SMC Arts Newsletter 2017, Term 2

Achievements Our girls continue to set the bar high: Amy Chung, Abida Denny, Sujean In and Sammy McDonnell performed as part of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra during the holidays. Special mention must go to Sammy who was awarded for her four years of service with the orchestra and Billie MacGibbon who has been selected for the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir. All three of our student-directed pieces came away from the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival Regionals with awards and Timon of Athens, a 15-minute piece directed by Kate Jenkins and Tigerlily Perry, was selected by the judges to go through to the national competition in Wellington. Ruby Anderson, Milly O’Brien and Aisha O’Malley were chosen as Canterbury Senior Debating Regional Runners-up, with Milly O’Brien into the Canterbury Senior Debating Nationals team. Millie Edmond was awarded Most Original Lyrics in the Hook, Line & Singalong songwriting competition. Annabel Watts has been selected for the New Zealand Highland Dance Company for 2017/2018, with national workshops and conferences and an invitation to the Virginia Tattoo via New York next year. Arts Week The last week of Term 1, despite the pesky rain, we celebrated Arts Week in style. With artistic greetings at the gates, lunchtime activities of all kinds, arty interruptions in classrooms and performances slotted in between, special programmes for the Pre-school and Junior School children, there really was something for everyone. Many wonderful moments were captured by girls and staff, including a superb assembly celebrating SMC talent, a fun mufti day with proceeds going to St Johns and a stupendous Twilight Concert raising nearly $400.00 for EGG. A huge congratulations to Heads of Arts, Sammy McDonnell and Nina Hogg and their Arts Council team. Cushion Cabaret Our Ngaio Marsh Theatre has hosted its very first Cushion Cabaret! Whanau and friends gathered for a memorable evening of musical acts interspersed with vignettes from our Middle School Theatresports team along with an exhibition of student drawings. Sammy and Nina, along with our Arts Council team, were behind the organisation of this informal showcase providing a relaxed environment for soloists and small groups to perform in front of family and peers. We hope to make this a new termly event on the St Margaret’s College calendar. Middle School Arts We have launched a Middle School Arts Committee comprising girls from Years 8-10, Harriet Compton-Moen, Feya Durkin, Katie Gluyas, Sophie Lanyon, Alice McLeod and Bianca Koleda-Yamamoto. These girls are tasked with supporting and promoting the Arts for our Year 7-10 girls, and their first job will be to organise a cushion cabaret scheduled for the end of this term, showcasing all that Middle School talent.

All Year 8 girls are working hard on their performance for JRock 2017. The girls will present their 8-minute piece alongside schools from all over Christchurch at Horncastle Arena on Friday 19 May. The girls’ performance premise, ‘anyone can dance’ makes use of Ballet/Hip Hop fusion and the discovery of how similar these two apparently diverse genre are, reflecting themes of inclusivity, body image and the bringing together of cultures. St Margaret’s College / Christ’s College Senior Musical, Singin’ in the Rain Our girls are really enjoying working with the boys from Christ’s College, Director, Elayne Buckler, Associate Director, David Chambers, Musical Director, Nick Sutcliffe and Choreographer, Ali Rossiter, in rehearsal for this classic Broadway musical. The cast of Year 11-13 girls and boys will perform alongside a combined band with students from both schools. Christ’s College grounds were a-buzz with film crews during the holidays filming the silent movies that form part of the show and the girls were busy helping with set construction in the hall. Also on hand in the filming were a wonderful St Margaret’s College make-up and costume crew. The show will open Tuesday 27 June in the Christ’s College Auditorium. Events Calendar 15 May: Outliers visiting show for Y11-13 Drama students, Ngaio Marsh Theatre, 1.00pm 19 May: JRock (all Year 8s), Horncastle Arena, 7.00pm 27 May: Rockquest Regional Heats, venue tbc 1 June: Combined Honours Assembly, SMC Chapel, 10.10am 1-5 June: SGCNZ Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Nationals, Wellington 9 June: Three by Ekman, Isaac Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, Year 11-13 Dance & SMC companies 11 June: Salvation Army Service Citadel performance Chamber Choir, 10.00am 14 June: Christ’s College / SMC Combined Concert, Charles Luney Auditorium, 7.30pm 14-16 June: Chamber Music Contest Regional Heats, The Piano 19/20 June: Big Sing Choral Festival, The Piano, Charles Luney Auditorium (finale) 23 June: Rockquest Finals, The Foundry 27 June – 1 July: Singin’ in the Rain, Christ’s College Auditorium, 7.30pm 4 July: Middle School Cushion Cabaret, Ngaio Marsh, time tbc