BALAKLAVA EISTEDDFOD
Balaklava was a buzz with performers from schools all over South Australia on Friday and Saturday for the Balaklava Eisteddfod music competitions. Our very own BHS Vocal Ensemble got to be part of the excitement, performing in the Senior Vocal Ensemble competition Friday morning. They were well prepared and worked together to process the nerves that come with performing. Music Captains, Bligh Wilson and Sarah Davies showed excellent leadership, helping their fellow performers prepare for the day. The support that this team provided for each other was exceptional, as was their performance. Singing the jazz classic, ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ and my original arrangement of ‘Lean On Me’, the Vocal Ensemble were in their element as they performed for an enthusiastic audience. They sang with precision and heart and shone as they gave a beautiful performance. Congratulations Vocal Ensemble: Sarah Davies, Bligh Wilson, Thea Podiotan, Charlotte Moore, Rihanna Zanker, Denise Nellas, Coline Banas, Aaliyah Wilkey, (absent – Sophia Donlon).
The competition was extremely high, meaning BHS missed out on a placing, however, we were able to watch the other schools perform and appreciate their skills and were inspired by their performances.
A big thanks to Miss Matthews and pre-service teacher, Holly George who walked our group to each venue and were a great support for us, both on the day and in the lead up to Friday. Also thank you to the family and friends who came to cheer us on, including Mr Friedrichs and the Japanese students. It is so encouraging to have people ‘in your corner’ when you step out to perform, so having our school Principal there especially meant a lot to us. It was great to share the experience with you all.
Charli Dall and Isabelle Poole spent Friday volunteering at the Choral Section, helping schools with booking in and representing Balaklava High School with excellence. Kiara Cowan volunteered as scribe for the adjudicator at the Vocal Ensemble Section and Sally Cowan was Convenor. Nicole Matthews volunteered at the piano section in our Performing Arts theatre on Saturday and Trish Langdon was also involved in volunteering throughout the weekend. Our Front Office staff and our Groundsman, Morgan, were busy with a lot of the behind the scenes work too. Thank you to our school community who supported the Eisteddfod so well.
Congratulations to Bligh Wilson and Sarah Davies who competed in many events on the Saturday. You did us proud, performing beautifully every time! It was great to see fellow students, staff and family coming along to support the girls as they performed. Bligh was awarded 3rd place for her musical theatre solo and Bligh and Sarah were awarded an Honourable Mention for their Musical Theatre Duet. It was also a treat to for us to see Holly George in action, singing in the open sections, winning a 1st place for Open Musical Theatre Solo, 2nd place, singing French in Open Vocal Classical and even taking home the overall Champion trophy for Musical Theatre. A special mention too for former BHS student, Nicolas Lester who was the adjudicator for the Saturday Classical Vocal Competitions. After many years performing in London, he is back to perform in an opera in Adelaide. It is a good reminder for us that students from BHS can reach for the stars in whatever field they pursue!
Melanie Evans
Specialist Music Teacher
