At a time when the pipe organ was under-represented as an instrument at Saints with no boys learning to play it, three boys received the Pipe Organ Tuition Scholarship in 2017 under the tuition of Dr Joshua van Konkelenberg, a renowned and talented musician.
Through the generosity and foresight of a small group of donors, their support is adding tremendous value to the boys’ musical education at Saints. Scholarships, such as this one, are so much more than financial support. They can light a spark, provide confidence and encouragement, keep a student motivated, and help them remain focused on their learning experience. Of his experiences in learning the instrument Jules Sheedy in Year 9 says:
“The scholarship is helping me to improve my playing because the School has put its trust in me to learn music and perform as best I can. This motivates me to practise every single detail of the repertoire I learn.
The beauty of learning the pipe organ is that there is so much skill and technique to discover. The lessons are very challenging mentally, coordinating different parts of a piece, but they are extremely fun and I enjoy each one.”
Emily Drewniak, Development Manager
Photo: Dr Joshua van Konkelenberg and Jules Sheedy