On 31 August, the Performing Arts functions space played host to the 2022 Winter Soiree – an intimate evening of music from a variety of student ensembles and soloists. This was a revamped initiative from 2019, which saw our students perform in a more relaxed setting for parents, staff and community members. The production featured our jazz bands, choirs, small ensembles, guitar groups and drumline – in addition to some outstanding VCE soloists. It was a highly entertaining night of music and Whitefriars talent, with great learning opportunities for students on and off the stage.

A big congratulations to all student performers, who have been rehearsing hard all term. Special thankyou to our captains Ethan Oppy and David Dunlop for hosting the event, our Technical Production Captains Daniel Visentin and Chris Butterworth for their audio and lighting setup. Further thanks to Bill Donaldson and Aiden Finaly for their assistance in sound, lighting and backstage as well as the other members of the Whitefriars Technical Crew. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of our PA team: Michael Schofield and Nathalie Fox for leading the audio/lighting design and setup to flawless execution and more importantly empowering our students in this space; Sandra Kennedy for ticketing and front of house management and Claire Benne for backstage assistance on the night. A special mention for our wonderful ensemble directors Susan Neilson, Luke Hynes, Matt Balassone, Nick Fitter, Reave Maloney, Dominic Bello, Mitchell Cross and Edward York for their work in preparing students so capably for their performance success.

Matthew Frampton

Learning Leader, Performing Arts