More Than Words
The Ridgeway Campus More Than Words performance was held on Wednesday 22 July in Buckley Hall. This annual concert was first established in 1998 as a vehicle to encourage solo singing at the School. The event was open to everyone but all places in the program were auditioned. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions the event was held in a very different format with the number of student performers limited to just eight singers.
“It was a joyous sharing of vocal work by eight terrific singers. The growth from workshop to performance was astonishing, and each student shone in telling a story through song. This is a time when the world most needs music, and with the support of Mark Fitzgibbon on the piano, the entire experience was a delight.” said Director of Performance Shaun Murphy.
Click here to view the performance
Student Reflections
More Than Words is an anticipated event each year, and this year the workshop and performance was needed more than ever. ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ is a song that speaks of beauty from tragedy, fatalities in the loss of hope, a song that reflects our society’s current predicament. During these very uncertain times music is the perfect opportunity to forget the real world and to immerse yourself into another story. I was so privileged to be able to provide this for not only myself, but my audience. Year 10 student Lucy
This year’s More Than Words performance was a very unique concert due to the COVID-19 virus. Despite the setbacks it was still extremely rewarding to be able to perform in these hard times and to be able to see my friends do the same. This performance allowed me to grow and learn from many different people. It gave me a great sense of satisfaction on the night to watch everyone’s practise and hard work fall into place and to see everyone’s individual story shown through their own pieces. Year 11 student Nat
More Than Words gave me the incredible opportunity to perform a solo vocal piece while accompanying myself. Being the first time I have performed in this way, this opportunity has allowed me to hone in on my performance skills and improve my engagement with audience. Thank you Mr Murphy and Emma, the workshop tutor, for this amazing opportunity and the skills I have learnt. Year 12 student Ben
After a few months in quarantine, singing had become an unconscious habit of mine, and I wasn’t necessarily practising to the best of my abilities. However, I think the More Than Words workshop and performance was a really good way to start practising again and to spread the joy and fun of singing and music that some people may have missed out on during isolation. It was really great to see everyone grow and learn during the workshop, and in the end, everyone performed really well. Year 11 student Sara
I think the whole process, from the workshop all the way through to the final performance, was a lovely hint of normalcy in our changing routines. Support and love was positively exploding out of every performer, and it was healing to just lose yourself in a few hours of both listening and singing amongst bustling, anxious days – everyone was incredible, and I genuinely would be content to watch all their performances on repeat. Year 10 student Ruby
During this year’s More Than Words performance, because of the recent restrictions with COVID-19, myself and the other performers were instead filmed, rather than performing with a live audience (providing a new experience for all of us). Personally, this year’s More than Words concert has been a wonderful journey through the workings of workshops and rehearsals, I was able to ignite my passion for singing and performance and also enhance it through feedback from others! Overall, though the concert was in a different style this year, I enjoyed working with and supporting my fellow peers as well as improving my skills. I would like to give my thanks to all the people who were involved and were able to make the performance happen. Year 10 student Christian
I enjoyed my first ‘More Than Words’ experience immensely and learned how to perform as a character that is so different from my personality. I learned to let go of all my doubt and fear of judgement and just go for it and have fun. I was so nervous, however with the encouragement and support from Mr Murphy, Emma Gilmartin and my peers I was able to feel comfortable and confident in my performance. One of the most difficult challenges I faced was, becoming the sassy persona of Velma Kelly, especially in my school uniform and during COVID! Singing during COVID provided me with a creative outlet and something to look forward to during this challenging time. Finally performing on a stage again enabled a change of scenery for the better, compared to being on a laptop all day. Year 11 student Stephanie
