About the Festival

The annual Catholic Schools Music Festival is the premier Arts Event for Catholic Education in South Australia. The festival showcases the talents of around 2000 upper primary and secondary students from 80 Catholic schools and Colleges who spend 8 months preparing for their moment on stage. Performances are held each September, with each evening featuring a massed choir, instrumental ensembles, vocal groups and solo artists.

Each performance consists of a 370-voice Combined Schools Upper Primary Massed Choir formed by different schools each evening including representation from our regional communities in Clare, Yorketown, Whyalla, Wallaroo & Murray Bridge. All choirs rehearse weekly with their school's Choir Trainer, and then come together for their combined massed rehearsal one month prior to the event.

Choir Trainers are supported by three professional development workshops in the first half of the year to learn choral techniques as well as a series of personalised visits to help young students develop the skills required to memorise a large program of repertoire and choreography. 

The choral program is supported by many other performers. The music team write arrangements of the choral songs to involve both primary and secondary school soloists chosen by audition. The massed choir is further complemented by a Secondary Girls Choir and a Secondary Boys Vocal Ensemble. The whole sound is accompanied by a string ensemble and rhythm section which includes the piano accompanist who works with the choirs year-round.

A variety of high calibre Support Acts selected by audition comprising solo, duet, small and large ensembles perform items interspersed throughout the choral program on the main stage as well as providing pre-show foyer entertainment.

Auditions are also held to select student comperes for each evening. These students work together with an adult mentor across a series of workshops and individual sessions and are coached in public speaking skills.

The CSMF sits in the Catholic Identity & Mission section of Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) and is supported by the SA Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS). Key personnel comprise a Production Coordinator and Music Director, with a volunteer committee of 10 members consisting of CESA representatives, school music teachers and Principals who meet 6 times a year.

The Festival is more than just a week of performances. It is a year of education. Students from differing backgrounds come together and share social and emotional interaction in a positive learning environment. To be able to experience the journey involving a large-scale professional performance in one of Adelaide’s most prestigious venues is very significant and beneficial to our young people on so many levels.

The first performance was held in St Peter’s College Memorial Hall on August 16, 1989. On that occasion, 16 schools participated in the festival choir and five support acts performed. The following year it moved venue to the Adelaide Festival Theatre and in 1991 was performed across two nights. In 1998 this was extended to three nights, then in 2001 it grew to four nights where it has remained to date.  2024 marks the 36th annual festival.

"...The CSMF experience is like no other available to our students. It is special, unique and wonderful. Those students who participate continue to talk about it for years to come and reflect on it as one of the highlights of their primary schooling..."

"...Students are displaying initiative, dedication and creativity through participation...."

"...All students are required to be disciplined to commit to an ensemble for the entire year and to challenge themselves intellectually to learn new repertoire and musical skills. They are all developing impulse control and executive function skills through musical learning and the CSMF facilitates this..."

"...Students are developing confidence through performance opportunities. We see each year, the high achievers of our school are often those who have been involved with music and CSMF at some stage throughout their schooling. I do not think this is a coincidence and much data would agree..."

"...My choir students were high achievers, showing that they are capable learners in all aspects of the process during choir training. They all grew in their knowledge of music, especially those who did not know how to follow the notes on the page, as well as developing their 'ear' for music and ensuring to practice to make sure the pitch was accurate. The choir were all enthusiastic to learn the words to the songs, but then recognised that this was only the beginning because becoming ONE VOICE is much harder than they originally anticipated..."

"...The CSMF provides students with a forum where they become responsible for their own preparations and get to 'own' their performance. It provides them with a wonderfully unique and uplifting experience - a performance experience that they may not otherwise encounter. They are able to self-reflect on their knowledge/understanding of the songs and identify within themselves areas for improvement. They develop organisational skills and life-long qualities such as cooperation, patience, collaboration and responsibility..."