The 2021 Music Festival was initially set to be held at the Adelaide Festival Theatre however, just a few days into the school year, the Festival Centre announced a 7-month closure to enable works around the plaza, causing the Music Festival to face a sixth consecutive year of change.
After 28 years in the same venue, the last five years have been rescheduled, reimagined, and reinvented, and students have been privileged to take to the stage of the Adelaide Festival Centre, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and attend a series of professional film recording sessions. Weather events, renovations and coronavirus have put adaptability, agility and flexibility at the core of the Music Festival’s working philosophy. This year the team embraced change once again and drew on their ability to reimagine this extraordinary event.
Celebrating its 33rd year in 2021, the Festival returned to the usual delivery of live performances in a professional setting. The 1,900 students from 81 Catholic schools delivered outstanding performances on the stage of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre from Monday 20 to Thursday 23 September.
Of the 65 schools participating in the massed primary choirs, six were regional schools; St Joseph’s School Murray Bridge, St Mary MacKillop School Wallaroo, Samaritan College Whyalla OLHC Campus and St Teresa’s Campus, St Joseph’s School Clare and St Columba’s Memorial School Yorketown. Schools came together one month prior to the festival for their combined rehearsals held at Loreto College, Marryatville.
Support Act audition applications came from 20 secondary schools and colleges who submitted 68 separate audition items comprising large and small instrumental ensembles, vocal groups, and solo artists. The 2021 Festival committee accepted 33 acts from 16 schools. Foyer Acts represented by 5 schools and colleges presented entertainment prior to the performances each evening.
Supporting artists who accompany the massed Festival Choirs during the performances included the Festival String Ensemble comprising 9 students from St Mary’s College, St Aloysius College, and St Dominic’s Priory College; the Secondary Boys Vocal Ensemble with a membership of 31 boys representing Blackfriars Priory School, Cabra Dominican College, Christian Brothers College, Nazareth College and St Michael’s College; the Secondary Girls’ Choir with a membership of 25 students from St Mary’s College; the 3-piece rhythm section represented by Kildare College. The Committee welcomed new Festival piano a ccompanist Ms Meredith Wilson who also assisted at the workshops, combined rehearsals and auditions throughout the year.
The Monday and Tuesday night performances were compered by Ms Belinda Bennet, Principal at Catherine McAuley School with St Dominic’s Priory College student Desandi Juwan and Saint Ignatius’ College student Mehar Bains. Mr Matthew Perry, Deputy Principal at Star of the Sea School, compered the Wednesday and Thursday evening performances with students Abinav Murugappa from Sacred Heart College and Ruby Redden from St Joseph’s School, Clare.
The Catholic Schools Music Festival Management Committee in 2021 consisted of 12 members representing Principals, Deputy Principals, APRIMs, Music Coordinators, Choir Trainers and representation from the Catholic Education Office. New member Mr John Low, Principal at St Catherine’s School Stirling was welcomed to the committee.
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