Music/ Drama
Choir
The Newmarket School Choir is open to year 5 and 6 pupils and run by our capable Music Teacher, Chris Bevan.
We meet on a Wednesday during school. Throughout the year we have the opportunity to perform at the biennial Cultural Evening, the Annual Music Recital, the end of year Prize Giving and other school assemblies.
Choir members audition to be able to participate in the big event of the year, the APPA Music Festival in November. We join about fifteen other schools from all over Auckland to form a massed choir of about 500 children. They perform for one evening in the Auckland Town Hall, under the leadership of an experienced conductor. Every year the festival, organised by the Auckland Primary Principals Association (APPA), runs for five to seven nights with a new massed choir and a new conductor each evening. This is a wonderful experience that the children always treasure.
This attracts a wide audience and the event has been sold out for the last few years.
It is the biggest Children's Music Festival held in New Zealand.
Band
The Newmarket School Band is open to any pupil who can play an instrument well. Sometimes pupils are noticed for their potential during class music lessons and are invited to join.
We meet on Wednesdays from 1.40pm to 2.50pm. throughout the year we have the opportunity to perform at the biennial Cultural Evening, the Annual Music Recital, the end of year Prize Giving and other school assemblies.
The instruments that are played are: piano, keyboards, glockenspiels, metalaphones, recorders, guitars and all types of percussion. Violins, flutes and other instruments learned by individual pupils are catered for, but not provided. We are always proud that we have a very high standard of musicianship in our band. We often have students who are accepted into one of the APPA Music Festival Orchestras.
Drama
Selected drama groups visit the classes each year for various presentations.
Class Music
All junior pupils have a block of weekly class music lessons in the first term. These include plenty of hands on experience, playing percussion instruments with loads of singing and some movement.
The two elder classes in the junior department also have a block of weekly class recorder lessons. We have heaps of fun while we learn. During the rest of the year, all senior pupils get a block of weekly class ukulele lessons and weekly class recorder lessons. These blocks culminate in a Music Assembly to demonstrate their new found skills. Pupils get a great sense of achievement in learning these instruments.
There is also an opportunity for some senior pupils who are not involved in Choir or Band to have a block of weekly Guitar lessons in a small group situation. They also perform at the Annual Music Recital.
Piano and Instrumental Lessons
More information on these services is available in the Extra Curricular area.