A Review by David Sidwell

The Performing Arts faculty at St Peter’s, Cambridge provides an inspiring multi-disciplinary programme with a focus on excellence and academic rigour while maintaining a strong sense of quality and domain specific values.

The students evidence sound training, hard work, well-honed skills and work ethic while also exuding an overall joy in performance. The environment within the faculty is perfect for the incubation of creativity in the areas of music, theatre, dance and drama.

The long-established music programme has an extremely well-qualified staff, who are practitioners in their own right, and has strengths in classical/western art music as well as many contemporary music opportunities, including solo and ensemble performance, instrumental tuition, craft and musicology.

There is an extensive and ever-expanding musical theatre programme which culminates in an extravagant and exciting high production value musical theatre show each year — Crazy For You, Into The Woods, My Fair Lady, Aida, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Fame, The Wedding Singer, to name but a few. An effervescent Prep School musical is staged every second year and this production provides an excellent training ground for the senior school production.

Overall, St Peter’s offers a unique performing arts experience built on a foundation of inclusion, excellence and aspiration. It is a pleasure to have an association with St Peter’s and to also observe graduates go on to impressive careers in performing arts, both in New Zealand and beyond.

David Sidwell, MAA, Grad Cert Ed, CALT, CAT, LTCL, TTC
Team Manager, Music/Postgraduate, School of Media Arts — Wintec

 

David was recently awarded the civic award of Freedom Holder of the City which is the highest civic honour, for his significant contribution to Hamilton city’s music and theatre community. Freedom holders are rare awards given to people who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the city.