The Arts
at TAS
The Performing Arts at Toowoomba Anglican School is about excellence, commitment, teamwork, participation and enjoyment at all levels of artistic pursuits. 80% of students are involved in the Performing Arts at TAS and almost 70% are involved in both Performing Arts and Sport.
Lessons learnt in the Performing Arts are transferable to other aspects of life and help to develop crucial attributes that students will use for the rest of their lives as they become well-rounded individuals. The Performing Arts at Toowoomba Anglican School is about participation, excellence, commitment, teamwork and enjoyment at all levels of artistic pursuits.
The Performing Arts is a major component of student life at Toowoomba Anglican School. At the primary school from Kindergarten to Year 6, the main goals are participation, commitment, skill building and enjoyment. As students’ progress through the secondary school, these attributes remain, with a greater emphasis on excellence and skill development.
Choirs at TAS
Toowoomba Anglican School is renowned for its choral program. In 2019, TAS was the winner of the ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival Choral Section, in 2023, TAS received a Gold Award at the Australian International Music Festival in Sydney. TAS regularly receives excellent results at the City of Toowoomba Eisteddfod across Primary, Secondary and Open Vocal and Choral Sections.
With six voice teachers, we have many students from Year 1-12 who study voice. There are 11 choirs from Prep to Secondary. Our Vocal and Choral students sing for pleasure, sing in choirs, undertake vocal examinations, compete in eisteddfodau and sing in concerts.
Our Chapel Choirs are auditioned but all other choirs are open to anyone who is interested. The two auditioned Chapel Choirs are for Primary (Years 4-6) and Secondary (Years 7-12) students. The Chapel Choirs lead the singing at our Chapel Services and at school functions, and perform at community events, festivals and competitions.
There is a Primary Senior Choir (Years 3-6) and Secondary Performance Choir (Years 7-12), which all students are encouraged to join. All of our students from Prep to Year 3 are involved in choral immersion programs in their year levels. We are thrilled that there are two male choirs (Secret Men’s Business) for Primary (Years 3-6) and the Secondary Men's Choir for Secondary (Years 7-12) students, who won both Boys’ choir sections at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod in 2024.
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Secondary Choirs & Vocal Ensembles
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Primary Choirs & Vocal Ensemble
Bands & Ensembles at TAS
TAS has a wide range of experienced Instrumental teachers and conductors. Toowoomba Anglican School caters for students of all ages and abilities in a variety of ensembles. In 2023, The TAS Secondary Stage Band received a Gold Award at the Australian International Music Festival in Sydney, with our Secondary Concert Band and String Ensemble receiving Silver. 2024 saw some amazing instrumental ensemble results at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod with TAS being named the winner of the Harold Swan Memorial Trophy for the Most Outstanding Performance in the Open Instrumental Ensemble Sections - an amazing feat for a Secondary Ensemble. The TAS String Quartet won their Secondary Section, TAS won the A Grade Secondary Concert Band section, Primary Concert Band and Stage Band Sections, Woodwind and Brass Ensemble sections and was awarded the Clive Berghofer Instrumental Aggregate Trophy.
Advanced primary students may be invited to join Secondary Ensembles to further extend their skills and we have Secondary students assisting some of our Primary ensembles. Students are invited to join ensembles at the start of each year, or students can be placed in ensembles by teacher recommendation at any time throughout the year when they are ready.
There are an impressive 22 instrumental ensembles available to our students at TAS. From our Year 3 String and Year 4 Band Immersion ensembles to our high-level instrumental ensembles, there is an ensemble for everyone.
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Strings
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Multi-Instrument Ensembles
Dance, Drama & Theatre at TAS
With specialised Speech and Drama teachers, for individual and paired lessons students can sit the ACM Examinations.
The Empire Theatre Youth Arts Program runs group drama classes after school at TAS.
The Secondary School performs a Musical and Play in alternate years, which is produced at an off-site venue and involves several performances. Under the direction of Secondary Drama and English Teachers, the very talented secondary students present humourous plays for all age groups. In some years the performances comprise of Year 7 – 9 students and another for Year 10 – 12 students and in other years we enjoy a full Two or Three act play with all secondary year levels represented. The Secondary Musical is a treat for the whole community. The talented Performing arts department always bring to the Toowoomba Empire Stage a wonderful musical that is a feast for all the senses.
The Primary School puts on a Musical and Gala Concert in alternate years, which are performed in the TAS Millennium Centre over two nights. The Gala Concert is for all students from Prep to Year 6 and the Musical is for all students from Years 3-6.
There is a Primary and Secondary Dance Troupe, after school Dance Classes and in-school electives run by JE Dance House. Empire Youth Arts runs our group drama classes and we have a private Speech and Drama Teacher, as well as in-school drama electives. Junior and Senior Secondary Plays and the Primary Musical are held in odd years and the Secondary Musical and Primary Gala are held in even years. The 2024 Secondary Musical is Essgee's 'Pirates of Penzance' and is on at the Empire Theatre in August.
Beyond the Ensemble
Our students have access to a wide variety of local, state and Australian experiences in the Performing Arts. Students performed in professional level concerts with adults as part of the Queensland Pops Orchestra Best of British Concert Series, performed in community musicals at the Empire Theatre, sang in the Queensland Music Festival’s Voices of Remembrance Concert, were part of the acclaimed Gondwana national children’s choirs, took part in AHEP, Qld SHEP and Regional SHEP (State Honours Ensemble Programs) with students from all over Australia, performed in the ASMF (Anglican Schools’ Music Festival) with fellow Anglican students from across the state, competed against local students and schools in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod, joined with local students in non-competitive concerts, workshops and festivals, provided acts of service for members of our community and performed at local and school events and functions.
Awards & Recognition
- Winner of the ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival - Choral Section in 2019
- Winner of the Clive Berghofer Instrumental Aggregate Trophy in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod for 17th consecutive year
- Winner of Choral Aggregates in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod for 16 consecutive years
- 13 Choirs and Vocal Ensembles; 13 Bands and Ensembles; 2 Dance Troupes
- Secondary Musical put on during Covid 'Beauty and the Beast'
- Biannual Musicals and Plays
- In 2019, TAS won both Secondary and both Primary Choral Aggregate Trophies at the Tmba Eisteddfod
- In 2020, during COVID, we won 10 awards in the Toowoomba Online Eisteddfod
- 2019 - Assisted in raising $50K for Breast Cancer Research by performing in the 'From Abbey Road to Empire' Beatles Tribute Concert at the Empire Theatre
- 2020 - Participation in the Royal School of Church Music 'Brightest and Best' Festival
- Participation in Anglican Schools Music Festival and Paul Morton Choral Festivals
- Students awarded Gold and Silver Medals for highest Speech and Drama Exam marks state-wide
- Gold awards at the International Musical Festival held in Sydney in 2023
