Monday 13 November
Girton Grammar’s Year 10 music class has brought to life an enchanting fusion of music and literature at The Capital Theatre, where they presented an accompaniment to a live performance of Clare McFadden’s picture storybook The Flying Orchestra.
They performed the piece on Monday 13 November as part of the City of Greater Bendigo’s ‘Cushion Concert’ series. The initiative features a different production each month by local and internationally recognised musicians, designed to introduce the joy of live music to preschoolers.
The talented Year 10 students not only performed, but selected, arranged and composed all the musical interludes for their young audience.
Next, the students are excited recreate the performance for Girton Grammar’s current and future Prep cohorts at a special Musical Storytime event to be held at the School.
Girton’s Head of Arts, Mrs Cally Bartlett, says there is a powerful synergy between music and literacy for young audiences.
“Bringing books to life with music helps to reinforce the meaning in the words, and significantly aids understanding and comprehension,” she says.
Mrs Bartlett was excited to select The Flying Orchestra as the story for this year’s concert, as an award-winning picture book that skilfully explains the abstract concept of music for young audiences.
“The Flying Orchestra has beautiful descriptions of emotions and feelings, which helps our young students develop their understanding of emotions and how they are impacted through music,” she adds.
Mrs Laura Dusseljee, Head of Music in Girton’s Junior School, says the Musical Storytime event has an equally powerful benefit for both the older and younger students.
“There is ‘us’ in music,” she says. “The gift in this project is that it creates joy for both the senior and junior students – the older students take pleasure in providing inspiration for the younger students, who in turn delight with their curiosity and musical appreciation.”
“In addition, the event beautifully illustrates for the younger students that the study of music can lead to many options – composer, performer, conductor, music-maker and storyteller.”
