2024 CONCERT ALSO INCLUDED MEMORABLE SOLO PERFORMANCES
THE FOUNDATION DAY CONCERT
Conversation in Red , by Harry Potocnik . Our Head of Pipes and Drums , Mark Saul , composed Quiddity , which impressed all with its variety and creativity . Mark is quite a star in the international world of pipes and drums . One of his compositions was featured at the Edinburgh Tattoo , and at the World Championships in Glasgow , people were asking for his autograph – go Mark !
The grand finale belonged to the boys in Years 10-12 . They had sung the school songs , as well as my arrangements of Siyahamba and Loch Lomond , and now it was time for a set of operatic choruses . The Anvil Chorus ( Verdi ), the Pilgrim ’ s Chorus ( Wagner ), the Gendarmes ’ Duet
( Offenbach ), the Toreador Song ( Bizet ), with soloists Benji Scott and Neil Wang ( Year 12 ), Funiculi Funicula ( Denza ) with Thomas Nguyen and William Zheng ( Year 12 ) as soloists , The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves ( Verdi ) and finally , Brindisi from Verdi ’ s La Traviata , with Jason Zhao ( Year 12 ) and Duc Luu taking the solos .
I was proud of the soloists , all of whom sang superbly . I was also proud of the orchestra – these operatic choruses are not easy to play . However , I was particularly delighted with the boys in the massed singing . It was a great act of faith on their part ; they do not get the full effect until the last couple of rehearsals when they have the orchestra , but they really started to get into the music , and walking around the school at lunchtime after rehearsal hearing boys singing bits of Wagner , Verdi and Bizet was quite something !
Perhaps the best summation of all was in part of Geoff Liu ’ s welcome in the Foundation Day program : ‘ Through every rehearsal , every shared struggle and success , Scotchies develop a lasting camaraderie that transcends the notes on the page . These bonds , formed through shared challenges and triumphs , encapsulate the welcoming warmth of the Scotch Family , a sense of belonging that permeates every melody we sing and play .’ DR JOHN FERGUSON – DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 21