Winter 2011 - Newbattle Community High School

Page 9
Newbattle News
Check out our website at www.newbattle.org.uk
Music Matters
The Music department has been very
busy in the first half of this year.
Bands and groups have been rehearsing
at lunchtimes preparing for concerts
and open nights.
The Rhythm and Blues Orchestra is
conducted by Mr A Knox and involves
all of the brass, wind, violin
and percussion pupils in the school.
The band has, in previous years, been
asked to perform at a variety of
events such as the switching on of
Mayfield lights, the Royal Highland
Show and a tour of primary schools.
The tour of primaries this year was a
huge success with the band visiting
three of the six feeder primaries for
Newbattle. In each of their concerts
the individual sections were featured
and the primary pupils got to see how
the instruments worked. The Jazz
Band also had a spot in these concerts
and were able to show off how
versatile we are in the department.
The Jazz Band will be playing at Dobbies
on the 19 th December between 1
and 3 pm. Please come along and
support the group if you are free.
Our Peak Performance class had a
visit from former Newbattle pupil
and West End star Ashleigh Gray.
Ashleigh took the pupils, who are all
singers, through a vocal warm-up and
then did a master class with two of
our senior pupils, Lianna Hamilton
and Eireann MacIntyre. Both girls
sang to Ashleigh and she worked with
them on projecting their voice and
improving their confidence and stage
presence. All of the pupils involved
learned a lot from the workshop and
it has encouraged them to work
harder at their singing and to be more
confident.
If your child is interested in playing
an instrument or participating in a
lunchtime group please see Miss
Maynes or a member of the Music
Department. The Vocal Group and
Keyboard Club are open to all.
Miss Nicola Maynes
Head of Music and Drama
Our School of Ambition