Each year, to mark International Women’s Day (IWD), Brisbane Girls Grammar School holds an annual IWD Concert—a beloved event dedicated to celebrating and showcasing a repertoire of women composers, musicians, singers, songwriters, and poets from around the world, and across history.
Initiated by the school’s Instrumental Music Department in 2018, the IWD Concert models to the next generation of women artists that they deserve to be heard, empowered to use their creative voice, and have their identities and experiences embedded in the music that we perform.
At the event this year, the school premiered three original student compositions. Year 12 student Freya Smith’s choral piece—Wildflowers—a folk-inspired melody based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was performed by Chamber Singers.
The String Orchestra performed Year 11 student Lisa Walsham’s emotive composition, Il Dolce, taking the audience on a musical journey through a series of variations, and 2022 Girls Grammar graduate, Charlotte Parsonage, performed her original song, The Kids—exploring her feelings of nostalgia for her childhood.
The concert featured a notable piece from Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709-1758), a princess of Prussia and a composer who had a deep affection for opera. The repertoire also featured pieces by contemporary Australian artists, including Kara Williams, Sally Greenaway, Fran Griffin, Annie Kwok and Sally Whitwell.
As educators, the repertoire we choose should teach, challenge, and inspire our students, and be reflective of our curriculum. It can focus on specific musical concepts, a glimpse into a different place or time, or even a celebration of an important event. Music selection has the power to both resonate with students, as well as challenge them to learn more about themselves and others.
Educators can inspire our students to take part in the discourse surrounding gender equality, and just one of the ways we can do so is to celebrate and promote the Brisbane Girls Grammar School International Women’s Day Concert.
The Instrumental Music Program at Girls Grammar offers a place for every girl who wants to explore her musical talents and interests. With more than 30 ensembles, the breadth of performance opportunities ensures that girls of all ages, musical interests, and abilities have the chance to practise and hone their skills.
It is a privilege, as a school, to provide diverse opportunities and experiences that respect the intelligence and ambition of young women in the arts and creative industries, and in all fields of endeavour, and to inspire girls to challenge the status quo and participate equally in all aspects of life.
To learn more, visit: https://www.bggs.qld.edu.au/
