FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

ORCHESTRA Back Row: Harry Witherspoon, Lerotholi Seeiso, Franko Bocking, Benjamin Sevel, Neo Selibe, Bongani Ngcobo, Connor Maitland Middle Row: Zhengfei Li, Benjamin Viljoen, Sheldon Topham, Brent Tayengwa, Joseph Gilson, Katleho Ramosunya, Luca Kritzinger, Thibedi Mogoba Front Row (seated): Bernard Rossouw, Keegan Pattenden, Mr Eldene Bruiners, Alex Vries (Captain), Mr Joshua Turnbull, Makena Githiri (Concertmaster), Jack Ross-Kent

Viljoen and Nicholas Hornby); electric bass guitar (alternating between Joseph Gilson and Nate Ross-Kent); electric guitar (alternating between Harry Witherspoon, Jack Hulley and Musumbandila Tshivhase); drum kit (alternating between Rory Steyn and Joseph Gilson); trumpet (Mr Eldene Bruiners); two alto saxophones (Brent Tayengwa and Connor Maitland); two tenor saxophones (Alex Vries and Mr Joshua Turnbull); and vocals (Luneziwe Mshengu). The ensemble entertained audiences with a variety of styles, ranging from traditional South African jazz to classic R&B. Fan favourites included the soulful R&B hit Easy by The Commodores, as well as a medley featuring Bobby Caldwell’s What You Won’t Do for Love and Bill Withers’s Just the Two of Us . Other crowd pleasers included Ray Charles’s Hallelujah , I Love Her So , the South African jazz piece Journey by Train by Lulama Gawulana, and McCoy Mrubata’s mbaqanga classic Face the Music . The band performed at numerous concerts and events, including: a cocktail function at Fordoun Hotel and Spa hosted by the Midlands Old Boys’ Club on 28 February; Michaelhouse’s Human Rights Day assembly on 20 March; Grandparents’ Day on 21 April; the

JAZZ BAND Master in Charge: Mr Joshua Turnbull Assistant Staff: Mr Eldene Bruiners

A

rt Blakey, the renowned American jazz drummer, once observed that “jazz washes away the dust of everyday life”. In 2024, the Michaelhouse Jazz Band – informally known as Don T and the Jazz Disciples – embodied this sentiment, enriching the school and broader community with moments of musical joy, creativity and connection through their music. The band’s membership grew from 11 musicians last year to 14 in 2024, reflecting its increasing popularity among the boys. Weekly rehearsals were held on Tuesdays from 5.40pm to 6.40pm and provided a space for boys to explore a variety of musical styles through the improvisatory discipline of jazz. These rehearsals refined the band’s musical skills and fostered camaraderie and individual expression. The band took the form of a tentet in 2024 and featured the following instrumentation: piano (alternating between Benjamin

89