VPHS
Wind Band
Back Row: Aimee Granzier, Landiswa Majola, Xolisa Mtanase, Ayathandwa Gcali, Sibongile Ponase, Sheldon
Zamouzarides, Phumzile Peta, Pierre du Randt, Andrew Rhodes, Logan Simson, Rebecca Brewerton, Olwethu Panya
Middle Row: Melissa Elliott, Naledi Mooi, Paige Gardner, Chelsea Gardner, Pumela Peta, Lara Potgieter, Monwabisi
Blouw, Jacqui Stockwell, Gina Tomlinson, José Jonas, Sarah Rijs, Shannon Stephens
Front Row: Zintle Mbinyashe, Charlton Bowers, Ariana Patsalos, Ms. J. Wessels, Daniella Patsalos, Mrs A.
Cheetham, Leighlin Burts , Geordan Venter, Siposethu Mtsulwana
The Wind band welcomed several new instrumentalists to the band at the beginning of the year: flutes:
G.Tomlinson, L. Burts, S. Stephens; clarinets: A.
Gcali; tenor saxophone: R. Brewerton; French
horns: J. Jonas and G. Venter; alto saxophones: W.
Badier, M. Elliot and trumpets: P. Peta and C. Bowers. We also sadly lost one of our tenor saxophones,
K. Kameteras, who moved overseas with her family
during the course of the year.
The V.P. Arts Festival, the main aim of which is to
introduce “sportier” pupils of the school to the fine
arts, took place on 17 May and the Wind Band had
the pleasure of presenting an hour lunch-time concert in the marquee. We were received extremely
well by the audience, played well and ended with a
standing ovation.
On Tuesday 27 May, the Wind band travelled by
luxury bus to Grahamstown to participate in their
music eisteddfod. We were fine about receiving a
Silver certificate for our fifteen minute performance
but very upset that we had been put in the same category as marimba bands from all over the Eastern
Cape, and not one other wind band to measure our
strengths against. In spite of my asking the organisers to allow the band to set up our equipment, which
normally takes us a half an hour to do during the
lunch hour break, we were told that we would have
to set up just before we played and that we would
perform between two of the marimba bands’ performances. When I look back on this day, all that got
us laughing afterwards was that Pierre Durandt did
not even have enough time to sit on his drum seat to
play the kit when the voice of the adjudicator blurted out that if we didn’t start immediately, we would
be penalised and even addressed us as a Marching
Band!
Our first performance was at the beginning of the
year at the Academic Prize-giving in the Blake Hall,
followed by the V.P. High “Music Experience” on
Friday, 21 February. The Wind band had a golden
opportunity, on this occasion, to market the school
to Grade seven learners from numerous primary
schools. We commenced the afternoon at 14:00
with sectional rehearsals in various venues around
the school with instrumentalists and choristers rehearsing five pieces, one of which was a massed
number, that had to be ready for a concert that commenced at 19:00 and lasted for over an hour. I was
amazed as to what was achieved in one afternoon by
both teachers and learners and am very positive that
the school will benefit by some excellent instrumentalists and choristers who have already applied for
a position at V.P. in 2015. A special thanks must go
to Mr Louis for really being the one who drove this
project with great passion.
Our next performance was the “May Fair” at the
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