Tis The Season of The Arts

It is the season of The Arts at Fairholme – from a pre-Eisteddfod concert to Eisteddfod performances to Interhouse Choir and Facets – our annual art Exhibition-nudging closely, and, of course on-going Musical rehearsals. I’ve been privileged to hear and see some of these magical Arts moments in the past fortnight. These are some of those Fairholme occasions that exist to remind us of the specialness of this place.

My parents accompanied me to the Pre-Eisteddfod Concert, perhaps with a little trepidation; would they enjoy it? After half an hour or so I whispered to my father, ‘Would you like to go now?’ He returned a look that I remember well from childhood – the one that says, ‘don’t be ridiculous’, without a word being spoken. They stayed until the end of the concert. ‘That’s difficult repertoire they’ve conquered,’ said my father: high praise!

As I write this article, I’ve just walked past the Assembly Hall on the way to my office and chanced upon a Sunday afternoon rehearsal for our combined school musical with Toowoomba Grammar. The specialist dancers were rehearsing a tap number with Molly Harm in the lead – I paused and watched. It wasn’t just the skill that drew me in but their delight – deep enjoyment evident, alongside focus. That was my observation too, on Thursday evening when a Musical rehearsal in our hall drew me in with its sound and the adrenalin that attaches itself to such performance. How fortunate we are to be able to provide such opportunities for our students and how fortunate we are that they seize those opportunities with spirited enthusiasm and commitment. The August unveiling of ‘The Show Must Go On’ holds great promise.

But, I admit, Interhouse Choir is a favourite. It’s a spectacle that’s hard to put into words. It’s a ‘pinch yourself’ occasion, where one asks – is this really happening in a school on a Friday afternoon? Each of our House conductors and House groups demonstrated the precious synergy between leadership and ‘followship’. What cultural strength enables a full House, to achieve unison in musical focus, school uniform and presentation on stage? There were musicality differences – weaknesses and strengths for all but the sense of ‘team’ was palpable. The sound – a delight. The sense of achievement – overwhelming. Of course, selection of a winner had focus but I doubt that anyone sitting in that hall could have missed the magic of being present nor the unity of being part of a House group.

Years ago, I was privileged to attend a ‘Brightest and Best’ concert which involved the combined voices of a number of school choirs (including Fairholme) held at St. John’s Cathedral in Brisbane. Dr Ralph Morton, who at that time was National Chairman of RSCM Australia and Director of Music at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, shared introductory remarks. They have stayed with me. He extolled the benefits of choir as a team activity. Whilst many of the parents in the audience had no doubt also stood on sidelines at sporting venues, he recanted a number of examples from research which indicate the team benefits of being part of a choir. Invariably, we tend to think of team skills as the sole premise of sporting activities, but the level of unity required to achieve an effective choral performance runs parallel.

On Friday it was easy to see this and to share the students’ excitement, anticipation, and air of confident expectancy. We learn a lot in teams – including the requisite courage to do that which we might never choose to do, solo. Stacy Horn in her article ‘Ode to Joy’ reminds that ‘music is awash with neurochemical rewards for working up the courage to sing.’ Furthermore, she refers to singing as ‘our most perfect drug and the ultimate mood regulator.’

Music matters, it is incontestable that The Arts enrich us as people, and it does take courage to be creative. What a privilege it has been to see so much Arts action in the past fortnight – here’s to the joys (and exhaustion) associated with the Eisteddfod. Don’t forget to buy your Facets tickets, either.

Dr Linda Evans | Principal

Reference

Horn, S. (2013). ‘Ode to Joy – join a choir. Science shows it’ll make you feel better.’