Performance
Primary Schools Concerts
2013
2013 Primary Schools Concert Series Application Form
Details of the 2013 Schools Concert Series have just been announced. The concerts will take place in the Theatre Royal, Waterford on June 13th and 14th with two concerts each day at 10am and 12 noon. Once again the ticket prices remain at €6 per child attending with a free seat for accompanying adults for every 25 children. Early booking is advisable to avoid disappointment. Click on the application form link above to commence the booking process.
This year's concert will be the fourth in the series and will complete our tour around the famiilies of the orchestra as qwe visit the String section. Popular pieces such as Pachelbel's Canon and Monti's Czardas give a hint of the rande of music to be performed on the day.
Once more a teacher's pack will be sent to each class attending the concert. The pack will include details of the pieces to be performed, a recording of the pieces and additional educational material. Check out the responses from previous concerts and have a look at the photos below to get an idea of what to expect from this highly entertaining and educational experience.
For additional information on the Schools Concert Series please click here.
2012
Here is the feedback from the principal of one school we visited in 2012:
Waterford Concert Orchestra performed in the school hall in St. Mary’s National School in Thomastown on June 12th , 2012. There were two concerts, with more than 500 children from many of the nearby schools, attending each one. The children sat on the floor, and the hall was full to capacity. The children were enthralled by the music, the choice of music was perfect, and the children gave the musicians their full attention, really enjoying the demonstration of the woodwind instruments. The school packs were invaluable, Kevin’s interaction with the children was superb, and the musicians made the occasion special for the children. The children from St. Mary’s enjoyed the participation of their teacher, Mr. Reade. We have already decided we want the Orchestra to play for us again next year, and hope it will become an annual event.
Margaret Walsh, Principal St Mary's School, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
The Schools Concert Series 2012 will focus on the woodwind family of the orchestra. Continuing the policy of Engaging, Educating, Entertaining, the concert will include pieces that feature the woodwind instruments of the orchestra. Pieces such as Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone and The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini will be performed alongside firm classical favourites by Bizet and Gounod. Also included are two songs for the children to sing with yhe orchestra - Do Re Me from The Sound of Music and the ever favourite Ireland's Call to finish. In what will be a new departure for the orchestra, we are visiting two schools outside Waterford City in an effort to bring orchestral music to as wide an audience as possible. We begin our 2012 schools concert series in St. Mary's School, Ballygunner before moving on to Thomastown - where I understand many smaller schools will travel to see the orchestra live. On the 14th and 15th of June we return to our home base in Waterford city - The Theatre Royal where a few seats still remain for the four performances. If you would like your schol considered for a visit in 2013 contact info@kevinocarrollmusic.com.
For additional general information on the Schools Concert Series please click here.
2011
The next Primary Schools Concert Series will run from the 14th to the 17th June 2011 at the Theatre Royal, Waterford. Based on our experience in 2010, early booking is strongly recommended. This year's family of instruments in focus is the Percussion family - things you bang, squeeze, scrape or bash!
Once again, the programme will be designed by musicians and teachers working together and once again, a great hour's entertainment is assured. A teacher's pack, complete with CD and entertaining exercises, will be provided to teachers in the weeks prior to the concerts to facilitate the proper preparation for the concert. Please note that all bookings for the Primary Schools Concerts Series are through Kevin O'Carroll Music and the Theatre Royal cannot accept bookings directly.
Primary school teachers all face the challenge of introducing their pupils to the world of orchestral music, showing how music can be fun and at the same time completing the school music curriculum. With a series of specially designed orchestral concerts, Kevin O’Carroll has gone a long way towards satisfying these needs. The Schools Concert Series, which commenced in 2010, is devised as a four-year cycle of concerts with a different family of the orchestra featured each year. Feedback from the first year’s performance has been tremendous with almost 3,000 children in attendance and many schools expressing their intention to re-book next year. Don’t take my word for it. Here are the comments of teachers from St Mary’s School, Ballygunner, Waterford
- The children thoroughly enjoyed the concert and are looking forward to next y
ear’s already. - We will definitely be booking again next year – and the dates are ideal. I will be recommending the event to other schools, but you may need two weeks instead of one!
- A most enjoyable performance. Very worthwhile and we look forward to attending again next year.
- This was an excellent exercise for all concerned; the children really enjoyed the concert. The concert content was age appropriate and very well presented. The venue and organisation of the concert was superb! I felt the [teacher’s] pack was relevant and informative; overall, a very child-friendly, teacher-friendly venture! Looking forward to next year
Photos
Secondary School Concerts
Workshops
Secondary School Choir Workshops
For more information, please contact info@kevinocarrollmusic.com
Third Level Lecturing and Examining
In addition to providing bespoke lectures to national associations such as The Association of Irish Choirs and the Irish Church Music Association, Kevin has provided lectures for and supervised post-graduate students on the DCU, St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Dublin Post Graduate Diploma Course in Choral Conducting in Education and the Community. Lectures range in topic from score preparation - to performance practice - to interpretation of 20th Century notation. In January 2011 St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Dublin hope to run an outreach programme of the Post Graduate Diploma Course in Choral Conducting in Education and the Community. As the first course in choral conducting outside Dublin to be recognised, Kevin hopes that many of the choral directors in the south east will sign up for this course.
As the holder of a post-graduate degree in Choral Direction Kevin is available to act as external specialist examiner for all third level music courses.
Consultancy
Music Competition Preperation
Competition is not just about deciding who wins! It is about helping all performers to reach their full potential. Whether you operate at a beginner’s level or have a good deal of experience it is always possible to improve. For many years, Kevin conducted choirs on the competition circuit in Ireland. He is therefore aware of the practical difficulties encountered by choirs in their search for the perfect performance. This awareness informs his commentary on competitive performances. Such commentaries usually contain references to the good elements of a performance but also refer to the areas where additional attention to detail would pay dividends. Given that we cannot improve by compliments but only by constructive criticism, this mix of positive and negative feedback is essential to the progression of a choir.
Kevin is available to all schools to provide private adjudication and advice without the stress and trauma of actual competition. This is most appropriate where a school group is thinking of entering competition for the first time.
If you are interested in having Kevin visit your school contact info@kevinocarrollmusic.com
Musical Support for the School Show
Does your school mount a school show each year? If you answered yes, then read on. Are you confident about conducting both the stage and the orchestra? If you have answered yes, then you are one of the lucky ones!
If you have answered no, then maybe you could do with some assistance and/or support. With over thirty years experience in musical direction and orchestral playing within a theatre setting, Kevin O’Carroll is probably the person you want as your support system! Having worked on many shows involving teenagers, Kevin knows the particular issues that arise in this unique setting. With support available in areas such as conducting, instrumentation and score preparation etc, Kevin likes nothing better than sitting down with conductors and assisting them to get the best performance from both themselves and their young charges. Kevin O'Carroll is Musical Director for the Waterford International Festival of Music which incorporates the Waterford International festival of Light Opera.
If you would like to find out more about how Kevin can help, please contact info@kevinocarrollmusic.com
