As part of our 150 Year Celebrations last year, our school worked together to develop a school song. This process was a long and comprehensive one. We launched our school song during the last couple of weeks of the school year as part of end of year celebrations. As we start to familiarise ourselves with our new school song and sing it as part of our Assembly each week, I felt that it was important to share the process that was undertaken last year to develop it. The process of creating the song was 3 phased:
Phase 1: Lyric writing: In small groups within classes across Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, children brainstormed ideas about Moggill – what they see, what they hear, what's important to them, what they like, thoughts about the history of the school. Single words and phrases, hooks and catch phrases. Dr Hargreaves then took these and put them into rhyming couplets, and wove the story through them.
Phase 2: Melody writing: Dr Hargreaves asked for volunteers from classes in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 to write some melodies. Students met with Dr Hargreaves in small groups and improvised melodies to fit the lyrics. Many different melodies were created. The phrases were recorded. Dr Hargreaves listened back to them all and chose the strongest phrases from different versions and wove them together into a coherent melody.
Phase 3: Arrangement: Dr Hargreaves and a musical colleague, Mr Chris Muir, used the music program Logic to create a backing track to accompany the song.
As you can see, the effort and time that went into developing the song was extensive. Thank you to everyone who was involved in its creation, especially Dr Hargreaves. Below are the lyrics of the song.
MOGGILL'S SONGThere's a bend in the river west of townThat once was called a meeting placeWhere gold-blue skies touch the water brownAnd bird song fills the space
People came across the worldTo join the gatheringAnd Moggill built a school at its heartThrough fire and floodsWe've built it upAnd every one plays a partThere's victory when together we
CHORUSReach higher, run faster, grow up strongLook closer, listen harder, striving on 'cause we'reCare takers, peace makers, we belongStanding together, this is Moggill's song
We're singing Moggill's songWe're singing Moggill's songWe're singing Moggill's songStand togetherWe're singing Moggill's songWe're singing Moggill's songStanding together this is Moggill's song