AUTHORS: ALIYA VOYLES & SARAH PALMER
Grammar’s Got Talent 2022 was a spectacular success, after months of preparation by our Senior Council, Tech Crew and supporting staff. As one of the biggest nights on the school calendar, GGT this year was attended by a large crowd of parents, siblings, dates and Canberra community members, all eager to witness the abundance of talent within the CGGS student body with their own eyes. However, a lot goes on behind the scenes that much of the audience isn’t privy to on nights like these. GG Times Editor in Chief Aliya Voyles and photojournalist Sarah Palmer hereby present to you, dear reader; the inside scoop on Grammar’s Got Talent 2022.
The event was being planned “a few terms ago” according to Debating and Public Speaking Captain Bella Mun. “This was something we’ve been thinking about since the start of the year. Unfortunately a lot of it did come down to the last minute because there were a lot of things that were out of our control, like finding judge availability, finding sponsors – we had to have a lot of details first.” In an interview with Voyles, Waverley House Captain Sophia Champion de Crespigny echoed a similar sentiment. This year, the Senior Council wanted GGT to be “special”, and the planning process went on “for months and months, even just ideating on the first day of the SC of what we wanted our GGT to look like”.
Lots of meetings, lots of afternoon sessions… A lot of preparation has gone in. It’s definitely been different and challenging, but I think that’s what’s made it really fun. It’s character-building! So yeah, a lot of preparation has been going on, so I think we’re all really excited to present it to the school as an event for the whole school community!
SRC Chair Sahaana Mayooran
Senior Council Chairperson Sahaana Mayooran’s excitement on the night was felt across the board: “Tonight is a great night with a lot of talented acts coming together to celebrate the uniqueness and diversity at our school – we have a Rubik’s cube, and I just think it’s so different! I think it’s really cool, and tonight’s gonna be a good night… There are a lot of good prizes, a diamond necklace, and, not a prize, but, a hot brumbies player.”
Even students outside of the Senior Council were working tirelessly to make the event run smoothly. Stage Manager Chloe Windle explained that “at least a couple hours of prep” went on before the event could even start:
We plan out where mics are gonna go, who needs which mic, which mic needs to go where, when mics need to be turned off, turned on, we make sure all the equipment on the stage comes on and off, we make sure everything is unplugged, plugged, we do lights and audio up at the sound desk – it’s kind of a mix of everything. We also work as stagehands.
Stage Manager Chloe Windle
In fact, the event was so highly anticipated, it drew back a few 2021 graduates, including former Deputy Head Girl Georgia Lister and Deakin House Captain Annalise Grove. While it was “a little stressful” to be back at school, the two were “excited to see some acts…[and] the broad range of exceptional talent” on offer on the night.
To kick off GGT, indie-rock band JASPER – composed of four CGGS Year 12 students – performed stunning renditions of Reptilia by The Strokes and R U Mine? by The Arctic Monkeys. Lead vocalist Sarah Bright sang beautifully, backed by Adrika Kayes on keyboard, Sera George on bass, Cheryl Charles on electric guitar, and a guest appearance from Tom Boddeus on drums. A highlight of their performance was undoubtedly Reptilia’s four-part harmony, which all four girls executed to haunting perfection. R U Mine? featured Adrika stepping up for the higher harmonies, and a drum solo by Tom that left the audience roaring. The band had spectacular stage presence; Cheryl comfortably jamming on the guitar and Sera executing smooth bass lines got the night underway.
I’m feeling pretty good. Normal nerves, but pretty okay. It’s a bit of a change from last year, a bit more edgy, grungy, I would say. Different music taste, but it’s really upbeat and fun and the audience can get involved as well.
JASPER Lead vocalist Sarah Bright
I just like that we really enjoy ourselves on stage together. I think that the songs we chose, the way we perform… makes it look like we’re having fun when we actually are!
JASPER Keyboardist Adrika Kayes
And the band’s collective efforts certainly paid off. Grammar’s Got Talent started with a bang.
In accordance with the tradition of annual celebrity cameos, the night was blessed by some words of encouragement from Bondi Rescue lifeguard Harrison Reed. He predicted that the winning performance would surely be a cover of the Bondi Rescue theme song, In the Summertime by Thirsty Merc – of course, while this didn’t really happen, it’s certainly a nice source of inspiration for next year’s talent.
Grammar’s Got Talent always features a unique lineup of guest judges, and this year was no different. Singer-songwriter Sophie Edwards was welcomed warmly to CGGS as a judge and performer, taking the stage halfway through the night to sing her original song I Guess. We were also given a sneak preview of Edward’s newest song, Lovescraps, prior to its release. For those who weren’t able to make it to GGT or anyone looking to hear the song again, Lovescraps is now available for streaming on Apple Music and Spotify!
CGGS Humanities teacher and known critic Kris Katavic was next in the lineup of judges, sure to provide a scathing Simon-Cowell-esque perspective to the night’s performances. Beloved ex-principal Peter Milligan once again returned to CGGS, seemingly out of a craving for talent simply not present at his new school, Marist. As GGT is his second return to the school this semester, it’s no surprise people are beginning to wonder whether his allegiance to CGGS has truly been vanquished. Professional Brumbies player Tom Ross was the fourth judge on the panel, demonstrating his own acting prowess with a comedic display of abject confusion as he was announced and escorted to his seat.
The final judge was announced to be an unsuspecting member of the audience. Upon walking through the door, guests could volunteer themselves to be potential judges, and Holly and Lauren revealed via drawing from a hat that Year 12 student Cheryl Mabvira would join the GGT judging panel for the night. Mabvira spoke with Voyles after her judging duties were fulfilled, saying, “It was really good that they wanted to involve the audience in the judging… were able to make a good collective decision, and congratulations to the top three girls, they were all amazing”.
With the judging panel announced and seated, the competitors could begin their performances.
First up, Year 8 student Maya George, opening with a flawless rendition of Summer in Ohio from The Last Five Years, making excellent use of our large stage as well as a classroom desk. Her performance was exactly that – a performance. The combination of theatre acting, strong and crisp vocals and enthralling stage presence left us all imagining her future on Broadway, which cannot be far off.
Year 12 student Victoria Papalitsas took to the stage next with a performance of Control by Zoe Wees, a slow and emotional ballad. The song began slowly, building momentum towards an emotional chorus that mesmerised the audience. Victoria held the sustained notes throughout the song with ease, and did a fantastic job of executing the complete register of the piece. The angst was palpable.
Marianna Smith was able to fill in at the last second for an act that unfortunately wasn’t able to perform on the night. Her breathtaking performance of In My Dreams from the broadway production of Anastasia was flawless, and Marianna belted out the dramatic notes like a seasoned professional. Her costuming and emotion were incredibly immersive, bringing the audience right into the emotional headspace of the song. Smith said to Voyles on the night, “I was thrown in the deep end, I was told yesterday that I’d be doing it because someone pulled out.” Despite the short notice, Smith’s performance stood out as a spectacular display of acting and singing talent.
Mia Buchanan’s operatic vocals were the perfect partner to the song Zero Gravity by Kate Miller-Heidke, Australia’s contribution to Eurovision 2019. The song requires incredible breath control and range, and Mia did a phenomenal job, her voice soaring up and over the staccato high notes of the chorus with ease.
Adding some variety to the night’s roster, Annabelle Nakhakes from Year 7 took to the stage with a bit of history in her hands – the famous Rubik’s Cube. Annabelle said she aimed to solve the puzzle cube in less than 90 seconds, her personal best; before doing so, she left the audience with a bit of Rubik’s Cube history.
With the help of Tech Crew, Annabelle started her solve with a timer behind her. Whoops and cheers that sprung from the audience were quickly shushed as the crowd became entranced by Annabelle’s skill. As the seconds ticked by the tension in the room rose steadily, and the audience could barely contain their collective excitement. Annabelle finished her solve in under 90 seconds, smashing her personal best with a smile.
Next, Melissa Rodrigues performed her stunning K-Pop dance medley – you may have seen her moves before, in last year’s K-Pop Dance Club! Melissa danced to three songs on the night: Run 2 U by StayC, Loco by ITZY, and Go Big or Go Home by Enhypen.
In conversation with Voyles, she said, “I’ve been practicing really hard. I learnt the dance two weeks ago, so I’ve been practicing every day to perfect the moves. I did [GGT] last year and I did it to try something new, and I did it this year because I thought it was really fun last year and I wanted to show something different. I really like the songs, to be honest, I chose songs that I enjoy to listen to in my personal time, and I’m excited to share the music with everyone in the audience.” Melissa’s moves were certainly a standout on the night’s roster, and we all look forward to seeing where her dancing takes her in the future.
Two-time Grammar’s Got Talent winner and renowned musician Lara Buchanan performed an original number this year, accompanying her own singing on the piano and securing a third Grammar’s Got Talent win. Buchanan is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.
Buchanan explained her song as follows: “The song is called Broken Heart Tattoo, because it’s like damage that’s permanent. The meaning behind the song happened after I got treated terribly by someone, so I wrote a song about it. My favourite part about the song is probably the lyrics… I think they convey exactly what I’m trying to say. My favourite line is ‘and just like angels, I failed to save my self from you.’”
Lara’s vulnerable and elegant voice was once again on full display during her performance, and her raw lyrics left the audience in stunned and emotional silence – until, of course, her concluding notes were followed by a rousing applause.
Notably, Ms. Leaman’s favourite performance of GGT was Lola Hamlyn-Harris, who serenaded us all with a fantastic performance of Sicilienne by Gabriel Fauré on the violin.
Ms. Leaman said to Voyles, “My favourite act of the night was actually the violinist, Lola, because when I was at school, I learnt the violin for a while, and I know exactly how much practice goes into producing a performance like she did tonight. I was absolutely blown away by her, because she’s very young.”
Last, but by no means least, pop-punk band Better Left Unsaid made their performing debut with their original song, Medusa’s Eyes. Featuring lead vocalist and guitarist Emma Piva, drummer Demi Katheklakis, keyboardist Tara Fitzgerald, bassist Poppy Smith and electric guitarist Izzy Nicholson, the performance felt like it came right out of a coming-of-age indie film. The dramatic pauses between guitar riffs left the audience hanging by the edge of their seats and each musician managed to stand out, while the band functioning seamlessly as a whole. Although Better Left Unsaid hadn’t had much time to rehearse together as a band prior to the night, you certainly couldn’t tell – the group’s on-stage chemistry was phenomenal, and the broad smiles throughout the performance left an impression of unity and, most importantly, enjoyment.
Voyles spoke to guitarist Izzy Nicholson after the show to discuss the band’s act: “Our performance is one that’s been in the making for a while. It’s our own original song that Emma wrote… Basically, we formed our little band at the end of last year, but weren’t really serious about it until this year, so maybe six months old, fresh, more like when school started.” It would be an understatement to say that CGGS looks forward to future performances by Better Left Unsaid – more accurately, we crave it.
At the night’s close, it was clear there had not been a dull moment. The crowd was thoroughly engrossed in each and every performance, which all displayed an immense amount of talent, bravery and personal commitment.
I think they were all really good! I really enjoyed the originals we got from both Lara and the band, I thought they were really outstanding… It was great to see some different acts this year, like the Rubik’s cube and the violin as well.
Ms Stephanie Kindon and Mr Rhys Ebert
I thought that tonight’s performances were absolutely wonderful, and I also know that for everyone who was out there, there were so many talented girls that auditioned but didn’t get on stage, so a big congratulations to them, but, look, hugely talented. I think the Hattrick was well deserved, but it was so close, I mean, there were just so many- just the range was good to see too.
Mr Peter Milligan
Favourite act? That’s a hard one, they were all so good. Props to Annabelle, on the Rubik’s cube, that was insane, for such a young girl to do so well, that’s just so incredible, so proud of her to beat her record. Marianna, wow wow wow. I think Annabelle takes it, just for the sheer amazingness of that, and her nerves, and to get it, to do it.
Mr Henderson
I’m glad I wasn’t a judge, because it was pretty tough. I actually really liked the Year 9 band at the end. I just loved the song, the original song, just loved their energy on stage, just thought they were fantastic.
Mr Joel Copeland
I thought it was amazing, brilliant, fantastic… It was incredible. The SC put a lot of effort into it, our staff put a lot of effort into it, you could tell. The vibes were just amazing… It was so well put together! Everyone was so talented. I really liked the band at the end, and I thought Maya George was really good!
Serina Guo and Arya Nagar
And, of course, the ever-critical Mr Katavic had a lot to say about the night: “I was very partial to Annabelle with the Rubik’s cube, I love that she put a little bit of history into it, it wasn’t just about the act, she actually had a bit of knowledge into it. I was actually very impressed with Mia… Maya did a great job because she came out as a performer, [she] wasn’t just singing, it was a bit of everything, stage presence. And the girl band at the end, that was pretty mind-blowing. And to use your stupid language, guys, they had a great vibe. I felt like I was in a garage, it was really authentic.”
We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. The ‘vibe’ of the night was electric, built upon the hard work of the Senior Council, Tech Crew, performers, and all the supporting staff who dedicated their time and energy to producing such an outstanding night. From everyone at the Girls’ Grammar Times, a big congratulations to all the competitors. Grammar’s Got Talent 2022 is certainly one for the history books.
