On October 27, the students at Cornerstone Christian College presented a music concert to parents and grandparents.

First was the choir, taught by Mrs Ali and accompanied by Mrs Francine Ivory, who sang two songs; ‘Come Sing to the Lord’ and ‘Just a Single Voice’.  They were amazing.

Over the afternoon there were students playing piano, violin, flute, tambourine and guitar.  There were also singers.

The audience was very enthusiastic about the performances, and they really enjoyed it.

The afternoon tea was delicious, being made by Mrs Moorcroft and some high-school students.

The performance was great, and we couldn’t have done it without Mr Van der Tang and other teachers.  Their organisation made the performance happen.

Miss H’s Year 5 class, presented an ABBA medley for the closing act.  The students were very enthusiastic and the crowd was amazed.

Thanks to everyone who performed.  You provided a great performance.

Written by Jayden Fraser, Year 5

In what has been described as a new era in music at Cornerstone, a recent Devonshire Tea and Musical Presentation has been successfully completed.

Mr David van der Tang, a Secondary teacher at the College, (who is also a talented musician and music teacher), hosted a beautiful afternoon event that was a wonderful tribute to the musical talents of our students.  In just over an hour, singers, dancers, pianists, violinists, flautists, and ensemble groups wowed those present with what was a display of the strength of musical talent across both the Primary and Secondary school.

Many of the students undertake lessons during school hours, and any families interested in having their own children participate are encouraged to make contact with the College Administration.

To finish off a wonderful afternoon, Mrs Moorcroft blessed the attendees with a magnificent afternoon tea.  It wasn’t a simple devonshire tea as advertised.  Mrs Moorcroft, once again, went above and beyond what was required and presented a tempting spread, that allowed parents and guests to mingle and discuss the talent they had witnessed.

It truly was a delightful afternoon, and one that we can expect to see more of in the future.  Well done to all involved.

A number of students participate in music classes during school hours, and many have taken examinations recently and performed exceptionally well.  One family of note however, is the Lucas family, who have three of their daughters who have all received honours or first class honours in each of the multiple instruments they are learning.

Different teachers have been involved in the music instruction of these young ladies, and some friendly rivalry has arisen as to whose students and instruments achieved the highest results.  Unfortunately for Mr van der Tang, Bronnen’s result of 93 percent for violin was outclassed by Caitlin’s 93.5 percent for flute under the expertise of Sabine Kozlowski.  However, Eilidh’s First Class Honours result under Sherrine Jones in Piano was the best outcome of all.  Whatever the result, the multiple results for each of the girls was extremely pleasing.

Parents are reminded that music tuition is available during school hours if desired.   Whilst all students in the Primary years take some basic music classes, these additional and specialised lessons with experts in their fields are encouraged.  For further details of the process, contact the College Administration.  They will provide you with the names of music teachers, and you can enter into a private arrangement with them.

As for the Lucas girls, well done on these exceptional results.  We are delighted for you all.

Cornerstone’s new music specialist teacher is Mrs Judith Ali.  She has been with us since the beginning of the year and is making great inroads in developing and expanding the music program for Cornerstone students.

One of her strategies in starting students on the road to musical knowledge has been by teaching the recorder as a part of the Primary School Curriculum.

Known as an ideal introductory instrument, the recorder is a member of the woodwind instrument family.  It has been around for centuries and was popular particularly in medieval times.  Its popularity was revived in the 20th Century, mainly because of its suitability for learning the foundational skills required to understand and play music.

Students in Years 2 to 6 are currently learning the basics of written music, being able to follow a rhythm and correctly hold and play the recorder.  The students are making terrific progress.

It’s music to the ears!

During 2009, a number of students have had the benefit of musical tuition during College hours.

Thanks to the musical talent of a number of teachers on staff, some students have elected to learn piano, flute, violin or guitar. 

Today, Tom enjoyed a private lesson with one of the very versatile and talented College teachers.   Tom is an impressive young musician who plays a total of four instruments.  He has enjoyed the past year during which he has added violin to his repertoire - thanks to Cornerstone.

According to Mr David van der Tang – who takes students for violin classes – the College is looking to develop this area in 2010.  In particular, his eyes are set on establishing an ensemble of young musicians who can perform together. 

Mr van der Tang is excited about the growth in the musical areas of Cornerstone in 2010. 

If you have any queries about the tuition opportunities that are available, please direct your queries to the Administration.