Fledgling recorder players from Bega Valley Public School are still revelling after their fantastic performance at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night.
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Representing the Combined Schools’ Recorder Ensemble, the pupils were part of the Festival of Instrumental Music Opera House Concert series in the Opera House’s magnificent concert hall.
Bega Valley PS year six pupil Halle Bremner was awe-struck by the experience.
“I was a bit shocked by how many people were there,” Halle said on Wednesday. “We got a big applause.”
The concert’s grand finale was the recorder-led rendition of Pagoda by Heavenly Lake, which Halle said was her favourite piece of music.
“It was really fun to play because it has some challenging parts,” Halle said.
“I’ve never played with so many people before, and it sounded really cool; it sounded like everyone was playing at the same time!”
Thirteen children from Bega Valley PS performed in the Acacia Concert, joined by over 700 other recorder players from schools across NSW.
The Acacia Concert was the first of a series of four concerts for the Festival of Instrumental Music, from Monday August 22 to Thursday August 25.
Joining them on stage for the Acacia Concert was Merimbula Public School, with other valley schools – including Towamba PS, Candelo PS, Cobargo PS and Quaama PS - appearing on different nights.
As well as the Combined Schools’ Recorder Ensemble, hundreds of other children took to the stage to play a variety of instruments including string, harp, percussion, saxophone, trombone and flute, with a grand total of over 1000 children filling the concert hall with music.
Bega Valley PS music teachers Anne Franks and Meg Bennett mentored the Bega Valley PS pupils from years five and six through the months of practice, and accompanied them to Sydney.
“We’ve been practicing all year,” Ms Bennett said on Wednesday. “We practiced during recess on Tuesday and Thursday every week.”
Ms Bennett said it is the first year Bega Valley PS pupils have been part of the festival, and said the school aims to send another group next year.
“The kids thought it was amazing,” Ms Bennett said. “They have never really played anywhere else apart from their own school hall, so to play in the Opera House was a real eye-opener for all of them.”
Ms Bennett believes the gift of music extends way beyond the music room.
“I think music is very important for a well rounded education, because it gives you skills outside of music; maths’ skills, memorizing skills, and critical thinking skills which are beneficial to every part of your life,” she said.
“Music is also an important outlet for people generally as a mode of escaping the world, reaching down into something you can feel, and bringing out emotions that you didn’t even know you had.”
The Festival of Instrumental Music is an annual event showcasing the musical talent of public schools only, hosted by the NSW Department of Education.
