Late 2022*

Ballet Production – Greatest Hits

The Ballet Academy dancers delivered exceptional performances in the Ballet production, Greatest Hits, at the end of 2022, which saw them revisit previous year’s productions with excerpts from the Tales of Beatrix Potter, La Boutique Fantasque, and Peter Pan. The two preview shows for the Preparatory School, and four public shows were outstanding, and delighted the audiences.

Art

Year 8 student, Adele Sherborne, had her winning Re:ACTIVATE 2022 mural, Ccino and Ash, installed on Park Terrace.

Tara Kinajil-Moran (Year 13)

Ballet

Tara Kinajil-Moran (Year 13) was accepted into the Brent Street Performing Arts programme, where she will train towards an Advance Diploma in Professional Dance (Elite Performance).

Ballroom Dancing

Holly Hembry (Year 7) won eight national titles at the New Zealand Open Recreational and Solo National Dance Championships, and the Aotearoa New Zealand Open National Championships.

Cello

Christine Jeon (Year 11) was selected by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) as the school student concerto soloist for the 2023 Young Artist Showcase. She will perform Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, accompanied by the NZSO, in the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington in April 2023.

Bede Miller, Marco Leighs and Struan Gordon (all Year 12)

Film

Year 12 Media students, Marco Leighs, Struan Gordon and Bede Miller, won third prize at The International Youth Silent Film Festival for their film Amica. This competition challenges filmmakers aged 20 years and under from the United States, Europe, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and Aotearoa, to create a three‑minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed for the festival. Amica narrowly missed out on the two top spots which would have meant an entry into the grand finals in Portland, Oregon in 2023. The film also won Best Shot. Two other films by St Andrew’s Year 12 students were selected for the competition: Europe, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and Aotearoa, to create a three‑minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed for the festival. Amica narrowly missed out on the two top spots which would have meant an entry into the grand finals in Portland, Oregon in 2023. The film also won Best Shot. Two other films by St Andrew’s Year 12 students were selected for the competition: 43 Hours – Qing Yu (Qing Qing) Huang, Kevin Che, Savannah Larkins; and Nightmares – Ethan Bonis, Jonah Cropp, Solomon Hix.

Highland Dance

At the Hororata Highland Games, Sarah McCarthy was winner of the Canterbury West Coast Centre Championship Highland Fling Under 12, winner of Most Points Under 12, and Overall Hororata Champion of Champions. Tessa Meyrick (Year 8) won the Canterbury West Coast Centre Championship Highland Reel Under 14, and was Winner Most Points Under 14.

Pipe Band

Georgia Eagle (Year 12) won the Open Grade Solo Drumming Championship in Palmerston North.

Grace Lawrence (Year 13)

Songwriting

Grace Lawrence (Year 13) performed at the Play It Strange Awards in Auckland as the winner of the Lion Foundation National Songwriting Competition. Grace was interviewed on the TV1 Breakfast show the following morning and gave a live performance of her winning song, Differently Now.

Speech and Drama

The following students received Honours passes in their Speech and Drama examinations:

• Grade 2 Honours: Summer Mora-Kelley, Lara Isar, Kaia Hartstonge (all Year 6);Grade 3 Honours: Alyssa Geddes, Lila Cook (Honours Plus), Alexa Collis (all Year 7);
• Grade 4 Honours: Allegra Voice, Honour Fraher-Richardson, Zara Browne, Emma Geddes, RuoLin (Lauren) Li, Rosie Simpson, Sophie Veitch (all Year 8);
• Grade 5 Honours: Teresa Steiner (Honours Plus), Sylvia James (Honours Plus), Emily de Joux (all Year 9).

Speech New Zealand Examinations:

• Honours Plus – Jeremy Kent (Year 13), Matteo Ballara (Year 12), Teresa Steiner, Sylvia James (both Year 10);
• Honours – Toby Cammock-Elliot (Year 13), Scarlett Gray (Year 11), Emily de Joux (Year 10);Merit Plus – Billie Revis (Year 12).

Trinity College Examinations:

• Distinction – Anton Zhang (Year 9), Madelyn Harding, Estella Michaelides (both Year 7), Grace Stokes (Year 9), Yunze Li (Year 6), Alfred Lash (Year 5), Zhenan (Jayden) Lai, XiaoYa (Cynthia) Zhou (both Year 6), Vanessa Li (Year 9);
• Merit – Queenie Qu (Year 8).

*Please note the use of 2022 year groups.

2023

Ballet Summer School

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the annual Ballet Summer School took place in late January where dancers enjoyed a two-day programme of ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, national, and choreography with St Andrew’s ballet tutors and three guest tutors. It was a wonderful jump start to the dancing year.

Cultural Showcase

The Cultural Council hosted their first Cultural Showcase for the year, hosted by Cultural Captains, Mia Walker and Marco Leighs (both Year 13). It was a huge success, featuring dance, the Māori and Pasifika Group, senior choir Staccoro, films made by senior students, a jazz combo, a classical trio, and some theatresports games. The Council also showcased art made by senior students. A total of $140 was raised for Christchurch-based charity, Full Bellies, at the event.

Highland Dancing

Georgia Gregg (Year 6) won Most Points U10 and was the overall winner for her age group at the Timaru Highland Competition, where Sarah McCarthy (Year 8) won the U16 Single Time Irish Jig Championship. Both girls also competed at Rangiora, where Sarah won the U14 Runner-up trophy for Most Points, and Georgia won Most Points U10.

Terence (Hao Bo) Yang (Year 8)

Music

Terence (Hao Bo) Yang (Year 8) was named as one of the winners of the 2023 Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, which seeks to discover artists of outstanding personality and provide awards which can help to launch international careers. Terence has been invited to perform at the Winners’ Concerts, which will take place at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, in December 2023. He also achieved ABRSM Piano Grade 8 with Distinction 134/150 (Performance) and Flute Grade 7 with Merit 128/150 (Academic).

Christine Jeon (Year 12) placed second in the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, in the 20th and 21st century period category, Young Artist – Group A. The American Virtuoso International Music Competition is organised by a non-profit organisation, the American Society of Musical Excellence, and is open to vocalists, instrumentalists, and chamber music players of any nationality. The competition aims to discover outstanding young artists and provide them with support to launch international careers, with a jury made up of distinguished performers and professors in various musical fields.

Miu Kim (Year 11) received the Irene Lassen Cup for 2022 for her outstanding Grade 8 flute examination result. Ethan Waines (Year 7) received the Irene Lassen Cup for 2021 for his similarly outstanding result in his Grade 8 piano exam in 2021. The awards were presented at a special ceremony held by the ABRSM at The Piano, with both students also performing.

Jasmine Hooker (Year 11) passed her LTCL piano examination with Distinction.

Orchestra

The following students were selected for the 2023 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra:

• Violin: Selena Zhang (Year 10);
• Viola: Ary Son (Year 9), Hansen Hong (Year 11), Xinyi (Alice) Chen (Year 9);
• Principal Cello: Jasmine Hooker (Year 11);
• Principal Flute: Miu Kim (Year 11).

Naomi Dana (Year 13 – trumpet) was selected for the 2023 Christchurch Youth Orchestra.

Performing Arts

Harrison Mugford (Year 8), Eden Taylor (Year 9), Miah Taylor (Year 12), Edward Keenan (Year 9) and Austen Fraser (Year 6) were successful in gaining roles out of over 380 auditionees for Frozen Junior at the Court Theatre. Miah will play the lead of Elsa, Eden is playing Olaf the snowman, Harrison gained the role of the Bishop, Edward is playing the reindeer Sven, and Austen is in the company.

Pipe Band

St Andrew’s students achieved excellent results at the 150th Waipu Highland Games:

• Georgia Eagle (Year 13 – Drum Sergeant), won the A Grade side drumming MSR, hornpipe and jig, and drum fanfare, which won her the overall A Grade side drumming;
• Alanna Brook (Year 10) won the Intermediate tenor drumming 2/4 March, Open MSR, and Open hornpipe and jig, which won her the Aggregate Open tenor drumming overall;
• Tayla Eagle (Year 11) placed third in the B Grade strathspey and reel, the U21 strathspey and reel, and the U21 New Zealand Championship 2/4.

Tayla Eagle (Year 11) spent had a 10-day exchange at Haileybury College in Melbourne, competing with their A Pipe Band at the Melbourne Highland Games and Celtic Festival where the band won Grade 4A and was runner-up in Novice A, and the Victorian State Championships where the band won Novice A and Grade 4A overall.

Alanna Brook (Year 10), Georgia Eagle (Year 13), Pipe Band Director, Richard Hawke, Tayla Eagle (Year 11) and Emily Brook (Year 10)

Pipe Band Summer School 2023

The Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association Summer School was held at St Andrew’s College Wednesday 11 – Sunday 15 January, with 140 bagpipers and drummers from around New Zealand and Australia attending. St Andrew’s College was represented by Toby Cammock-Elliott (Year 13), Ethan Higgs, Theodore Lagias, Emily Carswell (all Year 11), Sam Foote, Alanna Brook, Emily Brook, Emily Watt (all Year 10), Cameron Sharpe, Austin Paterson (both Year 9), Charlie Gregg and William Nicholls (both Year 8).The students attended classes and private lessons and performed in a final concert with their Summer School group.