Aiden Boots and Connor Norreggard with year 4-6 students from Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
Camera IconAiden Boots and Connor Norreggard with year 4-6 students from Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Credit: Supplied/Robin Kornet

Gooseberry Hill Primary School students to compete in Australian International Music Festival

Lynn GriersonHills Avon Valley Gazette

PAST and present students from Gooseberry Hill Primary School will fly to Sydney next year to compete in an international music event.

Parent Helen Botica said the Australian International Music Festival was a significant project for the school, with more than 70 musicians involved.

The musical and cultural experience in July regularly attracts up to 1300 participants from Australia, China, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and the USA.

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Fundraising and rehearsals for the event began several months ago.

“As far as we’re aware, we’re the only WA group attending the festival,” she said.

The school orchestra and choir will take to the stage for adjudicated performances and participate in workshops with tutors from around the world.

Ms Botica said cultural exchanges with other bands would provide time for sharing and playing each other’s music, including contemporaries who may not speak the same language.

Musicians selected to represent the school will perform traditional and modern pieces at high profile venues, among them the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

For more than 25 years, the festival has proved a drawcard for choirs, bands and orchestras around the world including high school and university ensembles.

Students on the 10-day trip will also set sail on a Sydney Harbour cruise, visit the Royal Australian Mint and tour the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, to coincide with WWI Centenary events.

Orchestra director Peter Hind said the tour was more than an inspirational performance opportunity.

“It’s a holistic education experience involving history, geography and the arts, using music as the vehicle and the catalyst for learning.”

The school orchestra will perform this Sunday at the WA Schools Orchestra Festival.