Arts News Term 3, Week 6

Go the Rippers!

Huge congratulations to the Year 8 Band - The Rippers, who came first at last week’s Rockshop BANDQUEST competition, tutored by Emily Farrell. 

Willow Ballin, Harriet Gough, Emily Herd,Olive Bascik and Julia Nguyen, competed against tough competition from 14 other bands. What an inspiration to their younger Sisters. 

Willow and Harriet were also named best guitarists of the evening

Starting and Finishing Strong!... An Interview with THE RIPPERS.

Lead singer Emily Herd, guitarist/singer Willow Ballin, guitarist/singer Harriet Gough, Olive Bascik on drums and Julia Nguyen on keys

Congratulations to all of you rockstars!

How do you feel knowing that you won this competition?

It feels really good as we put in lots of effort. We feel really proud and it’s special as this is the last year we are able to compete. Thanks to Emily [Farrell] as we came 2nd last year and have improved since then.

How did you go about preparing for the competition?

We have a band practice every week, and then closer to the competition, we practised twice a week. We also practise separately at home and with our individual teachers. Then we come together and focus and commit to playing as a band. We also knew we wanted to wear red.

What songs did you perform and who wrote them?

We had to perform two songs and one had to be an original song. We performed Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus and our original song was called Starting Strong. 

Harriet and Emily [Farrell] started the process by setting a beat and some chords. We treated it as a project and we all had to write lyrics each week and we built ideas from that. We wanted to include each member of the group as it was a team effort, so we built this into the lyrics of our song:

Lights camera action we're taking the stage

red shining on us we are taking our place,

Olive banging the drums,

Em taking the mic,

Willow plucking the bass,

and Harriet strumming away,

let’s not forget Julia on the keys!

What was the best thing about Bandquest?

The whole vibe was fun and exciting. The highlight was the final song when we invited everyone in the audience to the mosh pit. It felt like a professional gig with people singing and dancing with us.  We got a chant going with the audience chanting Red Rippers which was fun. Being role models for the younger students was special too.

What was the most challenging part of the whole experience?

Creating the original song - there were a few stressful moments for Emily [Farrell], especially as we talk a lot! We also struggled to agree on the title of the song but we got there in the end.

What advice would you give other students thinking of competing?

Work hard, enjoy it, smile, have fun, talk to the audience when you’re performing, look like you’re enjoying it - stage presence and interaction with the audience is important. 

What’s next for the Rippers?

We have Nationals coming up where we have to film our 2 songs online.

We are then performing at the SMC Music Showcase on 11 September and we’ve been invited to have morning tea with Mrs Patchett the day before.

That’s very exciting for you girls. You started strong but definitely finished strong.

Good luck with the Nationals and we look forward to hearing The Rippers at the Music Showcase.

As winners the girls have the experience of competing Nationally, were presented with certificates and won a $300 Rockshop store credit for the school.

Congratulations also to the 3 other SMC bands and Steve Fowler and Emily, who steered the girls through the experience, some taking to the stage for the very first time: The Rippers, K.R.E.M.M (Yr 4/5), Frogletz (Yr 5) and Pink Ashes (Yr 7). What an amazing opportunity for our young students, especially the Yr 4s!  

Kaia Armstrong Yr 5 (K.R.E.M.M) took out best vocalist of the evening, which was a massive achievement. 

MUSIC

Southern Jam
For five nights in the first week of August, 11 musicians had the privilege of representing SMC at the annual Southern Jam Jazz Festival in Blenheim. This festival showcases many of the top Secondary school jazz bands from the South Island. This year was the 3rd year SMC participated. 

A Tuesday lunchtime departure, with our careful driver Mr Walker, meant that we were able to settle into our very nice accommodation at Grove Park Motel and await the arrival of the other minibus with the Seniors. 

Wednesday was a long day, starting early with our competition being held at the ASB theatre where we performed six pieces in front of the judges.  We then finished a very full day of performing with after dinner gigs at the Fancy Cow restaurant in Blenheim and then off to Picton to perform at Le Cafe. Both places had great atmospheres and lots of support from the local community and other schools' band members.

On Thursday we had only one public performance and this was held at the Public Library -Te Kahu o Waipuria. We received a very warm reception from those in the local library and also jazz music fans. It was not exactly in keeping with the traditional rule of being quiet in a library, but had great acoustics before a crowd, seated on the stairwell entrance.

As well as the opportunity to get some school work done, some of us utilised the ten-pin bowling facilities - non-dominant hand bowling proved somewhat precarious to the locals.

We enjoyed supporting our Brother and Sister schools as they performed at local pubs that night, under the watchful eyes of our teachers.

One of the many highlights was performing for the Witherlea Primary School on Friday morning. These little and very well behaved kids seemed to really enjoy the jazz we played and looked delighted when we encouraged them to stand and dance to our last song. A very different audience was experienced that night at Fairweathers Hotel, but equally appreciative.

We were very fortunate to each be involved in Masterclasses with grouped instruments to learn from other highly respected musicians.  Each of us was expected to perform improvised solos, which, although somewhat intimidating, was great for our music making and confidence.  The prizegiving followed and we were delighted to receive a Bronze award.

The Finale Gala concert at ASB theatre was a ticketed, open to the public concert and was the culmination of the week's performances. It showcased all of the participating schools and the All Stars Band.

Participation in the Southern Jam was not just an opportunity to represent our school in great music making, but was a chance to make and consolidate new friendships across the years, which will only enhance our music. None of this could have happened without the encouragement, expertise and generosity of our teachers Sammy O’Donnell, Mr Walker and Ms Woods. For this, we are extremely grateful. 

Katherine and Antoinette Beasley

Itinerant Music Concert
There are currently over 180 students receiving instrumental or vocal lessons at school. On Monday 1 September 3.45pm many of these students will have the opportunity to try out their pieces, show off their musical skills and talent, and present a variety of music to an appreciative audience. Come and celebrate our young musicians as they perform in the Charles Luney Auditorium.

Encore
Encore is an Independent Middle School Choral Festival. The Middle School Choir will be performing as part of this at the Christ’s College Auditorium on Wednesday September 3. The concert comprises massed choir items and performances from individual choirs, involving eight Christchurch Independent schools.

The evening show is at 7pm and will be approximately 1 hour in length. Whanau are warmly invited to attend the evening concert at Christ’s College, where there will be a koha on the door for the Christchurch City Mission.

THEATRESPORTS

Theatresports™ in Schools is an annual competition for improvised theatre held by The Court Theatre. School teams of up to six perform scenes and games based on audience suggestions, scored by a judging panel of The Court Jesters. Students are given prompts by the audience and then have to act out a scene using the prompt. You never know quite where the action will take you! 

Last weekend the Senior theatresports team competed in the Canterbury Schools competition in the new Court Theatre. The team consisted of Sophie Edwards (Yr13), Madeleine Coughlan (Yr12), Ida van Kan (Yr 12) and Sadhbh O'Neill (Yr11) steered by Mrs Jack. There are three rounds of competition.  

In the ‘blind’ round they were given the game 'Stage Directions'. This is where two students act out the scene and the other two students call out any actions that they must follow.  In the open round, they played one of their favourite games called 'Yearbook'.  In this game, each student embodies a different character from an unusual school club. The final round is a challenge round.  They were given the challenge of incorporating fire in their scene. They played the game 'New Choice' where one of the Court Jesters called out 'new choice' if they didn't like what was said.  It requires quick thinking to come up with a new suggestion. 

The girls performed incredibly well, and it was a fantastic heat to watch.  Though they didn't advance into the next round of competition, a lot of fun and laughter was had by all.

DEBATING

Team Korimako has competed at the Canterbury Schools Debating Competition (CSDC) this year and has made it all the way to the Junior Finals, which is a fabulous achievement. Congratulations to Juliet Young, Elise Sherratt and Annabel Grantham (Yr 10).

Yr 9 and Yr 11 teams only just missed out on the semi finals this year too.

The CSDC finals will be held THIS AFTERNOON, Thursday 21 Aug, at St Andrew's College fourth floor in AB405.  All are welcome to watch these debates.  

5.10pm - Junior Finals Begin   (StAC 1 v SMC Korimako)

6:20(ish) - Prize Giving/Results

Go well Team Korimako. We are all very proud of you.

ePro8 
Inter-school Competition

Well, what a great effort from all the girls! 

The Year 5 team (Holly Jamison, Eleanor Levenger, Sophia Riley, Jasmine Stone and Skyla Trenberth) showed incredible perseverance in building a ‘Carpark Barrier Arm’. It was a wonderful experience for them as first-timers, and they learned a lot. It was brilliant to see them be one of the only teams to earn final points, and lovely to see them all smiling at the end. 

The Year 6 team maintained a keen level of energy throughout their build of the ‘Foosball Table’. They displayed awesome teamwork and problem solving skills to almost complete a full build. It was tense at times as they were ‘neck and neck’ with their neighbouring team the whole way. Thankfully, they finished up in 2nd place equal which put them through to the semi finals! 

Congratulations to Tania Liu, Celeste Milburn, Olivia Guan and Millie East.

Special thanks to our highly talented photo/videographer, Eleanor Levenger. 

On 6 August, our Year 7 and 8 EPro8 teams took on other Christchurch schools in a bid to secure a place in the semi-finals.

Year 7 (The SMC Crazies)
Isla Newbrook, Mollie Levenger, Harriet Kristiansen-Benge, and Poppy Prebble began the competition with energy and focus, opting for the “target challenge.” Their task was to design and build a laser-strike style device capable of hitting a target. The team earned early points with an impressive start, but faced some hurdles towards the end, ultimately securing a commendable 9th place.

Year 8 (SMC Kelvin’s Apprentices)
Peata Baldwin-Smith, Ruby Ballantyne, Anjali Morar, and Jody Ye started with a slow but steady approach as they worked on their remote-controlled shopping trolley. Once underway, they surged ahead to take the overall lead. The final task, however, proved challenging, but they finished in a strong 4th place.

Both teams displayed fantastic collaboration, creative problem-solving, and impressive electronics skills - and, most importantly, had a great time competing.

DANCE

Big Sister, Little Sister in the Arts

Last week our new entrant students were treated to a special performance by the Year 9 Dance class, who showcased their lively and well-rehearsed line dance. The younger students watched with wide eyes and big smiles, clearly inspired by their older sisters. It was a heartwarming moment that beautifully reflected the "Big Sister, little Sister" spirit of SMC - a community where older students lead with care and younger ones look up with admiration. Moments like these highlight what makes our school truly special.

Over 100 girls are currently preparing for the Dance Showcase, which takes place this weekend. There will be a wide variety of dance styles showcased from Junior, Middle and Senior school students and it presents their hard work so far this year. There is a Latin American flavour with some Salsa and European styles such as Flamenco and we’ll also be treated to a Parisian Can Can…Oo la la!

Some of the Senior school dancers will be filming their final examination assessments at the performance. Please come and support this fun and entertaining evening. This is a free, non-ticketed event. Saturday 23 August 7pm in the Charles Luney Auditorium. 

VISUAL ARTS

A competition was run by the Head of Visual Arts, Senior Arts Council, Sophie Zhang. 

Students could either follow the ‘Catch your wave’ theme or submit an entry of their choice. Here are the winners: Anjali Selvarajah (Yr 13), Jessica Gearry (Yr 10), Emma Chenjia Li (Yr 8) and Amelia Middelberg (Yr 7).

SNR ARTS COUNCIL

Term 3 is in full swing for the Arts at SMC, and we couldn't be more excited! The Arts Council is thrilled with the next few weeks and loves seeing so many girls getting involved across all areas as we hit the halfway point of the term.

Our Arts Council at SMC is composed of 12 Heads of Codes and 10 general Council members, all of whom are Year 12 and 13 students with a passion for the Arts.

Currently, each Head of Code is hard at work developing a unique project within their respective area. These initiatives are designed to encourage girls to get involved in the Arts community, and we can't wait to see the incredible results of their hard work and dedication. Great examples of these projects include the contemporary dance workshop run by Hollie Cudd last term, which was an awesome success! 

These activities aren’t just for people previously involved in the Arts and we encourage you to involve yourselves in the wide range of activities that we have to offer here at SMC. 

Stay tuned for more information on these projects, which will showcase the talent and vision of our student leaders!

Georgie Campbell and Summer Zhou
 

CELEBRATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

A big Congratulations to Chloe Drinkwater, Yr 11, who has been selected as a finalist in the 2025 National Songwriting Competition.

478 songs were entered - the highest number of entries ever received! Chloe receives a $50 Rockshop voucher plus a full day at a professional recording studio to record her song Build a rocket. What an awesome prize!

The song will be released on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp alongside all of the other winning songs for this competition. Each album will feature approximately 25 finalist songs. Watch this space for the release date.

OPPORTUNITIES

UC Dramasoc will be performing the classic Shakespearian work Titus Andronicus in the Ngaio Marsh Theatre in just over a month at the University of Canterbury. 

As a UC society, it is important to UC that they connect with the local community and high school theatre/drama classes, so they would love to offer students a discount to the show.

Titus Andronics, one of Shakespeare's earliest tragedies, tells the story of the Roman general Titus Andronicus who returns from war with four prisoners. These prisoners vow to take revenge against him creating a vicious cycle of betrayal and tragedy. Titus Andronicus delves into themes of power, honour, and the destructive nature of revenge, making it a compelling opportunity for students studying drama/literature, or even those interested in classical themes and Shakespearean tragedies. 

(This play contains strong themes that may be distressing to some) More information on the play can be found through our Ticket Link

Students can use the code: bloodygooddeal! for discounted $15 tickets to the show.

Performances span Thursday 11th, Friday 12th, and Saturday the 13th of September, and a matinee on the Saturday for further audience accessibility. 

Hagley Theatre School is now beginning to recruit for the 2026 cohort. This may be of interest to the Senior Drama and Dance classes who may benefit from this kind of immersive, embodied theatre training. The taster day is FRIDAY August 22 and is a fantastic way to experience first hand how the Theatre School works: https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/keen-on-hagley-taster-day/

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Dance Showcase (MDS/Snr) - Saturday 23 August

NASDA performance for Yr 5-8 (daytime) - Friday 29 August

Itinerant Music Concert - Monday 1 September

Encore - Wednesday 3 September

Lions Christchurch Music Festival Rehearsal - Wednesday 10 September

Arts Awards - Thursday 11 September

Music Showcase - Thursday 11 September

Regional Debating - Sunday 14 Sep