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Music at St. Raphaela’s
Curricular Music:
Music plays an integral role in the life of all students in St. Raphaela’s both in curricular activities and co-curricular activities. The Music department at St. Raphaela’s is proud of its long and distinguished history in providing excellent opportunity for active engagement with music.
Curricular music is available to all students from first year through to sixth year. All first years study music in first year and make their choices for Junior Cycle thereafter. All fourth year students study music for the duration of the year, during which they are exposed to the many disciplines involved in music including music technology and musical appreciation. Fourth year students also learn how to play the ukulele. Class choirs are timetabled for all students in first, fourth and fifth year.
Choirs:
St. Raphaela’s has a proud choral tradition stretching back an impressive thirty-five years. While students have a timetabled choir class; the school also has an auditioned choir.
The special choir is made up of 40 or more students from first year to sixth year. It plays an integral role in the life of the school, enriching both religious and non – religious services. The choir has participated in festivals and competitions, both at home and abroad, to great success such as:
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Derry Choral Festival
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FeisCeoil Ireland
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SligoChoral Festival
The choir takes part annually in the Emmanuel concert series in the Helix, Dublin and a ‘Carols by Candlelight Series’ as well as many other choral events.
Instrumental Ensembles and Orchestras:
St. Raphaela’s music department endeavors to allow students every opportunity to perform either solo or in an ensemble. We currently have a small instrumental group which plays at a number of school events such as the Open Night, school prizegiving, Open Year Mass and the ‘Carols by Candlelight Series’. This ensemble provides instrumentalists a wonderful opportunity to play with other students.
Lunchtime Concert Series
This is a monthly concert series where all students are given the opportunity to perform for an audience of their peers and teachers. It has been a huge success demonstrate the huge musical talent that is in St. Raphaela's.
The School Musical
St Raphaela’s Secondary School prides itself on a long-established tradition with the Arts. Students are given the opportunity to develop their musical, oratorical, creative, sporting, and literary talents as part of their overall education. Music and drama make an important contribution to the cultural life of the school.
One of the highlights of Transition Year is the staging of the annual musical production, in conjunction with the boys from St. Benildus College. All students are provided with the opportunity to get involved with every aspect of the production from on-stage roles to backstage, set design, lighting and programme production. Recent productions have included Grease, High School Musical and Back to the 80's. This year's musical will be All Shook Up.