This year fifteen Anglican Schools in the Southern Queensland Diocese combined to perform together. It was a wonderful celebration of music in the Anglican sector and saw the coming together of like-minded students and music educators, culminating in the Gala Concert at the QPAC Concert Hall. Four ensembles were formed for the Festival including a Symphonic Band, String Orchestra, Choir and amassed 300 strong Symphony Orchestra/Choir.

The participating schools in 2018 were: Cannon Hill Anglican College; Canterbury College; Coomera Anglican College; Fraser Coast Anglican College; Hillbrook Anglican School; Matthew Flinders Anglican College; St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School; St Andrew’s Anglican College; St John’s Anglican College; St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School; St Paul’s School; The Glennie School; The Springfield Anglican College; Toowoomba Anglican College & Preparatory School; and West Moreton Anglican College.

This year for the first time we ran a pre-festival rehearsal on 29 April. This was useful for students in both introducing them to the repertoire to be learnt for the festival, and in allowing students to get to know one another prior the festival day.

Also, for the first time this year, we commissioned a work by acclaimed Australian composer Sean O’Boyle. It was incredibly exciting to have something specifically written for students participating in the Anglican Schools Music Festival. A repeated statement of “Ignite the Fire’ is heard alongside text from Psalm 104. The composition joyously conveyed the theme of celebrating a life in service to others.

Kerryn Smith
Anglican Schools Commission