On 24th August the Selwyn Stage Band entered the KBB Music Festival - a celebration of youth music featuring over 120 Concert Bands, Jazz Bands, Symphony Orchestras and Chamber Orchestras from Auckland Secondary Schools. The competition was held at the Auckland Town Hall, which was filled to the brim with secondary school musicians and supporting parents. The band entered in the Jazz section of the competition, and was conducted and led by our talented HOD Music, Sonya Montgomery. The Band can be proud of their performance. They received a prestigious Silver Award at the Gala Concert. The 13-strong band consisted of: Timothy Wan (featured soloist) – Alto Saxophone, Bill Xie – Alto Saxophone, Matthew Skelton-Price – Alto Saxophone, Rachel Wood – Tenor Saxophone, Jarrod Waiomio – Tenor Saxophone, Kendall Mabbutt – Baritone Saxophone, Callum Blackmore – Trombone, Jack Barnard, (featured soloist) – Trumpet, Quentin Burrell (featured soloist) – Electric Guitar, Daniel Barton – Bass Guitar, Danyon Harris – Drum kit, Gary Hofman – Percussion and Marina Pentz – Percussion. Congratulations to you all!

Our warmest congratulations to Callum Blackmore (in dress uniform, at the left of the photo) who has been chosen as one of only seven finalists in the annual Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Secondary Schools Composition Competition. This year there were many entries and the standard was very high. Callum’s work “An Automated Existence” will be recorded by the APO, and if it wins, it will be performed in the Town Hall during NZ music month!! The final is on Saturday 2nd October. Callum developed his skills by attending workshops with the Composer in Residence, John Psathas (composer of the music for the 2004 Olympic Games) in which he learnt about the processes of orchestral composition.