Sunday was a busy day for the students who play in our College Chamber Groups. From early in the morning until well into the evening, the six competition groups each had an extended rehearsal time followed by a recording session.

The regional Chamber Music New Zealand competition takes place this week but with a slight twist. Usually the students would join others from around Auckland to play live in front of a panel of judges, giving the opportunity to not only play but also pause and listen to the repertoire from other schools. Covid-19 has caused many disruptions to planned events and this year’s secondary school music competitions are no exception. This year, schools are required to submit video recordings of their performances for adjudication. Yesterday, filming was set up in both Elliot Hall and the Music Centre with the groups taking it in turns to play in front of the cameras. The videos of the six groups will be submitted with the hope of selection to the next round of competition.

The Chamber Music Programme at the College has a very high calibre of musicians involved on a range of instruments. The nature of chamber music in small ensembles means there is ‘nowhere to hide’ and students must be both skilled and confident in the presentation of their music to an audience. They learn valuable awareness skills that serve them well as members of larger ensembles, together with musicality and technical skills which enhance their development as soloists.

We our Chamber musicians all the best as they await the outcome of their video entries!

View the gallery here.

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