Please click below to read some of my speeches in the Queensland Parliament.
Please click below to read some of my speeches in the Queensland Parliament.
It gives me great pleasure to rise this evening to talk about Pimlico State High School students’ Fanfare performance. I had the pleasure of attending on behalf of the Minister for Education and presenting the winning trophy. Unfortunately, it did not go to Pimlico students; instead it went to Cairns State High School. Fanfare has been operating and running since 1985. I thank AEG Ogden, who are the proud sponsors. They picked it up after the former government axed the funding for the program.
At the start of 2014, the Pimlico State High School chamber string orchestra was renamed Orpheus after one of the beautiful tropical islands which lies just off the north coast of Townsville. Orpheus is also the name of the mythical Greek string player who, legend says, could charm all living things. The group comprises the more developed string players from the Pimlico symphony orchestra and includes students from grade 8 to grade 12. Orpheus chamber strings plays without a conductor, which is amazing when looking at the talent of those particular young men and women.
As part of the school’s music program, players in Orpheus are involved in promoting and fostering music in younger students. Through their educational performances in primary schools and their beginner concerts and workshops, the players in the group actively mentor primary school students—just like we saw yesterday from Banksia Beach State School. Orpheus are consecutive winners of the Townsville Eisteddfod and were the regional representative ensemble and state grand finalists in Education Queensland’s biannual Fanfare festival in 2014 and once again this year in 2016. I believe they should have won, but then again I could be a bit biased and one eyed.
Pimlico State High School also has a strong community focus and actively supports a number of charities. Students from Orpheus perform at events such as Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, the Cowboys-Broncos charity dinner and Lions functions. As part of the school symphony orchestra, Orpheus students have raised over $80,000—remember they have only been going since 2014—for local Townsville charities. Each year Orpheus performs at Ronald McDonald House and also takes time to fill each ward of the Townsville Hospital with music. Orpheus has a close association with the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and two of the members of the group currently hold the prestigious Theodore Kuchar Scholarship. Mr Speaker, I seek leave to incorporate the students’ names into my speech.
Leave granted.
Orpheus Chamber String Orchestra is led by Florence Cappler-Shillington and the group is directed by Richard Newell.
Violins: Florence Cappler-Shillington (Principal 1st Violin), Emily Robson, Jasmin Massey, Jacalyn Adcock, Elena James (leader), Shani Bennett, Ellen Conrad, Emily McDonald
Violas: Julia Ramsbotham (leader), Chelsea Royan, Lilyann Conrad, Emily VanDerWal
Cellos: Amy Roberts (leader), Matthew Newell, Ingrid Miller, Michelle Heijneman
Bass: Olivia Adcock, Emma Wootton
Director: Mr Richard Newell
Watch recording of this speech