11th July 2015
A new event for the academy, providing an opportunity for all children and families to join together to celebrate the progress and achievements of all students. The event was coordinated by Claire and Andrew Harvey, and with the support of a team of volunteer parents and students we brought together a wide range of activities for everyone to enjoy.
The lower lawn was home to a variety of stalls, ranging from the Coconut Shy and Splat The Rat, to the Toy and Book Stall and various Sports Games. Stalls from local businesses Island Music, Broken Wind, and Musical Originals completed the display, not forgetting the popular Bouncy Castle! Inside the property, teacher Sam Bisson had set up a recording studio for children to make professional quality recordings of their pieces, and lots of the rooms were used for rehearsals. Over fifteen separate concerts took place during the afternoon, utilising the Chapel, Recital Hall, Grande Salle, and Outdoor Stage.
Kandid Prints were there to take some high-quality photos of the performances, which can be viewed at their website: www.kandidprints.co.uk. To conclude the event, the Academy Awards ceremony took place, and in addition to the numerous certificates and medals presented to lots of students, particular mention goes to the recipients of the Instrumental Award trophies: Charlotte Perchard (Strings), Rebecca Arthur (Woodwind), Jonathon Couriard (Brass), Ruby Clarke (Percussion), and Oliver Scott/Esther Cushen (Piano – joint). The final activity of the day was the raffle, and over fifty prizes were donated for the event! As well as providing a wonderful event for the students and families to enjoy, the event also raised over £2750 to go towards next year’s Projects and Events. A huge thank you to all involved!
5th July 2015
The academy’s annual concert at the Jersey Arts Centre gave lots and lots of students the opportunity to perform in a professional concert venue, and this time round the concert focussed entirely on chamber music. Divided into numerous duets, trios, quartets and larger ensembles, the concert featured a wide range of music for strings, wind, brass, percussion and piano. Kandid Prints were there to take some high-quality photos of the performances, which can be viewed at their website: www.kandidprints.co.uk.
20th June 2015
The academy’s annual Suzuki Day was once again very well attented, with over thirty-five of the youngest children participating with violin and cello along with a team of local academy tutors and visiting teachers. This year we were pleased to welcome back Sue Horridge (violin), Richard Boardman (cello) and Jo Mahler (violin) from the UK, joined by Sarah Van Vlyman (violin) from Guernsey, who all taught alongside academy tutors Vanessa Moore (violin and course co-ordinator), and Emmanuelle Dumas (cello).
The day began with the violin group rehearsing together a folk tune called Mayo Morris, which the children had learnt in the weeks leading up to the course. The children were then divided into four different colour groups in order to participate in four separate activities during the day. As well as individual lessons with the specialist teachers, Jo Mahler led ‘Music Mind Games’ with children creating a giant musical snake, and Richard Boardman led ‘Dalcroze’, with a range of movement, singing, and storytelling games.
We enjoyed glorious sunshine throughout the day, and at breaks and lunchtime the children could enjoy a run around on the lawns. The final concert also took place ‘al-fresco’ on the open-air stage, and was a fun end to a wonderful day of music.