Another very busy year so far in the music department!

  • Aug 27: annual meeting of all 13 members of staff to discuss this new academic year and set targets.
  • Sept 3rd: Teaching begins.
  • Sept 4: Ulster Youth Choir concert in St Anne’s Cathedral featuring yr 14 student Brian McAlea as Bass soloist in Tippett’s Five Negro Spirituals.
  • Sept 13th: all extra-curricular activities resume.
  • Sept 23rd: Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan nurses takes place with entertainment provided by the Aquinas Traditional Group directed by yr 14 student Anthony Bergin.
  • Oct 2nd: the Thomas Devlin Bursary Awards Gala Dinner takes place in the Europa Hotel. Anthony Bergin is presented with this prestigious award which allowed him to travel to Manchester last summer and take part in a piano masterclass in Chetham’s School of Music.
  • Oct 11th: Brian McAlea recieves notification that he has gained a place in the UYC Chamber Choir who will perform in next summer’s Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, London. He will also be singing solos with St George’s Singers and St Peter’s Scola Cantorum in upcoming performances.
  •  Oct 25th: The Choirboys airs on BBC1 featuring the boys of Schola Cantorum, including several Aquinas boys, based at St Peter’s Cathedral in West Belfast.
  • Oct 31st: past pupil Aoife Monaghan, currently a second year Choral Scholar at Selwyn College Cambridge, sings Evensong at Westminster Abbey with the choir of King College conducted by the famous choral composer Eric Whitacre.
  • Nov 10th: JG attends CCEA GCSE Agreement Trial.
  • Nov 11th: UYC workshop takes place in school. The visiting muscian is Dominic Peckham, the conductor of the Ulster Youth Training Choir, who gives 8 Aquinas students a place after a brief vocal audition. The successful and talented students are; Ciara Power, Rosie Murray, Roisin McAlister, Eoin McCrossan [all yr 14], John Gillen [yr13], and Caoimhe McCarthy, Tara Lally and Ben McDaid [yr12]. Good luck!
    • Nov 22nd: past pupil Sinead O’Kelly, currently a first year at the Royal College of  Music in London, recieves the news that she has been put up for a role in the German opera Tannhauser at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden! Watch this space to find out if she is successful!!
    • Nov 29th: external ABRSM exams take place.
    • Dec 2nd: JG attends the CCEA exemplification of standards at A2.
    • Dec 6th: Chamber Choir performs at the Ulster Rugby Carol Service.
    • Dec 10th: Chamber Choir performs at the Special Olympics Ireland carol service taking place in Stormont.
    • Dec 13th: Aquinas Carol Service in the Assembly Hall featuring seasonal music from Junior, Senior, Chamber and Folk Choirs, Orchestra and several soloists.
    • Dec 16th: Senior Celebation of Achievement featuring music from last year’s top GCSE studen John Gillen, yr 13 ensemble and Chamber Choir.
    • Jan 10th and 21st: AS and A2 Module 2 papers [NICCEA].
    • January 22: Open Morning with music provided in the Mall by our GCSE yr11 music students
    • Jan 25: received notification that Brian McAlea has been invited to join NI Opera in their forthcoming production of Tosca at the end of March.
    • February 9: Today heard that 7 students will take part in the UYC and TC this summer: Rose Lynch, Caoimhe McCarthy, Ben McDaid, Tara Lally, Ciara Power, Eoin McCrossan and Brian McAlea. 3 others also gained a place but had to decline due to family commitments: Rosie Murray, Roisin McAlister and John Gillen.
    • February 14-16; Mid Term Break
    • February 21-25: Year 13 Work Experience
    • Feb 24/25: Anthony Bergin [yr14] won the EPTA Senior Class [grade 8 competition] at the Belfast Festival and Niamh McCrossan and Aoife Maguire [yr10] won the u-17 piano duet class at the Belfast Festival and Aoife has progressed through to the National EPTA piano competition final in Oxford later this year.
    • March 3 and 4: Options Days [year 10 and 12]
    • March 7: Options Afternoon [1.30-4.00pm]
    • March 12-19: Ski Trip
    • March 17 and 18: School Closed
    • April 7: Spring Concert featuring all Aquinas Ensembles and yr14 soloists to a packed and very appreciative audience.
    • April 9th:Ciara Power [also yr14] has reached the final of this year’s Catherine Judge Award which takes place in the Great Hall of QUB.
    • April 12 and 13: 28 students doing External Exams – ABRSM.
    • April 15th: GCSE Practicals
    • Results from ABRSM were excellent with 10 students achieving a Merit and 5 a Distinction!! and 2 other pupils achieved Grade 8 outside school
    • May 2nd: Brian McAlea finished runner up in 2 classes at Carrick Festival: Oratorio and Opera classes.
    • May 7th: Brian McAlea won both Baritone and Bass classes at Carrick Festival, then won the Rosebowl and Best Musical Performance of the entire Festival.
    • May 13th: A2 practical
    • May 17th: GCSE listening exams
    • May 23rd: A2 module 2
    • May 26th: AS practical
    • April/May: open auditions for forth-coming Musical Production West Side Story.
    • April 18-May 3: School closed for Junior students.
    • May: submission of GCSE and A level coursework, and Performing and Listening modules
    • June 2nd: AS Module 2
    • June 6-10: Internal exams for years 8-10
    • June 16: summer ABRSM session of external instrumental/vocal exams. Results were again excellent.
    • June 23: Junior Celebration of Achievement featuring solo performances by junior students Dara Burns [harp], Aoife Maguire [piano] and the Senior String Quartet.
    • June 28: Year 8 Mass of Celebration