Foundation Magazine 2021-2022 | Mount Kelly

PERFORMING & CREATIVE ARTS
MUSIC AT
THE PREP
MOUNT KELLY VIRTUAL BAND
GIG - 2021
All the children from Year 3 to Year 8 were
given the opportunity to take part in the
Virtual Band Gig of 2021; inclusion is at
the very heart of the Music Department’s
ethos. Violins, cellos, flutes, clarinets,
saxophone, acoustic and electric guitars,
ukuleles, vocals, keyboards, pianos,
trumpets, drum-kits, percussion and
even an organ, all featured within the
bands that were created for the event.
Colourful costumes, choreographed
dance routines and imaginative lights and
sound created an experience filled with a
rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere. Teamwork is at
the centre of the band ethos as well as
learning the art of commitment, inclusion
and general musicianship, therefore,
the songs were chosen and adapted
specifically to support the different levels
of ability involved so that even complete
beginners could be included. Hence, our
more experienced musicians were able
to provide peer support to those children
who had never learnt how to play an
instrument before.
Parents were treated to a cinematic
extravaganza of the virtual Band Gig in the
Wortham Hall on Friday 8 October and
featured 17 bands and 120 performers.
Also, a dozen Techies helped behind the
scenes in order to make the event such
a success. The final videos included
interviews of the performers as well as the
performances of each band which were
all recorded in the Summer Term of 2020.
The winning band, The Flying Piranhas,
gave a surprise live performance at the
end of the evening and all the pupils
joined the band on stage for a wonderful
finale including the song One Night Only
by The Struts and the traditional We Will
Rock You by Queen. It was a fantastic
event which was thoroughly enjoyed by
all.
MOUNT KELLY BAND GIG -
LIVE 2022
Over 150 children from the Prep school
performed on Tuesday 28 June in the
2022 Band Gig. It was a spectacular event
that was in two halves and showcased
20 bands; the largest number yet! All
pupils from Years 3 to 8 were invited
to take part not only as performers but
also as Techies. With over two thirds of
the Prep signed up, there were many
different instruments involved including:
piano, drum kit, ukulele, trumpet, guitar,
double bass, violin, cornet, saxophone,
keyboard and vocals.
Teamwork is at the centre of the band
ethos and so our more experienced
musicians were encouraged to offer peer
support to those children who were less
confident in their musical skills.
Additionally, the songs were chosen
and adapted specifically to support
the different levels of ability involved so
that even complete beginners could be
included. With the event in two halves
there was an opportunity for two bands to
perform a finale this year with the whole
cast joining them on stage for We Will
Rock You by Queen; as is the tradition.
The band ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ which
consists of 6 Year 7 girls were chosen
for the ‘Half-time finale’, while the band
‘Exclamation’, a combination of Year 3
and 5 boys, were the overall winners of
the traditional finale. It was once again
a fantastic event which was thoroughly
enjoyed by all!
PREP CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The evening of Tuesday 13 December
2022 saw the Wortham Hall packed to
the rafters for the Christmas Concert.
The evening’s entertainment consisted
of the Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Brass
Quartet, String Ensemble, College
Band and 7 Year 8 soloists. The finale
was a superb rendition of Coldplay’s
Viva La Vida by the Senior Choir and
College Band combined, followed with
audience participation for The Twelve
Days of Christmas. A wonderful night’s
entertainment.
YEAR 2 SUMMER CONCERT
Year 2 pupils gave a spectacular Summer
Concert to parents on Monday 13 June
2022. There was a wide variety of
individual performances including singing,
piano, violin, and a performance of Seven
Nation Army with five guitarists! The class
also performed on their pBuzzes which
saw the audience joining in with smiles all
around.
VISIT TO TAVISTOCK
FRIENDSHIP GROUP BY YEAR
8 MUSICIANS.
On Wednesday 23 March, 9 wonderful
musicians from Year 8 visited the
members of Tavistock Friendship Group
at The Anchorage Centre in Tavistock for
the annual Spring Lunch. The children
sang, played the piano, flute and ukulele
to the 30-strong audience. The musicians
were warmly greeted and applauded
then handsomely rewarded with a super
lunch, home-made puddings, and
chocolates for their efforts. They were
great ambassadors for both the Prep
Music Department and the School.
YEAR 8 MUSIC COMPOSITION
WORKSHOP
On Monday 24 January, 22 children from
Year 8 took part in a music composition
workshop run by Plymouth University
lecturer Nuria Bonet Filella and PHD
student Kate Ferguson. The first group
activity consisted of compositing using
only 1 note; choice of instruments,
rhythm, tempo, dynamics and duration
were vital for this tricky task. The second
exercise was lyric writing - choosing a
profession and objects in a room them
linking them together produced some
humorous and some quite sinister songs!
There were great performances and
helpful feedback from both pupils and
staff.
PERFORMING & CREATIVE ARTS
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