Creative arts festive performances at Wilson’s
It’s been a busy period for the creative arts at Wilson’s Hospital School. From music and speech and drama to film and podcasts, the students have been producing entertaining materials for the school and wider community to enjoy.
The Christmas season officially started with a lovely carol service in the school chapel led by Chaplain Hawkins. Students and staff told the Christmas story with traditional bible readings and carols. A group of students sang ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ and ‘From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable’ for the congregation.
The annual Christmas concert was during the week and showcased the range and depth of talent we have in the school. To a packed Concert Hall, pupils and teachers rapped, danced, sang, and played music for a rapturous audience. Well done to the Sandra Heslin and Jamie Cunningham from the music department for organising the event.
At Wilson’s, there are music lessons during class time in string, wind, voice, piano and guitar. This is open to the whole school. Choir and orchestra is held on Wednesdays at lunch time.
Students who are interested in singing or joining a music ensemble are encouraged and welcome to come along. Each Friday there are performances at the whole school assembly which are open to all years, any instrument or musical act.
This is a celebration of musical talent in the school. A group of students gathered at the reception of school at break time this week and kept everyone entertained by singing a few Christmas songs with great enthusiasm.
The latest video performance was also released this week. It is ‘Party Rock Anthem – Wilson’s Style’ and is on the school’s YouTube Channel.
In the video, students Tori Trower and John Zumerchik wake up to find themselves in a post-apocalyptic Wilson’s Hospital School, but people are acting a little strange! With lots of dance, colour, energy and attitude, the Wilson’s campus is transformed into a shuffling hotspot.
A huge thank you to the Arts and Drama department for putting the production together and a special mention to Veronica Ogunleye in Transition Year for editing the entire video.
Media studies classes in TY this year have been exploring sports photography and video production with Ronan Brady. Students study all the important element that go into media productions. Technical elements such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO but also creative elements, such as framing, colour and story.
The students also write and produce a short film. They plan their entire productions, designate roles, set shoot dates and scout locations. The results have been hugely impressive and they are entering multiple short film festivals.
The Drama Department with Jan Lindsey offers Speech and Drama Royal Academy of Music and Drama (RIAM) lessons as an extra circular activity during the school day. Students are also encouraged to become members of the after-school Drama Club.
Speech and drama teach a range of techniques and skills for public speaking, stage work and camera. The students develop transferable skills of teamwork, communication, public speaking, focus, presentation skills, research and confidence with in themselves. It opens their creative minds and allows them to grow in confidence.
Once they are ready, they can choose to take the RIAM exam and earn their RIAM certificates in speech and drama. It is great sense of achievement for the students and will stand to them going forward in many aspects of life.
The after-school Drama Club is a fun, energetic, creative, open minded, ‘free to express’ place to be. Together they write and create a play or musical from scratch each year to perform at the All-Ireland Drama Competition in Briery Gap, Cork.
They have won several awards in the last four years since entering.
Students in Transition year, with teacher Gavan Kierans, have been producing podcasts over the last few years. The podcasts are in a magazine style format called Wilson’s World and are hosted on Soundcloud.com. Sophie Glennon and John Zumerchik present the latest edition, which focuses on the Arts in Wilson’s.
Prize winning dress designer, form 3 student Clodagh Ramsey, Midlands Youth Orchestra musician from form 5 Vaughan Sheahan, and the team behind one of the thrilling TY short film can all be found on the podcast. Archive editions can be heard on the Soundcloud.com site under the WHS Audio Projects name.