Assembled by Alice Compton, Sophie Andreou and Akshara Yogesvaran
Aston
Music Festival has been one of my favourite events to participate in since Year 7. It is the culmination of weeks of hard work from every student and teacher and the feeling of achievement on the night is undeniable. As the Conductor of Aston, I know that it is not always easy and I want to firstly congratulate all of the conductors and accompanists for the incredible effort that they have put into their performances. Whether you are a conductor, accompanist or choir member, the road to Music Festival can be tough at times. However, what I admire is the fact that we always overcome hurdles as a team; striving for a common goal and working incredibly hard to create a special performance for an incredible night. In many ways, I truly believe that is the triumph of Music Festival. Conducting Aston has been one of the most amazing experiences of my time at Loreto. Thank you to Emma Bower for being the most incredible accompanist and Nicola Rakuljic for being a wonderful djembe player. Thank you to all the teachers and my Head of House, Mrs Stanger for all your support throughout this process. Finally, to the Aston Choir; thank you for being the most hardworking and dedicated group of singers. I don’t even have the words to express how proud I am of you girls.
Together, you have created something wonderful and I cannot wait until we perform. -Akshara Yogesvaran, Aston Conductor
Barry
Music Festival night is quite possibly one of the most anticipated events each year, and being chosen to be Barry's Conductor was an absolutely incredible feeling. It is difficult to see how much work really goes on behind the scenes when you are learning your House’s song as part of the choir, but being in this role has opened my eyes up to the dedication and hard work of every student and teacher involved in the night, as well as how seamlessly this organisation is carried out. I won't lie, the hours spent during the holidays and afternoons at the piano; arranging and refining the parts for my House were countless. However, I truly mean it when I say that it is so rewarding and worth it when you hear your House sing the song that you pictured for a long time in your mind and bring your ideas alive. This is especially true as I have always looked up to the conductors and dreamed of being Barry Conductor since Year 8, with our song ‘Karma Chameleon’ already in my mind. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be able to lead my House in such a significant event like Music Festival. I am also so lucky to have amazing people assisting me where I need, including Gian Ellis-Gannell, the most dedicated accompanist I have ever come across in my life. Gian, your endless enthusiasm for our song and your hard work inspires me. A big thank you as well to Ella Nicol, Arta Bayatpour and Mrs Hodgetts who have helped me so much throughout the term.
I am honestly so proud of Barry House Choir and all that they have achieved, and whatever the outcome I know we will have sung our hearts out together as a House! -Sophie Andreou, Barry Conductor
Kendall
Music Festival has always been my absolute favourite event of the year. My passion for Music Festival started when I was in Year 7 sitting in House Choir rehearsal, eagerly watching our then Conductor, Lulu teach the House our song. The ambience of and leading up to the night is truly spectacular, and I love that as the night draws nearer everyone in the Loreto community buzzes with excitement. Music Festival is such an amazing event because it really highlights the spirit of the Loreto community, in that all of the conductors, accompanists and choir members are all so supportive and encouraging of each other. Although it may be difficult for most to see this, being Conductor is an incredibly long journey that really starts in Term 3 of the previous year and takes ongoing effort and commitment, but is ultimately extremely rewarding in the end. I am so incredibly proud of all of the Kendall girls who have been so supportive and worked with me so that we will be happy with and proud of what we achieve in the end, regardless of the outcome. I am so, so grateful to have had some amazing people supporting me along the way, notably my Accompanist, Sofia Cordina; Music Leader, Eileen Yang; House Captain, Charlotte Ryan and Mr Moran. Conducting Kendall has definitely been my most memorable experience at Loreto so far and has brought me so much closer to my House, so I would definitely encourage anyone who is musically inclined and willing to make this commitment to nominate themselves to be Conductor in the future.
I cannot wait for Friday night and wish every House good luck! -Alice Compton, Kendall Conductor
Kuring-Gai
Music Festival is such a magical night and every year the atmosphere is amazing – there is such an exciting buzz! There have definitely been ups and downs along the way and many weekends spent sitting in front of the piano, but that is what makes the end so rewarding. It really helps to have a great support group so thank you to Sabrina, my accompanist; all the conductors; the Kuring-Gai council; Mrs Nairn and other teachers and friends.
I have absolutely loved conducting Kuring-Gai and I am so, so proud of them! We’ve all worked so hard and I can’t wait to perform! -Bianca Meleca, Kuring-Gai Conductor
Maye
My name is Eve and I am the Maye House Conductor for 2019. Being chosen as the Conductor was such an honour and I couldn't wait to get started! I love Music Festival because of its exciting atmosphere and competitive edge. Year after year, there is always a sense of accomplishment when you finish singing your House song because you have been working on it for the whole term. Because this is the first year where I won't be singing in a crowd but conducting on my own, there is a lot of added pressure. I'm very nervous but I believe my House will sing well and support me whatever happens. Leading up to the Music Festival is a lot of preparation and planning. I arranged all of the music in the Christmas holidays so that I was ready to start when the first rehearsals began, which took a bit of pressure off of my shoulders. It is always difficult to conduct a House when a lot of the girls would prefer to be elsewhere but I try and keep it as fun as possible so that everyone has a good time. There is also a lot of work behind the scenes week in and week out – changing the score and working with the accompanist and other House and music leaders in order for the House to sound as good as possible.
Despite the hard work, this year will be the most rewarding of them all because 120 girls will be singing the song that I have chosen and put so much effort into. I am very excited... -Eve Whittaker, Maye Conductor
Mornane
Music Festival is a significant part of my experience at Loreto, bringing my House closer than ever as we all encourage each other to do our best. This year, I am grateful for the opportunity to be Mornane House Conductor – a position I never imagined I would have the confidence to do. Throughout the process of choosing a song, arranging it, and then teaching it, I have always felt supported and encouraged by everyone in the Loreto Community.
I am so excited for the night and am proud of every effort in creating such a wonderful show. -Isabelle Sullivan, Mornane Conductor
Mulhall
As Mulhall Conductor I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Mulhall House leading up to Music Festival. I have wanted to be a Conductor since my first Music Festival in Year 7, as it is the best part of the Loreto calendar because of how everyone gets involved: From the Year 12 acts to Primary Choir, with all of the solo and group acts in between. The excitement in the weeks leading up to Music Festival throughout the school is incredible, and hearing girls singing in the halls is so exciting. The songs on the bells and different dance, instrument and performance rehearsals buzzing though the music cells add to a completely unique and wonderful buzz. As Conductor, I have found that sometimes it was a bit of a struggle to be organised when pushing through exams, however everyone bands together to help each other, and that is a part of the beauty of Music Festival. Remembering to communicate and keep stress levels low were key things I found helped me remain calm in such an exciting time. I feel so privileged in particular to have had the support and encouragement of our wonderful accompanist Tanya- who put her all into every single rehearsal. On the home run to the night, we all started working harder and harder - I could tell that we all were hoping to do the best we could for marvelous Mulhall house- and all of the pushing through and sacrifice has been so worth it to see the full song, sung with such beautiful harmonies. Thank you all!
Having the support of the amazing Year 12s and House leaders has really helped inspire our new Year 7s and I love always hearing them singing out and supporting our talented accompanist Tanya and I. -Samantha North, Mulhall Conductor
Ward
Music Festival has always been one of my absolute favourite events of the Loreto school year since I was in Year 7, so being able to conduct this year has been an absolute dream come true. While a lot of work has gone into the preparation of the song and the teaching of the choir, I have had a lot of support from so many of the girls in my House from so many different years. The journey has been very long, but-
I am very excited for the energy and enthusiasm that is always displayed on the night and I couldn’t be prouder of my girls than I am right now. -Sarah Maguire, Ward Conductor