Music

From the Music Suite at St John’s College . . .

EXTRA-CURRICULAR MUSIC PROGRAMME

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS

Tuition by our specialist instrumental teachers is available on a wide range of instruments at St. John’s. Any student in the College can learn an instrument at any time in any year.

 

• YEAR 9 – Tuition at y9 is provided in half-years. Tuition is free if your son is doing the Year 9 Option Music course, otherwise it is costs $250 for the full year or $125 per half-year. and can be renewed if places are available. Students receiving tuition in the first two terms are given first refusal to continue. Download and return this tuition form only if your son is NOT on an academic music course and wishes to learn an instrument Instrumental Tuition Contract – half year.pdf. Please return to kclews@stjohns.school.nz.
• YEARS 10-13 IF YOUR SON IS DOING ACADEMIC MUSIC – Tuition is provided for the full year and is free; there is no form to fill in. Instrumental lessons are not compulsory if your son is studying the Years 11-13 Non-Performance Option Music Course. RENTAL of certain instruments, such as trumpets and saxophones, is $100p.a. Email cwilson@stjohns.school.nz to check for availability.
• YEARS 10-13 IF YOUR SON IS NOT DOING ACADEMIC MUSIC – Tuition is provided for the full year and costs $250. Download and return this tuition form Instrumental Tuition Contract – full year.pdf. Please return to kclews@stjohns.school.nz. RENTAL of certain instruments, such as trumpets and saxophones is $100p.a. Email cwilson@stjohns.school.nz to check for availability.

 

We are very proud to have the following talented and respected teachers in our team:

Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass – Mrs Hilary Baker 

Guitar and Bass Guitar – Mr Neil Matcheson 

Junior Brass & Woodwind, Junior Band, Junior Music Institute – Mrs Kathy Clark 

Senior Brass & Woodwind, Chapel Band, Senior Band (also with SHC) – Mr Christopher Wilson 

Drums – TBA 

Pipes – provided externally

ENSEMBLES

JRP Band

The Jazz-Rock-Pop Band is a great introduction to Jazz, Swing and Funk styles and participates in band competitions and festivals both locally and nationally. It allows players of intermediate and advanced levels to specialise their development.

Junior Band

The Junior Band is the perfect place for beginner and intermediate players to discover the exciting world of music and the awesomeness of playing in a group.

‘Vox Box’ (Vocal Group)

This vocal group sings for Masses, at various gigs in the community and enters The Big Sing competition. Though they sing a broad range of music from up-tempo hits such as Pinball Wizard to cool classics as Hallelujah, Barbershop is a particularly favourite style.

Combined St. John’s and Sacred Heart Concert Band

The band performs in concerts and festivals, such as the Hawke’s Bay Festival of Bands, and to our feeder primary/intermediate schools. It is an exciting group that benefits from the breadth of instruments, the repertoire such a group lends itself and the strengths, experience and skills of the players. It plays a range of music from TV and film, rock and pop as well as atmospheric and dramatic.

Assembly/Church Band

This important group supports whole-school singing in Assembly and for Mass at Sacred Heart Church. They give a harmonic and driving accompaniment to the student and staff body for the St. John’s Anthem, National Anthem and sacred and secular inspirational songs. A senior pianist and/or guitarist supports regular assemblies and the full band for Mass accompanied by a throng of strong singers.

EVENTS

School Production

Every second year, we have our collaboration with Sacred Heart College to produce our joint-school production. In 2017 we did the amazing Hairspray, 2019 the fun classic gangster musical Bugsy Malone, and in 2021 Kiwi rock classics through the decades in the 100% NZ Story Aotearoa.

HB Festival of Bands

About eighteen community and school bands from HB and across the country come to perform a set of pieces to display their talents in front an audience and an adjudicator. SJC combines with SHC to participate in this busy day of music making.

HB Schools’ Jazz Night

HB High Schools’ rock-pop-jazz groups collegially perform to each other at the Napier Sailing Club in August. A relaxed atmosphere and some fun, lively and up-tempo pieces keep the packed audience entertained. The evening culminates with a massed schools’ band.

Junior School Gig

This is a great opportunity for our burgeoning Year 9 and 10 musos to perform – sometimes for the first time – to family friends and whanau.

Senior Performance Evening

Senior music students perform pieces from their solo and group repertoires at these two annual evenings.

Smokefree Rockquest and Pacifica Beats

St. John’s enters Rock and Reggae bands for these competitions. In recent years, our bands have progressed to the national top 20 finalists in the Smokefree Rockquest.
The Big Sing

The SJC Senior Vocal Choir sings their heart and soul out at this national competition.

Chamber Music

We have boys participating in the Chamber Music ensemble competitions each year. Some groups are just St. John’s boys and some are combined with other schools such as Sacred Heart College and Hastings Girls.

Eats, Beats and Treats

This is a great opportunity for solo, duo and larger ensembles like the Jazz Band and Mr Dickson’s Reggae Band to perform and entertain the audience. It’s also an open mic event for anyone to air their vocal talents!

Orchestra Day

Our brass, wind and string players attend this combined secondary schools’ workshop and gaining much from the experience of playing in such a large ensemble.

Christopher Wilson
BA(Hons), PGCE, FGMS, HonFNCM
Director of Music
cwilson@stjohns.school.nz