Stage Band receive Gold at the NSW Band Festival

On Father’s Day, our Stage Band performed at the NSW Band Festival Premier Jazz Event at Coogee Diggers. This is an invitation-only event featuring some of Sydney’s finest school jazz ensembles with special guest artists such as Dale Barlow (saxophone), Ralph Pyl (trumpet) and Jacki Cooper (vocals). Our boys played at an exceptional level and were rewarded with a Gold Award – our seventh at this year’s festival!

The adjudicator, John Morrison, praised the boys technical prowess and authentic representation of the many jazz styles performed.

Bravo to all boys!

Dr John Lynch visits Newington

Our program of visiting conductors continued this week as the Symphonic Winds welcomed Dr John Lynch to rehearse with them. Dr John Lynch is one of America’s leading band educators and has recently moved to Sydney to lead Wind Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is also a member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association – an invitation-only group of the world’s best conductors and composers.

Dr Lynch’s visit builds upon the work of other visiting Professors this year including – Dr Mike Fansler (University of Western Illinois), Dr Tim Reynish (Royal Northern College of Music), Dr Stephen Peterson (Ithaca College) and Dr Steven Capaldo (University of Wollongong). The boys are very fortunate to have access to these international artists and both staff and students benefit greatly from the expertise shared during rehearsals. Dr Lynch rehearsed American Salute by Morton Gould and Undertow by John Mackey. He was very complimentary of the boys’ sound and overall musicianship.