! If you would like to see it in action, simply visit YouTube and type in the instrument name, and there you have it! If you would like to learn a new instrument, simply

speak to your music teacher and they will point you in the right direction.

THERAMIN

T he theramin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer; it is also know as a thereminist. It is named after its Russian inventor, Léon Theremin, who made the first theramin in 1928. As you can see from the picture on the

right, the theramin consists of two metal antennas, which sense the position of the player’s hands, with the left hand controlling the volume and the right hand controlling the pitch. The electric signals from the theramin are then sent to an amp or loudspeaker, in a similar way an electric guitar or electric bass is amplified. Whilst the theramin looks like a straightforward and simple instrument, it is actually notoriously difficult to play. This is because it is harder to control the movement of one’s hands when it is suspended in mid-air. Compare that to the piano, where fingers are able to strike individual keys, or the violin, where the violinist can press on specific strings laid out on a fret board, and you will realise that these instruments are relatively easier to pick up and learn when you compare that to the theramin. Also, unlike touched instruments, where simply halting play or damping a resonator silences the instrument, the thereminist must "play the rests, as well as the notes". However, the sound which the theramin produces is a most ethereal, haunting sound which you cannot replicate or find elsewhere. Theramins today are often used in film music, although some modern classical composers have also written music for theramins. One of them was Australian composer Percy Grainger, who often wrote for ensembles consisting of four to six theramins. It is also used in popular music by bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Beach Boys.

Even popular fictional characters have taken to this strange and peculiar instrument as well. On the left you can see Sheldon Cooper from TV’s The Big Bang Theory trying out his latest gadget – a theramin! For those of you in Year 5, you will also recall watching comedian and theramin enthusiast Bill Bailey playing a theremin during his performance of Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, which was part of your lesson topic on the orchestra and what it is made up of.

And here we have included a few photos of theraminsts in action. As you can see, it is possible to be quite animated when playing this instrument, especially when you have nothing to hold on to!

11

So-called 'gut strings' for acoustic Spanish guitars were originally made from the small intestines of slaughtered sheep. The production material only changed to nylon during World War II, when all available gut was used in the production of surgical thread for wounded soldiers.

The longest piano piece of any kind is 'Vexations' by Erik Satie. It consists of a 180-note composition which, on the composer's orders, must be repeated 840 times so that the whole performance is 18 hours, 40 minutes. Its first reported public performance in September 1963, in the Pocket Theater, New York City, required a team of 10 pianists. The New York Times critic fell asleep at 4 a.m. and the audience dwindled to six audience members. At the conclusion, one audience member shouted, “Encore!”

Tap dancing originates from Irish clog dancing and what is called the

Irish reel and jig.

School Lower

SUMMER CONCERT at the Prep. School

This term, the Lower School children have been working towards their performances for the Lower School Summer Concert. We will hear songs from each year group, as well as instrumental ensembles and soloists. On top of that, we will also be treated to the first performance by the Lower Transitus Recorder Club. The date for the concert is Tuesday, 24th June and it will take place at St. Mary and All Saints Church in Potters Bar. We hope to see many of you there for a lovely evening of music.

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 10 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 11: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

10

Of this issue Featured Instrument

In every issue we will feature an instrument, which might be a common instrument, or sometimes a strange

and mystic-looking one instead! If you would like to see it in action, simply visit YouTube and type in the instrument name, and there you have it! If you would like to learn a new instrument, simply

speak to your music teacher and they will point you in the right direction.

THERAMIN

T he theramin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer; it is also know as a thereminist. It is named after its Russian inventor, Léon Theremin, who made the first theramin in 1928. As you can see from the picture on the

right, the theramin consists of two metal antennas, which sense the position of the player’s hands, with the left hand controlling the volume and the right hand controlling the pitch. The electric signals from the theramin are then sent to an amp or loudspeaker, in a similar way an electric guitar or electric bass is amplified. Whilst the theramin looks like a straightforward and simple instrument, it is actually notoriously difficult to play. This is because it is harder to control the movement of one’s hands when it is suspended in mid-air. Compare that to the piano, where fingers are able to strike individual keys, or the violin, where the violinist can press on specific strings laid out on a fret board, and you will realise that these instruments are relatively easier to pick up and learn when you compare that to the theramin. Also, unlike touched instruments, where simply halting play or damping a resonator silences the instrument, the thereminist must "play the rests, as well as the notes". However, the sound which the theramin produces is a most ethereal, haunting sound which you cannot replicate or find elsewhere. Theramins today are often used in film music, although some modern classical composers have also written music for theramins. One of them was Australian composer Percy Grainger, who often wrote for ensembles consisting of four to six theramins. It is also used in popular music by bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Beach Boys.

Even popular fictional characters have taken to this strange and peculiar instrument as well. On the left you can see Sheldon Cooper from TV’s The Big Bang Theory trying out his latest gadget – a theramin! For those of you in Year 5, you will also recall watching comedian and theramin enthusiast Bill Bailey playing a theremin during his performance of Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, which was part of your lesson topic on the orchestra and what it is made up of.

And here we have included a few photos of theraminsts in action. As you can see, it is possible to be quite animated when playing this instrument, especially when you have nothing to hold on to!

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So-called 'gut strings' for acoustic Spanish guitars were originally made from the small intestines of slaughtered sheep. The production material only changed to nylon during World War II, when all available gut was used in the production of surgical thread for wounded soldiers.

The longest piano piece of any kind is 'Vexations' by Erik Satie. It consists of a 180-note composition which, on the composer's orders, must be repeated 840 times so that the whole performance is 18 hours, 40 minutes. Its first reported public performance in September 1963, in the Pocket Theater, New York City, required a team of 10 pianists. The New York Times critic fell asleep at 4 a.m. and the audience dwindled to six audience members. At the conclusion, one audience member shouted, “Encore!”

Tap dancing originates from Irish clog dancing and what is called the

Irish reel and jig.

School Lower

SUMMER CONCERT at the Prep. School

This term, the Lower School children have been working towards their performances for the Lower School Summer Concert. We will hear songs from each year group, as well as instrumental ensembles and soloists. On top of that, we will also be treated to the first performance by the Lower Transitus Recorder Club. The date for the concert is Tuesday, 24th June and it will take place at St. Mary and All Saints Church in Potters Bar. We hope to see many of you there for a lovely evening of music.

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Page 12: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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V ISIT to the Queen Elizabeth Hall

SOUTHBANK CENTRE On 29 January, 2014, Prep School pupils from F.1 to F.3 were taken on a day out at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to watch the London Sinfonietta perform at a concert titled Right Here, Right Now, which is part of a series of educational con-certs aimed at primary schools. At this concert, pupils were given the opportunity to experience what it was like to at-tend a classical concert, as well as listen to a myriad of lesser-known but nonetheless engaging works by composers such as Xenakis, Rimsky-Korsakov and Takemitsu. For some of our pupils, it was the first time they had the opportunity to visit the Queen Elizabeth Hall, an iconic per-forming arts venue which, with its brutalist style of architecture, stands in great contrast to the Royal Festival Hall situ-ated just next door. The concert itself certainly was an inspiring experience for both pupils and staff, and we particularly enjoyed the bit where recorded sound was played through innocuous corners of the concert hall - that certainly had all of us turning our heads trying to figure what is going on!

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On the evening of 26 April, Senior School pupils from St. John’s embarked on their most ambitious musical production yet at the Wyllyott’s Theatre in Pot-ters Bar. Following months of intense rehearsals, toiling through sweat and tears, they were finally ready to stage their own version of the longest-running musical in the world: Les Misérables. And a stunningly wonderful job they did indeed! From the poignant, solo num-bers such as I Dreamed A Dream and On My Own to the rousing, rapturous ensemble numbers such as Do You Hear The People Sing? and At The End of the Day, the cast managed to captivate their 916-strong audience from start to finish, eking out quite a few tears and plenty of laughs along the way.

Of course, it takes more than just actors onstage to make a great production, and the evening’s success is also owed in part to the hard work put in by our volunteer backstage helpers, assistant stage and costume managers, makeup artists, and sound and light engineers, most of whom were also pupils from St. John’s. Despina-maria Artemiou (2nd form) also demonstrated her stellar artistic ability by designing the front cover of the evening’s performance playbill, shown above.

This excellent presentation was, of course, buoyed by the gripping performances of our main cast members, such as Alexander Evans (4th form) as Jean Valjean, Thomas Judt (Lower 6th) as Inspector Javert, Rose Pashazadeh (4th form) as Fantine, and Elizavet Koureas (4th form) as Eponine, Thomas Fayemi (4th form) as Thernardier, Rachel Judt (2nd form) as Mme. Thenardier, Aimee Adesina (1th form) as the Bishop of Digone and Ceykan Karagozlu (4th form) as Marius. They certainly proved that age was no barrier, and that you could never be too young to be able to deliver a passionate display of acting and singing in a musical of such a grand scale! The student cast was also supported by some talented stage-work from St. John’s staff, such as Mr. Petrou, Miss Ferguson, Miss Efstathiou, Miss Jones and most notably Miss Blakemore, whose excellent portrayal of Cosette certainly belied her usual everyday persona as Head of Geography!

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 12 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 13: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

12

V ISIT to the Queen Elizabeth Hall

SOUTHBANK CENTRE On 29 January, 2014, Prep School pupils from F.1 to F.3 were taken on a day out at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to watch the London Sinfonietta perform at a concert titled Right Here, Right Now, which is part of a series of educational con-certs aimed at primary schools. At this concert, pupils were given the opportunity to experience what it was like to at-tend a classical concert, as well as listen to a myriad of lesser-known but nonetheless engaging works by composers such as Xenakis, Rimsky-Korsakov and Takemitsu. For some of our pupils, it was the first time they had the opportunity to visit the Queen Elizabeth Hall, an iconic per-forming arts venue which, with its brutalist style of architecture, stands in great contrast to the Royal Festival Hall situ-ated just next door. The concert itself certainly was an inspiring experience for both pupils and staff, and we particularly enjoyed the bit where recorded sound was played through innocuous corners of the concert hall - that certainly had all of us turning our heads trying to figure what is going on!

13

On the evening of 26 April, Senior School pupils from St. John’s embarked on their most ambitious musical production yet at the Wyllyott’s Theatre in Pot-ters Bar. Following months of intense rehearsals, toiling through sweat and tears, they were finally ready to stage their own version of the longest-running musical in the world: Les Misérables. And a stunningly wonderful job they did indeed! From the poignant, solo num-bers such as I Dreamed A Dream and On My Own to the rousing, rapturous ensemble numbers such as Do You Hear The People Sing? and At The End of the Day, the cast managed to captivate their 916-strong audience from start to finish, eking out quite a few tears and plenty of laughs along the way.

Of course, it takes more than just actors onstage to make a great production, and the evening’s success is also owed in part to the hard work put in by our volunteer backstage helpers, assistant stage and costume managers, makeup artists, and sound and light engineers, most of whom were also pupils from St. John’s. Despina-maria Artemiou (2nd form) also demonstrated her stellar artistic ability by designing the front cover of the evening’s performance playbill, shown above.

This excellent presentation was, of course, buoyed by the gripping performances of our main cast members, such as Alexander Evans (4th form) as Jean Valjean, Thomas Judt (Lower 6th) as Inspector Javert, Rose Pashazadeh (4th form) as Fantine, and Elizavet Koureas (4th form) as Eponine, Thomas Fayemi (4th form) as Thernardier, Rachel Judt (2nd form) as Mme. Thenardier, Aimee Adesina (1th form) as the Bishop of Digone and Ceykan Karagozlu (4th form) as Marius. They certainly proved that age was no barrier, and that you could never be too young to be able to deliver a passionate display of acting and singing in a musical of such a grand scale! The student cast was also supported by some talented stage-work from St. John’s staff, such as Mr. Petrou, Miss Ferguson, Miss Efstathiou, Miss Jones and most notably Miss Blakemore, whose excellent portrayal of Cosette certainly belied her usual everyday persona as Head of Geography!

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Page 14: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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“I thought it was a stun-ning success, and it goes to show how much can be achieved through collaboration and passion.”

Director Mr. Adam Coleman

“The amount of talent we have in St. John’s School continues to surprise me every year. Pupils here certainly have so much to offer!”

Music Director Mr. Jonathan Ang

“This was such a profes-sional production! The rehearsal process was also a great variation from the normal school routine.”

Bamatabois Rowan Hicks (3B)

“I had an unforgettable time, and will leave St. John’s with so many good memories which I will cherish in years to come.”

Eponine Elizavet Koureas (4B)

“I have always dreamed of being part of Les Mis. It was fantastic working with such a great cast; I had lots of fun with the production process!”

Jean Valjean Alexander Evans (4B)

15

ALADDIN Jr. The Summer Term production for the Junior section at the Prep. School this year will be an all-time Disney favourite - Aladdin! Music Matters speaks to some of the cast members about the show.

“I am really enjoying the opening scene of the show because I get to lie on the stage floor at the very start! As I am playing the character of a Narra-

tor in the show, I also get to "interview" other characters in the show with a microphone, just as if we were on the red carpet. My favourite line in the show has got to be, "He's got the monkeys, let's see the monkeys!"

Olivia George F.3

Step into a world of mystery and intrigue as the F.3s, backed up by an ensemble cast of the Junior section of the Prep. School, present their annual Summer Term production: Aladdin Jr.! Featuring a variety of cast of characters such as the wise-cracking genie, a very verbal parrot, a bumbling villain and our brave titular hero, Aladdin Jr. promises to bring plenty of laughs

and cheers as we chronicle Aladdin’s humble beginnings from a street rat to the apple of a princess’ eye. This production will be staged at the Wyllyotts Theatre for one night only, on Thursday, 3 July 2014. Tickets are limited, so get yours from the school office as soon as they are available! We look forward to welcoming you to spend your next Arabian Night with us under the theatre lights.

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 14 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 15: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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“I thought it was a stun-ning success, and it goes to show how much can be achieved through collaboration and passion.”

Director Mr. Adam Coleman

“The amount of talent we have in St. John’s School continues to surprise me every year. Pupils here certainly have so much to offer!”

Music Director Mr. Jonathan Ang

“This was such a profes-sional production! The rehearsal process was also a great variation from the normal school routine.”

Bamatabois Rowan Hicks (3B)

“I had an unforgettable time, and will leave St. John’s with so many good memories which I will cherish in years to come.”

Eponine Elizavet Koureas (4B)

“I have always dreamed of being part of Les Mis. It was fantastic working with such a great cast; I had lots of fun with the production process!”

Jean Valjean Alexander Evans (4B)

15

ALADDIN Jr. The Summer Term production for the Junior section at the Prep. School this year will be an all-time Disney favourite - Aladdin! Music Matters speaks to some of the cast members about the show.

“I am really enjoying the opening scene of the show because I get to lie on the stage floor at the very start! As I am playing the character of a Narra-

tor in the show, I also get to "interview" other characters in the show with a microphone, just as if we were on the red carpet. My favourite line in the show has got to be, "He's got the monkeys, let's see the monkeys!"

Olivia George F.3

Step into a world of mystery and intrigue as the F.3s, backed up by an ensemble cast of the Junior section of the Prep. School, present their annual Summer Term production: Aladdin Jr.! Featuring a variety of cast of characters such as the wise-cracking genie, a very verbal parrot, a bumbling villain and our brave titular hero, Aladdin Jr. promises to bring plenty of laughs

and cheers as we chronicle Aladdin’s humble beginnings from a street rat to the apple of a princess’ eye. This production will be staged at the Wyllyotts Theatre for one night only, on Thursday, 3 July 2014. Tickets are limited, so get yours from the school office as soon as they are available! We look forward to welcoming you to spend your next Arabian Night with us under the theatre lights.

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 15 09/06/2014 11:45

Page 16: St Johns Prep and Senior School - Music Matters - June/July 2014 Newsletter

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FEATURED YOUNG MUSICIAN Q: Hi Madeline, thank you for speaking to us. Tell us what instrument or instruments you play.

A: I play the piano and the violin, but I have also previously tried learning recorder and the drums as well! Q: That is quite a few indeed! Tell us which one is your favourite, and which instrument did you find the most difficult to learn?

A: The piano is definitely my favourite. I love the quality of the sound it makes! I found the violin to be the hardest. You have to be very careful where your fingers go when pressing down on the strings, otherwise you will make quite an awful sound. I tried learning the violin for three years but then decided to stop and focus on the piano instead. Q: Sounds challenging! Where and when did you start learning the piano then?

A: I first started piano lessons when I was six years old, when my family and I were still living in Singapore. I used to go to my teacher’s house once every week for my lessons. It was always great fun!

M U S I C M A T T E R S

Published by St. John’s Prep. & Senior School © 2014 Jonathan Ang

1

6

5 8

2

7

4 3

Write the letters that are circled: Unscramble these letters to make another related musical term:

Every issue, Music Matters will now feature a Spiral Crossword for both Senior and Prep School pupils to have a go at testing their musical knowledge! Refer to the clues on below in order to help you fill them out. The first student to catch Mr. Ang and show the table correctly filled in will received a House Point. If you man-age to get the bonus question below answered as well, you will receive an extra House Point! So get going and see whether you can convert all that musical terminology in your head into some valuable House Points.

1. Many instruments, one body. What am I?

2. I make your electric guitar sound loud!

3. 2 x (42 + 2) is the magic number.

4. I am an anagram of the word “GROAN”.

5. I am an anagram of the word “TONES”.

6. Five parallel lines will show you the way.

7. I just got to hear more! One more song please?

8. Octave in numbers.

A61390 ST JOHNS SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS June.indd 16 09/06/2014 11:45