Senior School Music
It is our goal at Shore to ensure that the varied talents of all students, whatever their abilities, are celebrated and nurtured. In a modern world where change is fast paced and often unpredictable, participation in Music will give students an advantage in the workplace through the development of discipline, social skills, creativity, time-management, resilience, personal expression and the list could go on.
We believe that all students should have the opportunity to develop their ensemble skills with like-minded students and these students can be across different year groups. At Shore we provide an array of co-curricular Music programmes including Bands, Choirs, Orchestra and other smaller instrumental ensembles. There are many performance opportunities for ensembles including:
• Chapel Services: Open Service, Year 12 Family Service and Confirmation Service.
• Lunchtime Concerts
• Evensong
• Band Concert
• Strings/Choral Concert
• Spring Concert
• School Assemblies
• Creative and Performing Arts Week
• Music Awards
• American Tea
• Musical
• Carol Service
• New Boys Day
• Music Scholars’ Concert
• Battle of the Bands
• Eisteddfodau
• Performing Arts Dinner
Bands and Ensembles
Concert Band I
Concert Band I is open to woodwind, brass and percussion and some amplified instrumentalists in Years 7 to 12 and is for advanced instrumentalists. It is the senior Concert Band at Shore and the standard of music for this Band is considered advanced. Concert Band I performs a variety of styles including Film Music, Jazz and modern Symphonic Wind repertoire. Membership is by audition or invitation only. Concert Band I rehearses on Monday and Thursday mornings at 7.15am.
Concert Band II
Concert Band II is open to woodwind, brass and percussion and some amplified instrumentalists in Years 7 to 12 and is for intermediate instrumentalists. Concert Band II performs a variety of styles including Film Music, Jazz and modern Symphonic Wind repertoire. Membership is by audition. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7.15am in the Band Room.
Stage Band
The Stage Band is a smaller ensemble (up to 20 performers) for advanced brass and woodwind players with two vocalists, one drummer, one keyboard player, one bass and one electric guitarist and is by invitation or audition only. Stage Band performs more popular repertoire. Rehearsals are held on Monday and Thursday lunchtimes in the Band room. All members of Stage Band are expected to be in Concert Band I.
Jazz Band
Jazz Band is for students who wish to explore the style of Jazz and learn improvisational techniques. This small ensemble (up to 20 performers) is considered a training ground for Stage Band. Rehearsals are held on Tuesday and Friday lunchtimes in the Band room. All members of Jazz Ensemble are expected to be a member of a Concert Band.
Rock Bands
These contemporary bands are student lead with teachers facilitating their initial formation. These bands are for Years 7 to 12 students who wish to perform contemporary repertoire. Rehearsals are organised by the students and they may wish to perform self-composed repertoire.
Brass Ensemble
Brass Ensemble caters for all brass students and this ensemble performs chamber music repertoire. Rehearsals are on Tuesday mornings at 7.15am in Room 2207. Students in Brass Ensemble are expected to be members of a Concert Band or Orchestra.
Trumpet Ensemble
The Trumpet Ensemble caters for all trumpeters and this ensemble performs chamber music repertoire. Rehearsals are on Wednesday lunch times in the Band Room. Students in Trumpet Ensemble are expected to be members of a Concert Band.
Choirs
Chapel Choir
Chapel Choir is open to all students in Years 7- 12. This non-auditioned ensemble explores a variety of repertoire including from Popular and Classical styles. Rehearsals are held on Tuesday mornings at 7.15am in the Choir Room and sectionals are held once a week at lunchtime.
Foreshore Choir
ForeShore Choir caters for students in Years 7-12 who wish to perform more challenging repertoire. Entry is by audition only and sight-reading is a prerequisite. Rehearsals are held on Friday mornings at 7.15am in the Choir Room. Students who are members of ForeShore Choir must be members of Chapel Choir.
Community Choir
During Term 3, the Chapel Choir invites the Shore Community and other select schools to join them in singing a large choral work for the Spring Concert. There are evening rehearsals with a final concert held at the end of Term 3. No prior singing experience is necessary and all adult singers are invited to join.
Symphony Orchestra/Strings
Symphony Orchestra
The Symphony Orchestra is for advanced students in Years 7-12 and perform a variety of repertoire including movements from large scale works and Film Music. Entry is by audition or invitation only for string players and there are limited places for brass, woodwind and percussion instrumentalists. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday mornings at 7.15am in the Orchestral Recital Room and one section will have rehearsals on Friday mornings at 7.15am.
Senior String Ensemble
Senior String Ensemble is for advanced string players who wish to perform more challenging string ensemble repertoire. Entry is by audition and sight-reading is a prerequisite. Rehearsals are held on Friday afternoons at 3.00pm in Room 2207. Students in Senior String Ensemble are expected to be members of the Symphony Orchestra.
Chamber Ensemble
Chamber Ensemble is by invitation only. These musicians are expected to be members of the Symphony Orchestra and Senior String Ensemble.
String Quartet
String Quartet is for 4 of the most advanced string musicians (2 Violins, Viola and Cello) and is by invitation only. These elite musicians are expected to be members of the Symphony Orchestra and Senior String Ensemble.
Intermediate String Ensemble
Intermediate String Ensemble is open to students without any previous ensemble experience or with minimum experience playing a string instrument. This ensemble aims to develop ensemble awareness in these performers through chamber music repertoire. Rehearsals are held once a week on Monday at lunchtime in Room 2207.
Guitar Ensemble
The Guitar Ensemble welcomes all guitar students in Years 7-12 and performs a variety of repertoire including compositions written specifically for a guitar ensemble in addition to arrangements of Contemporary music. This ensemble rehearses Tuesday mornings at 7.15am in Room 2203.
Private Music Tuition
Private Music Tuition is open to all students from K-12. Shore facilitates this on a variety of instruments depending on the student's year level. The following instruments are available to Senior School students:
• Keyboard– Piano, Pipe Organ
• Strings - Violin, viola, cello, double bass
• Guitar - Acoustic, electric, bass
• Woodwind - Flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone
• Brass - Trumpet, , French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba
• Percussion - Drums, percussion, mallet percussion
• Voice - Classical, Contemporary
• Musicianship - Theory studies complementing practical studies
The cost for tuition in 2023 is $54 for a half hour lesson each week. Disruption to curriculum subjects is minimised due to the seven day academic timetable. Lessons are timetabled on the same day and time each week.
Private Music Lessons Information
Instrument Hire Terms and Conditions
Instrumental Bursaries
Shore offers some instrumental bursaries for required instruments that are able to contribute to ensembles. Bursaries allow successful applicants to be reimbursed for their Term 4 fees for up to 8 lessons. All interested applicants must have prior musical knowledge and be willing to commit to an ensemble when the appropriate skill level has been attained.