Magazine 2019

134 MUSIC “How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” The Preparatory School Music Rooms are filled to capac - ity with over one hundred learners participating in individ - ual music tuition.We are fortunate to offer a large variety of instruments to learn and this year we added classical marimba, bass guitar and vocal lessons for Grade Four to Six learners. The learners have grasped the opportunity to hone their talent and we are privileged to witness this growth and development. Our musicians have continued the tradition of accompa - nying the school song at Assembly and this year our As - sembly ensemble changed weekly to accommodate vari - ous instruments. We have included guitar, clarinet, violin and classical marimba giving a large number of learners the opportunity to perform each week.This has helped to increase their confidence and performance technique.We are also entertained by soloists each week and we look forward to their performances. In May,we enjoyed the ‘Majors and Minors’ Concert,which was a collaboration of Preparatory and Secondary Faculty items.This concert is always a source of inspiration to our young learners who aspire to perform in larger bands. The new Trinity syllabus was launched this year, and it is wonderful to hear music from a variety of eras.We had learners participate in Piano, Clarinet,Violin and Classical Marimba examinations in the May, August and November sessions, all achieving outstanding results. Many of our musicians participated in the Cape Town Music Eisteddfod at Erin Hall in May.We are particularly proud of Naeha Naidu who was awarded the Klinkhamer- Blumenthal Medal for Most Diplomas in the ten years and under category. Our annual Music Recitals took place in July.We were entertained over two evenings by individual musicians as well as ensembles and choirs. This annual recital is the perfect opportunity to showcase the development and growth of our learners, helping them to build confidence and enhance their performance skills. The choirs from Micklefield Girls School and Blouberg International joined us for an interactive concert where we were treated to beau - tiful singing, orchestral ensemble pieces and lively Marimba bands. We were all tempted to sing along to ‘Mamma Mia’ performed by our Grade Five band. - JANE SWAN