Tag: strings
2021 Retirees: Donna Williams
Learn more about the outstanding contributions to SMUS by Senior School strings teacher and Head of Music Donna Williams
Swan Song: 30 Years of Music
Senior School strings teacher and Head of Music Donna Williams performs her last SMUS concert alongside Grade 11 and 12 musicians
Grade 9 Student Composer Debuts “Cyclonic Counterpoint”
Grade 9 student Houtian Zhong composed and conducted his latest piece, "Cyclonic Counterpoint," with the help of SMUS strings performers
Senior School Christmas Celebration
Watch the Senior School Christmas Celebration, with performances by our band, choir and strings students, as well as our Senior School Christmas Assembly
Middle School Carol Service and Holiday Concerts
Join us for three holiday shows from our Middle School community: a Carol Service, a band concert and a strings concert
Share Your Talents On Stage With Us for ‘The Armed Man’
Join our Senior School musicians on stage for a performance of 'The Armed Man'
Spring Break Europe Trip: March 20-26
Mr. Eliot Anderson recaps the last leg of the Senior School music students' Spring Break trip to Europe
Spring Break Europe Trip: March 16-19
The SMUS music students travelling through Europe during Spring Break made their way to England this week
Spring Break Europe Trip: March 13-15
After a long travel day, a large group of SMUS students arrive in Germany, the first stop on the Spring Break music trip to Europe
Large Ensembles Hit the Right Notes
The Senior School Large Ensembles Concert featured the choir, orchestras and concert bands performing a variety of pieces
Grade 4 String Musicians Make Their Public Debut
After just three months of learning music, our talented young strings musicians took the stage this week and showed off their skills
SMUS Teacher Feature: Ms. Jennifer Fisher
Junior School strings teacher Ms. Jennifer Fisher is highlighted in this week's SMUS Teacher Feature
Middle School Musicians, Singers Perform “Melodies in March” Concert
As a way to showcase all they've learned so far in their musical education at SMUS, our Middle School music students – choir, band...
Taylor Rankin ’99 Inspires Students to Play Outside of the Box
SMUS alumnus Taylor Rankin and his violin Leroy returned to SMUS this week to work with our Senior School strings students on improvisation and...
Grade 7 and 8 Students Put Strings Skills on Display
One of the most remarkable aspects of a SMUS education is the introduction to music at an early age. Students pick up their first...
Grade 5 String Orchestra Performs at Junior School
On Friday morning, Grade 5 students brandished their bows – the musical tool, not the arrow-shooting weapon – to serenade classmates, teachers, parents and grandparents...
Grade 12 Student Composes a Personal SMUS Musical Journey
The journey that is high school is unique and very personal for every student. Most don't express that full experience in a public forum; offering up something tangible that...
Cross-Campus Strings Show Highlights Musicians of All Ages
by Darin Steinkey
Some people are surprised to hear that SMUS students begin learning to play stringed instruments in Grade 4. The real surprise, to...
Young String Musicians Head Over the Rainbow to Oz
Beyond the enchanting story and colourful characters, The Wizard of Oz is perhaps best known for its iconic music. "Over the Rainbow", "We're Off...
Pitch Perfect: Large Ensembles Concert
If there's one thing that's certain about attending a SMUS concert, it's that your ears are always in for an outstanding auditory smorgasbord. From...
Grade 4 Musicians Make Live Performance Debut
Playing a stringed, bowed instrument is no cake walk. It takes a lot of practice to get the technique correct, and a lot of...
Middle School Music: Learning Through Performance
SMUS has a number of amazing opportunities to rehearse and perform as a group and individually. Mrs. Smith's annual Strings Ensemble concert is one...
Grade 5 Students Bow and Pluck to Make Beautiful Music
Even the most famous rock stars get butterflies in their stomachs before they go onstage and put on a memorable show. But when our Grade 5 students...
Mixed Ensembles Concert "Out of this World"
by Jake Humphries, University Counsellor and Stage Crew
To be successful as a musician, a performer must have the "big picture" of what music is,...
Strings Musicians Review Concerts
Recently, both our Grade 4 and 5 Strings students gave performances at the Junior School. Below, young musicians talk about how it feels to...
Middle School Musicians: Ragtime and Jazz
by Mary Smith, strings teacher
On a bright, sunny day the musicians in this Middle School string orchestra presented pieces by George Frederic Handel and...
Concerto Spotlights Soloists
The Concerto Concert always stands out in a very hectic concert season, perhaps because its format is so different from the rest of our...
Going Solo at the Concerto Concert
With the Concerto Concert coming up on Wednesday, May 29 in the Farquhar Auditorium at the University of Victoria, we thought we'd offer a...
Cross Campus Strings: Firsts and Finals
In the opening show of concert season at SMUS, the Cross Campus Strings featured appearances (musically, anyway) from Mahler, Saint-Saëns, the League of Legends...
Large Ensembles: A View From the Wings
Although Jake Humphries writes about music as magic (and we agree), as you'll read below there is no magic to getting concerts organized. Jake...
Inside Our Strings Ensemble
Last week, our Grade 7 and 8 Strings students gave their first concert of the year. The afternoon featured both solo performers and the...
Never Too Young for Strings
by Angelina, Grade 5
On November 20, the SMUS Grade 5 students played a concert at the Junior School. To demonstrate our learning, we played...
Melodies From the Middle School
by Donna Williams, Head of Music
Anyone who was fortunate enough to be at UVic this Monday evening, was treated to an eclectic outpouring of...
The Path to Concert Performance
by Darin Steinkey
Throughout the concert season, the Large Ensembles is always a stand-out event. Because of the sheer numbers of students involved, the length...
SMUS Ensembles Livin’ Large
by Darin Steinkey, writer
How large is the Large Ensembles Concert? Very.
Almost 300 students took to the Farquhar Auditorium stage at the University of Victoria...
Strings Students Give Stirring Performance
Middle School parents, students and staff were treated to a wonderful afternoon of music last week. Grade 7 and 8 strings students played a...
Concert Covers A World of Music
This Wednesday, band, strings and choral students from the Senior School performed music from around the world at the annual Large Ensembles Concert. The...
Middle School Cellists Play with a Special Guest
by Athena and Keeley, Grade 8
On October 17th, Desmond Hoebig, a professional cellist, came to the Junior School with us. He played the Schumann...
SMUS Review: Middle School Cellists Perform
by Athena Kerins and Keeley Copeland, Grade 8
On October 17th, Desmond Hoebig, a professional cellist, came to the Junior School with us. He played...
Grade 4 and 5 Students Make Strings Sing
The most recent assemblies at Junior School have been more musical than usual, as both the Grades 4 and 5 strings ensembles have treated...
