The Sound of Music echoed through CIS on 8 and 9 December as Grade 3 students performed selections from the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic for their 2015 Musical Review. The joyful performance was choral and instrumental, and included the African Tubano, percussion instruments, xylophones and flute. A stylised Austrian Ländler waltz, choreographed by Paula Carson, was one of the program highlights as the Grade 3 students presented their learning for their unit – How We Express Ourselves.

Students narrated the entire programme, including: Kevin Billiet, Elly Loiseau, Asuka Ayukawa, Olivia Mable, Reese Norman-Epp, Taiga Uchida, Natalie Davis and Nadia Thoma Perry. A larger group of students helped to prepare the narration text under the guidance of Mr. Richard Toner and Ms. Carolyn Boras.

The first song, The Sound of Music, showcased four vocal soloists, Rehan Banerjee, Trinity Odyneye-Braniff, Howard Shi and Sebastian Street, supported by a group of selected chorus members, before all of Grade 3 joined in for the finish. Then it was straight into the next narration and song, Do Re Mi, probably the most recognisable song in the programme. During the song, the students energetically presented their learning of the solfa hand symbols. Many of the audience members were clearly enjoying singing along with the choir.

The Grade 3 students exhibited a great flair for the theatrical while performing an unexpected version of Edelweiss, which required the students to completely change moods during the song. The first part of the song was slow and lyrical, while the second part was more catchy and upbeat, and included a sing-along section with the audience.

A beautiful dance performance of the Austrian Ländler waltz followed, and was very well received. So Long, Farewell ended a challenging but successful performance, one of great learning and growth for the students.

Those students who volunteered and successfully auditioned for the extra parts, including soloists, instrumentalists and dancers, sacrificed their valuable recess time for several weeks prior to the performance in order to prepare their parts. They learnt the valuable lessons of being risk-takers, working hard and going that extra mile to reach a goal.

Under the guidance of music teachers, Serene Xie and myself, Robert Choi, all Grade 3 students were challenged to learn new words in a different language, sing in a large group, learn a variety of songs and perform them in a choral setting and finally, explore how to express themselves through music.