FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

Head of Culture: Dr Carika de Swardt

Lerotholi Seeiso, Connor Maitland, Franko Bocking, Katleho Ramosunya, Sheldon Topham and Nkgwete Tlailane); three violincellos (Keegan Pattenden, Bernard Rossouw and Thibedi Mogoba); electric bass guitar (Joseph Gilson); two electric guitars (Harry Witherspoon and Nate Ross-Kent); piano and glockenspiel (Benjamin Viljoen and Zhengfei Li); two alto saxophones (Alex Vries and Brent Tayengwa); two trumpets (Mr Eldene Bruiners and Neo Selibe); drum kit and auxiliary percussion (Bongani Ngcobo, Motheo Shango and Benjamin Sevel); and timpani (Dr Carika de Swardt). The orchestra’s first performance of the year took place on 21 April in the Schlesinger Theatre, where they performed at Grandparents’ Day. This special event highlighted the depth of Michaelhouse’s cultural talent through performances by the orchestra, jazz band, musical soloists and dramatic ensembles, celebrating the important role that grandparents play in our community. On 28 April, the orchestra, accompanied by the Michaelhouse Jazz Band, travelled to Reddam House Umhlanga to perform at their Picnic Proms concert. This event showcased a variety of choirs and instrumental groups from around the province. The highlight of the year for the ensemble was the Two Schools in Concert collaboration with Hilton College on 2 May in Hilton’s Indoor Centre. The orchestra opened the concert with selections from Gustav Holst’s The Planets , featuring “Mars, the Bringer of War”, “Venus, the Bringer of Peace” and “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” arranged by Johnnie Vinson. Their second piece was The Chain – Formula 1 Theme by Brian Tyler, arranged by Eddie Clayton, with Bongani Ngcobo (A Block, West) featured on drum kit, accompanied by authentic Formula One engine sound effects. On 13 June, in the Indoor Centre, Michaelhouse hosted the music department of St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls, Kloof, for another Two Schools in Concert collaboration. This marked the beginning of Michaelhouse’s House Challenge Week and led into the highly anticipated rugby derby against Hilton that Saturday. Nearly 1000 attendees enjoyed performances from the jazz band, orchestra, marimbas and choirs, alongside performances by the St Mary’s orchestra and choirs, with additional contributions from Cordwalles Preparatory School for Boys and Jabula Secondary School. The orchestra also played a pivotal role during Speech Day on 11 October, performing the academic procession Gaudeamus Igitur from Johannes Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture , the South African national anthem in collaboration with the Chapel choir, a newly commissioned arrangement of the school hymn, Stars of the Morning , by Eddie Clayton, and Sir Edward Elgar’s “Land of hope and glory” from his Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 , arranged by Mike Butcher, for the academic recession. Concluding their year of performances, the orchestra accompanied two carol services on 28 and 29 November, leading the congregation in numerous carols, adding festive jollity to the service. The departure of the matriculants, Alex Vries, Luca Kritzinger and Bongani Ngcobo, along with Mr Joshua Turnbull, the orchestra’s master in charge and conductor, concluded a year of great significance for the Michaelhouse Orchestra.

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he cultural programme at Michaelhouse provides boys with many opportunities to develop their interests in a variety of cultural pursuits. The goal is to develop their artistic and aesthetic skills, so that passions can grow into areas of personal achievement. Through cultural education, the boys of Michaelhouse encounter aspects of their own and other cultures that engender transformation and multicultural understanding in a diverse society. INTRODUCTION During 2024 the cultural programme at Michaelhouse saw significant growth. Boys performed and competed at regional, provincial, national and international level with great enthusiasm and success. At the start of 2023 the elements of the programme were distinguished from clubs and societies. THE CULTURAL PORTFOLIO AT MICHAELHOUSE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMMES: 1 Orchestral (orchestra, junior jazz band and senior jazz band) 2 Choral (Chapel choir and vocal ensemble) 3 Marimba (competition marimba band and D and E Block marimba bands) 4 Debating and Public Speaking (junior and senior debating teams) 5 Chess (junior and senior chess teams) 6 Art Development 7 Theatre Productions, Technology and Movement 1. ORCHESTRAL PROGRAMME ORCHESTRA Master in Charge and Conductor: Mr Joshua Turnbull Assistant Staff: Mr Eldene Bruiners Captain: Alex Vries Concertmaster: Makena Githiri nder the baton of Mr Joshua Turnbull and assistant conductor Mr Eldene Bruiners, who also serves as a trumpeter in the ensemble, the Michaelhouse Orchestra experienced a year of outstanding music making. Alex Vries (A Block, McCormick) was appointed captain of the ensemble, supported by concertmaster Makena Githiri (B Block, Tatham). Rehearsals were conducted twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 5.40pm to 6.40pm. These rehearsals alternated between tutti rehearsals, where the entire ensemble practised together, and sectional rehearsals, in which individual sections – such as strings, winds or percussion – received focused coaching from industry professionals. Despite a reduction in membership from 27 last year to 24 in 2024, each musician played a crucial role in upholding the ensemble’s high standards. The orchestra’s instrumentation was the following: eight violins (Makena Githiri, Luca Kritzinger, U

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