Celebrating the outstanding success of the Kilgraston Christmas Concert
The spirit of Christmas filled the air at Perth Concert Hall as the annual Kilgraston Christmas Concert came to life in a dazzling display of talent, joy, and festive cheer. The evening was a resounding success, showcasing the remarkable abilities and unyielding passion of our students.
The Kilgraston Christmas Concert has always been a highly anticipated event, but this year’s rendition exceeded all expectations. The concert featured a diverse array of performances, ranging from the brilliant ‘Whoops a-Daisy Angel’ by our Junior Years pupils to stunning duet by Upper Sixth pupils, Erin and Laura. Every element came together seamlessly to create an unforgettable experience for all in attendance.
The concert showcased the exceptional talents of our students, highlighting their dedication, commitment, and artistic flair. Weeks of preparation and practice culminated in a performance that left the audience enchanted and inspired. The level of professionalism and maturity displayed by our pupils was truly astounding, leaving no doubt that they have bright futures ahead in the world of performing arts.
There were so many highlights of the evening including the Kilgraston Drummers Fanfare with the eye-catching glowing drum sticks. The staff choir’s performance of ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ wowed the audience receiving cheers from the audience and pupils alike.
The Kilgraston Christmas Concert truly exemplified the power of the arts to bring people together and create a sense of community. Pupils, parents, staff, and members of the wider community gathered in the spirit of celebration and shared in the joyous atmosphere that permeated the venue. It was a testament to the collaborative effort of all involved, from the performers to the dedicated staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the concert to life.
Beyond the exceptional performances, the success of the Kilgraston Christmas Concert showcased the values embedded in our school community. It demonstrated the importance of nurturing and encouraging young talent, fostering a love for the arts, and providing a platform for pupils to shine. The leadership and guidance of our dedicated teachers, who invest their time and expertise into cultivating the skills of our students, were evident throughout the concert.
As the festivities of the Christmas season now envelop us, the Kilgraston Christmas Concert stands as a testament to the talent, dedication, and spirit of our school. The success of the evening would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our parents, who have consistently championed the arts and encouraged their children to pursue their passions.
We extend our deepest gratitude to all those who attended and were part of this outstanding event. The Kilgraston Christmas Concert has once again reminded us of the transformative power of music and art and the importance of celebrating and nurturing the talent that fills our school community.
May the joy and inspiration ignited by the Christmas Concert continue to resonate within us all and guide our students towards a future filled with artistic pursuits and cultural appreciation.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Drama at Kilgraston - Edinburgh Fringe Festival Trip 2022
Drama at Kilgraston includes acting, set design, performances, theatre trips and much more.
On Friday 27th August 2022, the Higher and Advanced Higher Drama classes enjoyed a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This takes place yearly and there are always a plethora of fantastic shows to interest all ages. This year, we went to see Shakespeare for Breakfast, Classic, The Birds and Trainspotting.
First up was Shakespeare for Breakfast, which started with complimentary tea/coffee/juice and croissants on entry. The play followed the Shakespeare story The Winter’s Tale in which the jealous King Leontes falsely accuses his wife Hermione of cheating on him with his best friend, and she dies. Leontes exiles his newborn daughter Perdita, who is raised by shepherds for sixteen years and falls in love with the son of Leontes’ friend. When Perdita returns home, a statue of Hermione comes to life, and everyone is reconciled. The story was told in a comedic way and was very entertaining!
Next up was Classic. This is a comedy in which the actors attempted to tell the story of 42 classic novels, ranging from Pride and Prejudice to The Lord of the Rings in one hour. The cast succeeded - pretty impressive!
The penultimate performance was The Birds based on the Daphne du Maurier short story. The Birds is a drama in which a couple, thrown together by the birds’ terrifying assault, find their delicate balance suddenly threatened not from the birds they are trying to keep out but from a young woman they let in. This is a thrilling and slightly creepy story of what happens when nature turns against humanity - I would definitely recommend it!
Last but not least was Trainspotting. This highly immersive performance is adapted from Irvine Welsh’s classic novel and not something you will be likely to forget. The performance is filled with flashing, coloured lights, drugs, alcohol, is staged in a bespoke venue and even a bit of poo. If you book anything on your next trip to the Fringe Festival, Trainspotting is definitely not to be missed!
Finally, thank you so much to Mrs Murphy for organising this trip and to Ms Flint for accompanying us. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this was a really enjoyable and memorable trip!
By Zoe U6
Drama at Kilgraston - A Midsummer Night’s Dream Auditions
By the big tree stump outside of Mater, pupils from Lower Four to Lower Fifth recently took part in a workshop audition to be in this summer’s Kilgraston Drama Department’s production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Auditionees played games, explored different ways of moving as certain characters, improvised scenarios, and worked in groups to create still images of locations and objects. It was such a beautiful, sunny, afternoon and we all had a lot of fun.
The performance will take place in the grounds of Kilgraston - performers, narrators and helpers will lead the audience to various locations where our actors will bring to life (using modern day English) famous characters such as The Lovers (Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander), the actors (Bottom and co), and the Fairies (Titania, Oberon, and Puck).
Performance date and time will be announced shortly in the meantime, you can enjoy the tremedous Kilgraston talent with our Kilgraston’s Christmas movie.
Kilgraston Drama Monologue Competition
Kilgraston Drama Department recently launched The Monologue Competition, which was open to all pupils in the senior school.
The task was to write a 300 to 400 word monologue (complete with stage directions and a title) in response to the stimulus of ‘The Musings of a Teenage Mind’, a book of poems written by Mala Krishnamoorthy. Students could write about whatever they wished as long as it fell into this category.
Before submitting their entires, pupils had a workshop, with girls from all year groups attending, to explore some of the ways we could write our monologue and some of the content about which we could write.
The announcement of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners was made in a recent assembly with three students receiving a ‘Highly Commended’ Award (see below for the results).
1st Place – Lower Four’s Jaya - ‘The Musings of a Teenage Mind’
2nd Place – Lower Sixth’s Lexie – ‘My Friend, The Phone’
3rd Place – Lower Fifth’s Flora – ‘Our Lullaby’
Highly Commended – Upper Fifth’s Esma – ‘Woman’
Highly Commended – Upper Fifth’s Liliya – ‘Teenagers are never happy - reality or imposed opinion’
Highly Commended – Lower Fifth’s Kate – ‘Elizabeth’
Well done to everyone that entered and thank you for your entries.
We are really looking forward to seeing them performed either digitally or in person very soon.