Début 2012 5th Dec ENS Halla in pictures

 4th class Mr Walsh 

Play On Group

Mr Corry's Group

Double 

Leader

Bass section

Leader

Matinée Recital in Hall

FANDABIDOSI!!

Well done to all the students of 4th class students . Well done also to the orchestra class .  Bravo to the announcers, the cello and bass players and percussionist. How commanding were those leaders ! Couldn't have done it better myself Nathan, Sean and Emmanuel. Thank you to Mr Walsh,Ms McMahon and Mr Corry for your coopoeration.  Well done to Mrs Hallahan and Mr Murray from our Mams and dads class. The band played splendidly and we had great support from Ms Carrigg on keyboard.

I will be posting some photos as soon as I have them to hand. In the meantime here are the programme notes for today.

Ennis National School proudly presents

   Swinging Strings Ensemble 2012 with Ennis NS Band

 A lunchtime recital  at the Halla  on

Wednesday 5^th  December  11.45am

Programme

Mr Walsh and Class

O Come All you Faithful                trad.    Pizz on G

Toreador’s March from Carmen Bizet    pizz on D and A                  

Joy to the World                             Handel

Good King Wenceslas                   trad

******************************** 

Ms Mc Mahon and  Class

Mary Had a Baby                         trad.

We’re Walking in the Air            Howard Blake

Silent Night                                   Gruber                                             

Foxtrot                                           Peter Martin

**********************************

Orchestra Class 

French Folk Song 

with guests from Second Chance Class Twinkle Twinkle 

Mr Corry and Class  

Away in a Manger  

Irelands’s Call                              Phil Coulter

Ode to Joy                                    Beethoven

Down Up Bells                             Pierpoint

Ennis National School Band directed by Fiona de Buitléir

Swinging Strings directed by Cathy Desmond

The Swinging Strings programme was first commissioned in 2010 by Principal Mr Ray McInerney. It is one of a handful of whole class music tuition projects running in Irish schools.  The project  is coordinated by Mrs Fiona de Buitléir of  Ennis N.S. To date nearly 240 children in Ennis NS have now participated and received  violin tuition  in Ennis NS. The objective is to fulfil the Arts curriculum in tandem with  offering every student the experience of playing in an ensemble and experience all musical genres The programme has expanded this year to include an after school  class offering specialist string tuition as an option for students wishing to continue learning an instrument .  This year the first adult’s class was launched making the  musical activity intergenerational at Ennis NS

Ennis National School Band  was initiated 30 years ago by Sean McDermot.  We are delighted to have several of Sean’s grandchildren playing with the band. We believe that the school is  unique in the scale of collaboration between the fledgling Swinging Strings ensemble and the established school band. The number of pupils participating in the annual Shannonside School Band Spectacular, (an initiative of the school to broaden the playing experience of band members) tripled on the previous years with all 4^th class students participating in the gala occasion at Shannon Airport.

The  Swinging Strings project director, Cathy Desmond  is a  graduate of NUI Maynooth, and holds a Licentiate of Trinity College London. A professional violin and viola player, she has played with a range of ensembles including, the National Youth Orchestra, Limerick Baroque Players and the Corn Barn Players. She was awarded a National Youth Orchestra Achievement Award for her work in establishing a school orchestra in  St Peter’s College Dunboyne.  Cathy was a finalist in the Ennis Chamber Business Excellence Awards 2012

Updates, reports and photographs of the programme are posted regularly on the dedicated web site,  www.swingingstrings.blogspot.com which can also be accessed via www.ennins.ie We encourage parents, guardians, grandparents, and friends  etc, etc to monitor the projects’s  progress on the site and comments are always welcome.

The class kit consists of half size violins and double bass.  We use Stentor 1 instruments as supplied locally by Custy’s. We are always delighted to accept donations of instruments or to discuss sponsorship opportunities.  

The second term of tuition will resume in January 2013 and further exciting performing opportunities are planned in the New Year.

Thinking of buying a violin ? . We recommend Stentor 1 or Primavera student violins supplied  locally  by Custy’s .           Cost €90  to Swinging Strings participants.

Queries: Cathy Desmond at cdstringschool@gmail.com

                 Fiona de Buitléir  info@ennisns.ie

                                 

www.swingingstrings.blogspot.com