The Alexandran: Alexandra College Yearbook 2009-2010 - Section 3 - Art, Music and Drama

SECTION III - ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC

Hermione Art Week................................................................................75-76Drama Department.................................................................................77-78Drama Club..........................................................................................................79 One Act Play.........................................................................................................80 Festival of Poetry and Drama.............................................................81-85 Music Department...........................................................................................86College Choir......................................................................................................87 Intermediate Choir...........................................................................................88 College Chamber Orchestra......................................................................89 Trad Band...............................................................................................................90Jazz Band.................................................................................................................91 College Orchestra and Wind Band........................................................92Music Prizewinners....................................................................................93-94Culwick Cup.........................................................................................................95

74 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

HERMIONE ART WEEK


Hermione Art Exhibition

The eighteenth annual Hermione Art Exhibition took place in the school in March 2010. The exhibition presents fantastic opportunities for so many people, within and outside the school. It is a chance for talented artists from around Ireland to showcase their work, some of whom are extremely well known.

These are some of Ireland’s leading artists who exhibited this year:

Liam BeltonImogen StuartDonald TeskeyTom RyanMartin GaleMichael CullenJane O’MalleyJohn Behan

It was a pleasure to see some of the past pupils - Jill French, Rachel Tynan, Liz Matthews, Leah Beggs - exhibiting their work as well as a photograph taken by the music teacher, Mr. John Deakin and several paintings from former art teacher Jane Bowe.

Members of the public are also welcome to peruse the exhibition, and many do. Despite a less then blossoming economy, many paintings were sold at the Hermione this year, no doubt

money, a painting is purchased for the school.

This year’s annual Hermione lecture was delivered by Jessica O’Donnell. Ms O’Donnell is a graduate of History and Art at Trinity College and the University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and has been the Head of Collections at the Hugh Lane Gallery for the past four years. The title of her lecture was “Francis Bacon: A Terrible Beauty” which is the name of a recently

The Hermione Art Exhibition is an event which encourages art appreciation among the students and it is a brilliant opportunity for all to broaden their knowledge of the art world.

A huge thank you is due to Ms. Germaine Murphy and Ms. Patricia Crowley, who go to an enormous effort each year to make the exhibition such a professional and successful event.

Anna D’Alton

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THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT e came back to school this year to a ‘temporarily’ altered Drama Department. Mrs. Rycraft and Ms. Driscoll had both had a baby in late spring and were to be on maternity leave until

in the Leinster School of Music and Drama in the middle of June.

was also looking for a few girls to play the parts of the woodland Faeries. After a long and tense rehearsal the girls chosen were Roisin Barron, Alex Conlon, Sarah Martin, Michaela Rowan, with Rachael Lavelle and Amy Buckley playing the Nymphs. It was a wonderful production, with beautiful set and costumes, due in no small way to the talents of our own Molly O’Cathain

performed a number of scenes from various plays on the theme of ‘Differences”. The scenes ranged in diversity from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw to John Godber’s hilarious play “Bouncers”. Some of the girls also took it upon themselves to write their own play “A Chat on the Luas” after Alan Ayckbourn’s “A Talk in the Park”. Their

June. The piece which caught the examiner’s eye was an extract from the radio play “Cigarettes and Chocolate” by Anthony Minghella.

In February the team of Fifth year girls, along with their director Justine Driscoll, competed in the St. Andrew’s One Act Play Competition. The play this year was an edited version of Sue Townsend’s “Bazaar and Rummage”. The girls gave a convincing and poignant performance as the self-help group of agoraphobics, led by ex-agoraphobic Gwenda who has decided to “devote

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March saw The Festival of Poetry and Drama reach it’s sixth birthday. The Festival runs over three days with two adjudicators, two competition centres and many, many competitors. Our two

announce at the Prizewinners’ Concert, a new award called The Patricia McHugh Cup for Most Promising Performer. Pat McHugh was the head of the drama department in Alexandra col-

The Drama Club, who meet once a week after school, treated us to a madcap, energetic, entertaining production of “Alas in Blunderland” during the week of The Festival. The girls, with the help of Mary

their director Justine Driscoll, had worked hard painting their set, organizing their props and costumes and the play was a great success.

Also in March, the senior students had a trip to The Gate Theatre to see “Les Liaisons Dangereuse” by Choderlos De Laclos in an adaptation for the stage by Christopher Hampton. A beautiful costume drama, with all the conventions of the late eighteenth century, this theatre trip was a wonderful way to learn all about the genre for their exams.

This is a very challenging exam where the girls must devise and perform a recital on a theme, made up of a number of pieces of drama and poetry. They are also thoroughly examined on all aspects of vocal theory and must give a short talk and perform an improvisa-tion given to them by the examiner. There were nine students taking the exam this year and of those nine we are delighted to be able to relate that four of the students have received medals for their work.

school Summer Theatre Programme. Rachael will be heading out to

part of the Bristol team.

years took Speech and Drama exams at grade eight and grade ten. This brought an end to another very busy, exciting and varied year for us all in the Drama Department. Lynn Brehony


6th Year Drama CertBack Row: Hannah Watters, Amy Nix, Carolina Keegan, Siofra Mulkerrin, Carine Natin, Rachel O'LearyFront Row: Ms Brehony, Aoife O'Doherty, Bronagh McDermott, Aisling Bourke, Eve Harrison, Ms Rycraft


Drama ClubBack Row: Laura Dempsey, Eibhlin O’Sullivan, Cara Dougan, Louise McPhillips, Erin Dougan, Clodagh Flinn, Polly Dougan,

Ciara Malone, Ciara O’ReillyMiddle Row: Yvanne Kennedy, Clodagh McNamee, Ruth Brehony, Robyn Reddy, Emma Gleeson, Lauren Wojnar,

Alison Redden, Ms DriscollFront Row: Aisling O’Neill, Emily Cleary, Lorna Watters, Amy Gibbons, Giselle Keenan, Eva Kennedy, Ellen McGuinness,

Clíona Malin, Anna Childs

DRAMA CLUB REVIEW

links between the two years.

variety of improvisations, theatre games, mime and scene work. This helps the girls all get

Traditionally, the Drama club put on a lunchtime play as part of the Festival of Poetry and -

hearsals on “ALAS IN BLUNDERLAND” by Peter Gunning in January. The Set designers-Cliona Malin and Clodagh Flinn joined by Ellen McGuinness got to work and produced some clever ideas and a fantastic set.

It is a play with thirty seven parts, so most students played more than one part, one or two people played three parts so there were a lot of frantic costume changes, ably

ALAS IN BLUNDERLAND is a lively and entertaining journey through your favourite fairy tales; Goldilocks and the three bears, Little Red riding Hood, Cinderella and Snow

In this farcical adventure we see what happens when the cuddly characters from the fairy tales revolt and we discover the not-so-sweet side of some of those seemingly innocent characters. Cinderella’s ugly sisters are renamed Brutal and Obnoxious, Red Riding Hood arrives on a motorbike and the seven dwarves are into rap music….

performed brilliantly and had a great time doing it. All their hard work in rehearsals paid off.

This was a wonderful play to do with a large group as it meant everybody had at least one part. Because of the nature of the play it meant the girls could really go over the top with their characters and they had a lot of fun performing it.

McNamee, Mary Louise Ryan, Cliona Malin Clodagh Flinn, Anna Childs, Ruth Brehony, -

Gleeson, Erin Dougan, Sophie Hade, and Eibhlin O’ Sullivan.

hard work.


ONE ACT PLAY REVIEW

Every year in February, Alexandra College enters the One Act Drama Festival in St. Andrews College in Dublin with a group of

audition in mid-December and we start -

hearse after school, in the evenings and at the weekends.

This year’s play was “Bazaar and Rummage” by Sue Townsend. A comedy set in Acton,

of three agoraphobic women from different backgrounds, who are managed and “bullied” by Gwenda, herself an ex-sufferer, payed by Meadhbh O’Rourke. She and Fliss, a trainee social worker, played by Michaela Rowan, decide to organise a jumble sale in the local church hall with the intention of getting the women out of their houses and into the “real world.”

Their fears, hopes and disappointment were brilliantly portrayed by the talented cast. Lucy O’Donoghue played Margaret, a working class agoraphobic who hadn’t left her house for

obsessively clean agoraphobic. Rachel Lavelle

backstage with Molly O’Cathain, who also designed the costumes. The cast and crew’s hard work was rewarded with a Merit

and Rachel Lavelle.

THE FESTIVAL OF POETRY AND DRAMA REPORT

The Festival of Poetry and Drama has become, in it’s sixth year, the highlight of our drama year. Over the course of three days we hold competitions in Poetry Speaking, Solo Acting, Duologue Acting and Senior Shakespeare.

Our two adjudicators for the festival this year were Audrey Behan and Patricia McHugh. For more than 30 years Audrey has taught all aspects of Speech and Drama, in private practice, and at Primary, Secondary and Third Level Education.

An Adjudicator for more than twenty years, Audrey is a member of the British and International Federation of Adjudicators.

Patricia McHugh has directed many musicals, school plays, adult plays and is an active member of ‘Square One Theatre Group’ in Bray.

Having taught Speech and Drama for many years in Alexandra College and establishing the Drama Department as it exists at present, she is now an examiner for The Leinster School of Music and Drama.

Patricia is very involved in a number of Public Bodies such as The Chamber of Commerce and she was also the National President of Soroptimists International.

This year along with our Junior and Senior Adjudictors prizes, we were delighted to be able to announce that funding has been made available for a perpetual cup which honours the wonderful work done by Patricia McHugh over her many years

The prizes were awarded after a fantastic Prizewinners’ Concert on Thursday night 25th March. The Junior Adjudicators

A special mention must be made here to thank all the students who helped out over the few days of the festival. Students

a very high standard and we are very proud of them. Thank you also to the parents who turned up in large numbers to sup-port the girls during the competitions.

Lynn Brehony


DRAMA FEIS

This year, the annual Drama Feis took place from March 23rd to March 25th. It was time for all the drama students in the school to put their weeks of practice and rehearsals to use.

This year there were competitions in poetry speaking, solo drama, duologues and also a senior Shakespeare competition.

-tions with both groups A and B in the Library and Lecture

their advice, knowledge and judgements.

A good handful of volunteer students helped the proceedings with jobs such as adjudicators assistants, directing parents and contestants to their venues, handing out programs and com-petition numbers and looking after contestants. Meanwhile the drama teachers: Lynn Brehony, Justine Driscoll and Clodagh Rycraft, whom without the Feis would be just a dream, ensured the event ran smoothly and offered lines of encouragement, support and last minute advice to anxious contestants.

-titions, all the results were in and, on the Thursday of that week, the prize winners’ concert took place. First place prize winners from all the competitions preformed their winning pieces while the adjudicators looked on once more to decide

home the Junior Adjudicator’s Prize.

A breath of fresh air to this year’s Drama Feis was the new award for the Drama Department: ‘The Patricia McHugh Cup for Most Promising Performer’. This prize was to honor Patricia McHugh who taught drama in Alexandra College for

Ruth Farrell


Festival of Poetry & Drama – First Evening Results

First Prize: Louise McCollumSecond Prize: Namthip Winter CollierThird Prize: Clodagh McnameeHighly Commended: Roisin Murphy, Millie Cooper, Laura McKenna

First Prize: Ciara MaloneSecond Prize: Kate O’Reilly, Fiona BourkeThird Prize: Ivana NedicHighly Commended: Ciara O’Reilly, Jane O’Grady Walsh, Eva Kennedy, Clíona Malin

First Prize: Jane O’Grady-Walsh & Ciara MaloneSecond Prize: Kate O’Reilly & Eva KennedyThird Prize: Emma Gleeson & Louise McCollumHighly Commended: Zoe Young & Kitty Ryan, Isabelle Mehigan & Lauren McDonald, Millie Cooper & Ciara McNulty

First Prize: Vanessa WinnSecond Prize: Alex HussainThird Prize: Lauren Lynch

First Prize: Ellen O’TooleSecond Prize: Victoria Lahart-O’Reilly, Rachel CosgroveThird Prize: Ceithleann Ni ChonluainHighly Commended: Megan Staunton, Freya Gillespie,Sophie Nannetti

First Prize: Cliona Beattie & Lana MullenSecond Prize: Kerri Lyons & Bella PurcellAnna Daly & Ruth FarrellThird Prize: Mary Kilduff & Anna-Rose CharletonHighly Commended: Tess Higgins & Anna-Livia Kimura

First Prize: Amy Buckley & Roisin BarronSecond Prize: Rachael Lavelle & Michaela Rowan

Festival of Poetry & Drama – Second Evening Results

First Year Solo Drama CompetitionFirst Prize: Clodagh McnameeSecond Prize: Ciara O’reillyThird Prize: Ivana NedicHighly Commended: Eva Kennedy, Clodagh Flinn

Second Year Drama Duologue CompetitionFirst Prize: Rachel Cronin-Cusack & Megan StauntonSecond Prize: Rachel Blennerhassett & Alex HussainThird Prize: Victoria Lahart-O’reilly & Emma NoonanHighly Commended: Ceithleann Ni Chonluain & Ellen O’Toole, Carly Menton & Emily Shannon, Freya Gillespie & Ceithleann Ni Chonluain

Third/Fourth Year Poetry SpeakingFirst Prize: Alex ReihillSecond Prize: Anna-Livia KimuraThird Prize: Lana MullenHighly Commended: Kerri Lyons, Bella Purcell

Third/Fourth Year Solo DramaFirst Prize: Emma WhiteSecond Prize: Georgia MurphyThird Prize: Ceara Dorman, Beth MilofskyHighly Commended: Bella Purcell, Kerri Lyons

Fifth/Sixth Year Poetry SpeakingFirst Prize: Carine NatinSecond Prize: Molly O’CathainThird Prize: Eve Harrisson, Siofra MulkerrinHighly Commended: Yvanne Kennedy, Bronagh McDermott, Leanne Ennis

Fifth/Sixth Year Solo Drama CompetitionFirst Prize: Roisin BarronSecond Prize: Siofra MulkerrinThird Prize: Yvanne KennedyHighly Commended: Hannah Watters, Aisling Bourke

Results From the Third Evening of the Festival of Poetry & Drama

SECOND YEAR SOLO DRAMA COMPETITIONFIRST PRIZE: FREYA GILLESPIESECOND PRIZE: ALEX HUSSAINTHIRD PRIZE: ELLEN O’TOOLE

VANESSA WINN, RACHEL

BLENNERHASSETTSENIOR SHAKESPEARE COMPETITIONFIRST PRIZE: HANNAH WATTERSSECOND PRIZE: CARINE NATINTHIRD PRIZE: MARY KILDUFF

BRONAGH MCDERMOTT

PRIZEWINNERS CONCERT

The winner of the Junior Adjudicator’s Prize was EMMA WHITE from third year.

The winner of the Senior Adjudicator’s Prize was CARINE NATIN from sixth year.

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Speech & Drama exam medal winnersBack Row: Indy Abrahams, Yvanne Kennedy, Carine Natin, Leanne Ennis, Lorna Watters, Amy Buckley, Eve Harrison

2nd Row: Ceithleann NíChonluain, Tess Higgins, Lia Cowan, Emma White, Ruth Feehan, Fiona Claffey, Ivana Nedic, Freya Gillespie, Rachel Blennerhassett, Alex Hussain

1st Row: Cristiona Martin, Katie McCormack, Clíona Beattie, Ellen Murray, Megan Staunton, Emma Gleeson, Kathyrn Cullinan, Ellen O’Toole, Vanessa Winn

Front Row: Alex Rehill, Emma Noonan, Roisin Murphy, Bella Purcell, Rachel Cronin Cusack, Tori Lahart O’Reilly, Lorna Watters, Lucy Watters

AdjudicatorsFrom left: Patricia McHugh and Audrey Behan

Rachel Cronin Cusack & Megan Staunton

PrizewinnersFrom left:

Carine Natin (Senior Adjudicator Prize); Emma White (Junior Adjudicator Prize);

Róisin Barron ( Patricia McHugh Cup for Most Promising Performer)

FEIS WINNERSBack Row: Molly O’Cathain, Hannah Watters, Rachael Lavelle, Leanne Ennis, Carine Natin, Siofra Mulkerrin,

Yvanne Kennedy, Roisin Barron, Michaela Rowan, Aisling Bourke2nd Row: Eve Harrison, Laura McKenna, Zoe Young, Clíona Beattie, Ciara Malone, Clodagh Flinn, Lauren McDonald,

Lana Mullen, Ceithleann NíChonluain, Tess Higgins, Ivana Nedic, Bella Purcell, Amy Buckley1st Row: Kerri Lyons, Anna Livia Kimura, Vanessa Winn, Isabelle Mehigan, Bronagh McDermott, Ciara O’Reilly,

Freya Gillespie, Megan Staunton, Emma WhiteFront Row: Alex Rehill, Emma Gleeson, Fiona Bourke, Roisin Mulligan, Cliona Malin, Kate O’Reilly, Beth Milofsky,

Rachel Cronin Cusack, Emma O’Toole, Rachel Cosgrove, Lauren Lynch, Ruth Farrell

Senior Adjudicators Prize - Carine NatinJunior Adjudicators Prize - Emma White

Patricia McHugh Cup for Most Promising Performer - Roisin Barron

Hannah Watters, Lucy Watters, Lorna Watters - All three Watters were awarded medals last year in

their drama exams

Back Row: Molly Garvey, Katie Cameron, Molly O’Cathain, Ingrid Duncan, Siofra Mulkerrin, Lucy O’Donoghue, Ms Brehony

Front Row: Yvanne Kennedy, Carine Natin, Amy Nix, Bronagh McDermott, Aoife O’Doherty, Hannah Watters, Indy Abrahams, Molly Iredale


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MUSIC DEPARTMENT


College Choir

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were not winners on the night. However, the competition was a great experience and we look forward to entering again next year.

November became a very busy time as we were preparing for our now annual joint concert with the choir from Sandford Park School. This concert took place in the new multi-purpose hall in Sandford Park School and was a great success. The variety of music at these concerts continues to amaze and impress us all. The joint choir, Sandford drum group, Alex jazz band, Sandford sextet, Alex chamber orchestra along with other performers all stunned the appreciative audience. This collaboration between the choirs of the two schools is an enormous success and I would like to acknowledge the support of Ms. Edith Byrne and Mr. Jonathan Browner in this regard.

pupils joint chamber choir! The standard of choral singing was just amazing; the choir embraced the challenge admirably and really impressed all present with their maturity of singing and

some of the girls sang at a reception for a ball in the Four Seasons hotel in May. This commitment to College Choir does not go unnoticed and I constantly appreciate this level of loyalty by the girls. Perhaps they actually enjoy the singing too?!

for getting me through some tough Tuesdays and most of all for sharing my love of choral singing. I hope they will continue to enjoy choral singing, forever, as it is something we can all experience and enjoy at any age or ability level. The success of the College Choir relies on the commitment of the girls and to this end I am truly grateful. Thank you girls and please keep singing.


College ChoirBack Row: Ciara Gibbons, Susie Gibbons, Rachel Fitzpatrick, Holly Murphy, Susan Buckley, Anna Hickson, Sinéad Swan, April McEntee, Andrea Winckworth, Similolu Odukomaiya, Georgia McGurk,

Lucy Mandal, Molly O’Cathain, Carine Natin, Yvanne Kennedy, Moya NíChollatáin

3rd Row: Rachel Lavelle, Meadhbh O’Rourke, Annah Kenna, Aoife Madden, Alex Conlon, Laura Coakley, Miriam Mallon, Maeve Jones-O’Connor, Lizzie Jones, Amy Nix, Leanne Ennis, Lucy Quinn, Siofra McNamee, Caitríona Sheil, Laura Connolly, Sarah Ridge, Hannah Vard-Ryan

2nd Row: Amy Buckley, Iseult Gillespie, Molly Garvey, Greta Scanlon, Sibeal Carolan, Ms Hearns, Alice Margetson, Rebecca Gaskin, Orla Cleary, Anna Stein, Grace Tunney

Front Row: Lauren Flanagan, Hannah Watters, Aoife O’Doherty, Dervla Malone, Rebecca Lait, Sarah Connolly, Serena Iceton, Oyinade Williams, Kate O’Donoghue, Molly Iredale, Niamh Boyle, Sally McCarthy, Aimee Rose Duffy, Dhara Vyas, Katie Nichols


SANDFORD CONCERT

and Sandford Park School held a joint music concert in the new hall in Sandford Park School. There was a full programme of events, that kicked off with the

Tonight’, with Laszlo Stanza singing lead vocals. The

‘Good Riddance’. The Sandford rock band followed

quartet of Mr Cooney, Eve Brehony, Robyn Traynor and Ciara Gibbons, then played Andante in F by Mo-zart. Sandford Junior Choir sung ‘Elijah Rock’ followed by their percussion group that played ‘Four Runner’

genre followed with the Alex chamber orchestra.

Sandford Barbershop group then sang a lively rendition of ‘Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight’. They also showed off their dancing skills! The Alex school orchestra played ‘Russian Sailors Dance’ and ‘Hungarian Dance No.5’ conducted by Mr Cooney and led by Caitriona Callan. The joint chamber choir

Callender sang Raglan Road unaccompanied, adding a hint of the Irish music genre to the night. The evening

end of the concert. On behalf of the music departments of both Sandford Park School and Alexandra College, we would like to thank in particular Ms Hearns, Mr Murray, Ms Sweeney, Mr Cooney and Mr Browner

would also like to thank the tutors of the other musical items from Sandford and all the students involved in the night. The new hall in Sandford Park School was full and a great venue. Thanks to the hard work from everybody involved, it was a fabulous concert.

Dervla Malone

Intermediate Choir

Rcurrent year or kept for later. The new intake of twenty nine 1st years settled in well, soon proving themselves an enthusiastic and committed

Bethlehem.

In January, work began for the busy schedule of concerts and competitive singing spanning the next few months. Unfortunately, plans to defend

events reducing rehearsal time when most needed. However the choir more than made up for this in their preparation for a school concert held in Milltown Church in March, where they contributed two songs. There was a second concert at the end of April, in which they enjoyed joining forces with the boys of Gonzaga College in a performance of J.S.Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, as well as singing some of their repertoire.

a picnic lunch and plenty of running around and rolling down hills at the Hill of Tara .

great support to the choir and cheered us all on in Navan.

Intermediate ChoirBack Row: Polly Dougan, Alex Hussain, Freya Gillespie, Erin Dougan, Sadbh Sheil, Cara Dougan, Hannah O’Reilly, Emilie Mackeown, Sadbh Sheil,

Middle Row: Alison Redden, Lorna Watters, Rachel Swanwick, Ciara Cassidy, Laura Dempsey, Louise McCollum, Aisling Kraus, Ciara O’Reilly, Ruth Brehony, Emily Cleary, Lauren Kemp, Mollie Barlow, Louisa Muldowney, Jane O’Connor

First Row: Kate O’Reilly, Alexandra McDonnell, Natalie Stafford-Johnson, Roisin Doody, Ms Ganly, Giselle Kennan, Amy Gibbons, Rachel Claffey, Lauren Wojnar


CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT

On the warmest summer evening of the year on Thursday May 20th, a concert of chamber music took place at Alexandra College.

The idea behind the concert was to give every one of my own students an opportunity to play chamber music and with the help of their cellist friends in

performances by 5 string quartets, a trio and a duet.

The preparation entailed rehearsals with each group, with each student in individual lessons, personal individual practice from each student and most importantly practice as a group without me.

The concert began with a most accomplished Haydn string trio from 3 girls in Junior School.

quartets playing a range of music from old time waltzes to Mozart to a Hungarian Rhapsody and oth-ers. A Duet from 3rd year performed a waltz and a lively mazurka. The evening concluded with a rousing performance by two 5th and two 6th year girls who have been playing together in a quartet since 1st year and have reached a fantastic level of performance. Their contribution included a lively arrangement of a contemporary piece by their cellist Jenny O’Malley.

however was the fact that every girl stepped up to the mark and performed their own personal best. They also discovered the enjoyment to be had from playing music with their friends particularly when they can do it on their own without the teacher!

This has got to be an annual event from now on!

Vanessa Sweeney

College Chamber Orchestra

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Two performances took place at St. Joseph’s School Ballymun. One was a workshop for young children who are learning both strings and wind in various primary schools in the area. The second one was a joint performance with a wind band from Ballymun.

during an annual dinner, after which they received a standing ovation.

The orchestra achieved a fantastic standard of performance this year due to their excellent commitment to attending rehearsals and being respon-sible in every way when it came to playing concerts.

College Chamber OrchestraBack Row: Anna Livia Kimura, Jessica Redden, Kaytlin Chaloner, Hannah O’Connor, Hannah O’Connor, Niamh Doody, Harriet Walsh,

Ruth Farrell, Bebhinn Sheil, Ms SweeneyFront Row: Caitíona Sheil, Caitríona Callan, Dervla Malone, Niamh Murray, Elizabeth Swanwick, Elaine Corcoran, Meadhbh O’Rourke, Sibeal Carolan


Trad Band

smaller groups.

dinner celebration which took place in Milltown Church on Temple Road in December. It was a sort of Christmas party for members of the community and the trad band was happy to be there providing light entertainment. It was a lovely occasion.

doing some Irish dancing for us. It was a great way for the students to experience some Irish culture and for the two schools to mingle.

College Choir. Mrs. Healy was and is a great supporter of Irish language and culture and always encouraged the trad band in every way. It was both a poignant and celebratory occasion and we hope that she enjoyed the Trad Band’s contribution. Things quietened down until March 2010, when we had a cluster of gigs during Seachtain na Gaeilge. It began with a trip to Alex junior school, where we played at the morning

talked to the girls about Seachtain na Gaeilge. Everyone seemed to really appreciate us

Next was our annual primary schools tour, where we visit two primary schools, one in

trip, not just because we get the day off school, or the refreshments provided by the

themselves or just clapping along, its always a lively and light-hearted event and it cer-tainly was this year. The next day we performed closer to home, at the Seachtain na Gaeilge concert in Alex. The Trad Band are a vital element of the concert, performing in between Irish poetry reading and Irish dancing. The concert is a wonderful tradition, as through music, even

certainly a spirited atmosphere at this year’s concert!

a great turn out for the event and we were so honoured to play at the concert of such a talented performer. The music was, without a doubt, superb and we also got to join in with Eleanor in a rendition of “Carrickfergus” at the end, which was a lovely way to conclude the night.

whose extraordinary patience and commitment the Trad Band could not function.Anna D’Alton

Trad BandBack Row: Harriet Walsh, Ellen Duffy, Anna D’Alton, Mary Kate Bolger, Yvonne Clarke, Ms Kelly

Front Row: Megan Staunton, Anna Livia Kimura, Sophie O’Neill, Amy Ryan


Jazz Band

Back Row: Mr Cooney, Greta Scanlon, Caitriona Sheil, Holly Murphy, Ciara Gibbons, Dearbhaile Flinn, Mr Deykin

Front Row: Clara Despard, Katie Nichols, Niamh Curtis Crowley, Anna Nichols, Ellen McKay, Celestine Wolfson, Indy Abrahams

College Chamber Choir

Back Row: Rachel Lavelle, Amy Nix, Susan Buckley, Miriam Mallon, Carine Natin, Sarah Ridge, Sibeal Carolan

Front Row: Meadhbh O’Rourke, Moya NíChollatáin, Molly Garvey, Greta Scanlon, Ms Hearns, Susie Gibbons, Sally McCarthy, Ciara Gibbons,

Aimee Rose Duffy


College Orchestra & Wind Band

Back Row: Indy Abrahams, Elizabeth Swanwick, Elaine Corcoran, Meadhbh O’Rourke, Alexandra McDonnell

3rd Row: Ms Sweeney, Ruth Farrell, Harriet Walsh, Clara Despard, Alison Redden, Jessica Redden, Ellen McKay, Anna Hartnett, Tess Higgins, Hannah O’Connor, Holly Brown, Millie O’Donnell, Kaytlin Chaloner, Niamh Curtis Crowley, Lauren Wojnar, Niamh Doody, Audrey Sheil, Bébhinn Sheil, Mr Cooney

2nd Row: Ciara Cassidy, Cristiona Martin, Sophie O’Neill, Roisin Doody, Anna Livia Kimura, Sarah O’Neill, Alicia Barlow, Anna Nichols, Freya Gollespie, Rachel Blennerhassett

Front Row: Clodagh McNamee, Robyn Reddy, Ruth Brehony, Shannon Power, Aisling Kraus, Emilie Mackeown, Laura Dempsey, Natalie Stafford-Johnson, Ellen O’Toole, Hannah Bloom Teskey, Lauren Hagaden, Rhona Barry, Mollie Barlow, Maggie McEntee, Laura McKenna

Prizewinners93 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

6th Year, Winners of the Gwladys Jones Cup for Self-Trainer Choirs, Years 4 - 6, in the Culwick Competition

Prizewinners


Winner of the Molly Dunlop Cup for Best Conductor, Years 4 - 6, in the Culwick Competition

Caitríona Sheil

Jackie Pomeroy Cup for Best Accompanists, Years 4 - 6, in the Culwick Cup

Ellen Duffy

Winner of the Brenda Wilkes Award for Best Condcutor, Years 1 - 3, in the Culwick Cup

Sadbh Sheil

Winner of the Anne Cassidy Award for Best Accompanist, Years 1 - 3, in the Culwick Cup

Emilie Mackeown

Winner of the Gladys Ruddock for Presentation, Years 4 - 6, in the Culwick Cup

Meadhbh O’Rourke

Special Adjudicators Prize for Accompanying in the Culwick Cup

Anna Nichols

Prizewinners 95 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

CULWICK CUP

Another year, another Culwick competition. In the weeks beforehand, everybody was practicing like crazy, trying to get their songs to an acceptable standard for the whole school to hear. After weeks of tense preparation, blood, sweat and tears the day of the competition arrived.

Following a morning of both Junior and Senior solo-singing competitions, we all gathered in the concourse for the main event - the choir competition.

Buttercup by The Foundations and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody among them - there was a lot of anticipation in the air, and a hard decision resting on the adjudicator, Paul Deegan’s, shoulders.

were 1R for their rendition of Michael Jackson’s Ben and

-tion were the Gladys Ruddock prize for

lovely buttercup hairbands, and the Anne Cassidy award

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awarded in the Senior Competition were the Gladys

and the J. Pomeroy award for best accompanist, which

Last but not least, the adjudicator’s prize went to Anna Nichols in 3R, who played for all four of the third year choirs.

Congratulations are due to all the prize-winners, as well as to all who participated – the musical standard was extremely high from everybody.

In the end, a great time was had by all, and we are eagerly awaiting next year’s Culwick!

Eleanor White and Anna-Rose Charleton

Culwick Reviews

TDeegan adjudicated the competition. He faced some tough decisions, as everybody sang very well. In fact, the competition for the

place, and Hazel Conway came in second. It was a great morning and everyone involved really enjoyed themselves!

T

all the pressure from the audience! After we had all done our pieces, the adjudicator made their decision, and Maeve O’Rourke, who

done to everybody who took place in the competition, it is very nerve-wrecking, but really nice to hear everybody display their talents. Also a special thank you to the singing teachers, Ms Foster and Ms O’Sullivan, who assisted all of us, and who we could not have done it without.

1st Year Culwick Cup Winners

Back Row: Jessica Scaife-Byrne, Harriet Doyle, Ciara Malone, Aoife Kidney, Aoife Maginn, Phoebe Ting, Ciara McNulty, Eppie Boyden, Roísin Murphy

Front Row: Hayley Farrell, Amy Gibbons, Laura Grant, Lauren Wojnar, Alison Redden, Emily Cleary, Kyra O’Donoghue, Ellie McGuinness, Ashlyn O’Neill

The Alexandran: Alexandra College Yearbook 2009-2010 - Section 3 - Art, Music and Drama

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Transcript of The Alexandran: Alexandra College Yearbook 2009-2010 - Section 3 - Art, Music and Drama