On Friday the 15th of December, the Secondary School students were treated to a dazzling Brass Quintet Concert and Lecture performance, led by Saint Maur instrumental teachers Jun'ichiro Murakami and Mariko Wakabayashi as part of their homeroom time.

Murakami sensei is an experienced performer, having played as part of the 100 trombone ensemble in Hollywood and having shared a Big Band stage with the likes of Quincy Jones, Sammy Davis Jr, Julie Andrews and Buddy Rich. Wakabayashi sensei is a prolific performer on the classical Music circuit and her work has been recognised at the Japan Classical Music competition and the Yokohama International Music Competition. She is a guest performer with the Royal Opera in Japan and the New Italian Ensemble. They were joined by Junpei Kinoshita sensei, who sometimes teaches trumpet at Saint Maur and performs with various ensembles including the Sun Orchestra in Vietnam, Hideo Sano, a tuba player and former lecturer at Shobi College and Otohiko Fujita, an award winning French Horn player and lecturer at Nihon University.

The quintet designed a program of varied music specifically with Saint Maur in mind. They opened with an energetic rendition of the William Tell Overture and then performed a wide variety of pieces showcasing each instrument, including a piece from Aida by Verdi, Ain't Misbehavin' by Fats Waller and My Neighbor Tottoro by Joe Hisaishi. The concert was brilliantly received by our students, who were an appreciative and attentive audience. Additionally many members of our parent community were also in attendance.

We are fortunate to have 13 incredible private instrumental teachers working at Saint Maur, all of whom are first and foremost professional performers. Thanks to the strength of this program, 126 of our students (around one quarter of the school population) achieved Trinity College Music Awards this year, with many students successfully completing advanced Trinity grades (grades 6-8) and even diplomas. Students interested in signing up for instrumental lessons should contact the Music Department.