F.C.J. SECONDARY SCHOOL
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As Christmas 2004 approaches we look back on a very fruitful year for music at F.C.J. Bunclody.
We now have 250 students participating in Band rehearsals and music lessons. The recruitment (held every second year) of the new Junior Band in September was very successful when we had 125 applications from 1st and 2nd year students with 105 eventually taking up the offer of a place - the largest group in the 23 year history of the Band. The following piece was written by a student for the school newsletter:
"…… The newly formed Band consists of 32 Flutes, 24 Clarinets, 15 Alto & 5 Tenor Saxophones, 15 Trumpets, 12 Trombones, a Bass player and a Drummer. Each Student partaking in the school band attends a formal lesson to learn to play and improve on their chosen instrument every week within the school, in one of our newly built music rooms. They practise every week also with Mr Grant. They will eventually cover a vast amount of pieces from many styles of music including classical pieces, theme tunes, rock pieces, pop, blues and many others. Unfortunately, the Juniors will not be following the Seniors to America in February, but who knows what is in store for them in the future!"
There are two big concerns for Senior Band members at the moment: the Associated Board Grade exams and, of course, our trip to America in February.
Practising for the exams. (Grades II - VIII) is foremost at present because they begin on Monday, December 6th. A Board examiner from London will spend all next week in the school as we have so many entrants.
Planning for our American Trip is getting down to finer details now and we are dealing with passport and visa questions at the moment. One hundred and fifty five students and chaperones will travel from Dublin to Boston on the afternoon of Friday, 11th February 2005, and return to Ireland on February 19th. We will be guests of the Music Department at the Mount St. Charles Academy, Woonsocket, R.I. We have been to R.I. twice already, in 1995 and 2001, and they have visited us on two occasions also, in 1996 and 2000. Thanks to the hard work of Marc Blanchette, Director of Music at the Mount, our students are promised the trip of a lifetime. As soon as we have details of concerts we will send them to this web site so that, hopefully, some of you generous people will be able to hear the Band and meet us. Unfortunately, Anthony will be on tour in Australia and cannot accompany us this time.
Weekend rehearsals in preparation for the trip will begin on Saturday, December 11th, when we will welcome back last year's 6th years who will travel with us even though they are now in college, work, etc.
At the Annual Prize giving in May, the Music Award was presented to Joanne Creane of Clonhaston, Enniscorthy. Joanne went on to win the school's 2004 Leaving Certificate Academic Award and an Entrance Exhibition (Bursary) at Trinity College, Dublin, where she is studying Pharmacy.
In all the building and demolition work in the school during the last three years, we lost the Music Rooms in the 'Music Corridor', which had been in use for over a hundred years! Thanks to the foresight of the Principal of the school, Sr. Madeleine Ryan, fcJ, students and music teachers have recently moved into three newly converted and equipped Music Rooms. After more than 30 years in the school, Gearóid Grant finally has a music 'area' in the St. Patrick's Building - with light-filled, comfortable rooms for instrument teaching, proper storage for equipment, instruments, music library, etc. And best of all, this is within a short distance of Room 23, which is now exclusively for the music department's use.
Thanks to the enormous generosity of the contributors to the Music Fund we have received many gifts since it was founded in 2001. These have included music fees being paid for some students and extra band instruments provided for the Band. Now the main Music Room is being transformed with the help of the Fund. We are coming into the 21st century with computers + musical keyboards, a digital projector and the Sibelius music computer software all provided by the A.K. Music Fund. When the room is completed I promise to get photographs taken so that you can all see the results.
Do visit the school's new web site at www.fcjbunclody.ie We are working on a much enlarged music section and hope to have it up and running shortly.
On behalf of all those at F.C.J. Bunclody involved in music, thank you for your great interest in us and for your donations to the Anthony Kearns Music Fund.
Eileen Martin,
School Secretary
Administrator of F.C.J. Band
Board Member of Anthony Kearns Music Fund
MUSIC ACTIVITIES
December 2004
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