Music

As the year drew to a close in 2020, all of us at Pridwin hoped that the new year would usher in a return to ‘normal’ teaching. Alas, this was not the case. With numbers rising over the December holiday, the second wave resulted in the school year starting online. The resilience that the boys had developed in 2020 ensured that they could continue to progress, despite the continued uncertainties that prevailed. The boys were able to seamlessly pivot between online music lessons and face to face lessons throughout the year. It was amazing to see how they had retained their knowledge and were using Google classroom, signing into Meets and communicating independently with their music teachers as if it was second nature.

With continued restrictions on gatherings, much of the department’s performances took place online. The music department presented two sets of showcases – two Junior and three Senior Showcases in April and the same again in September. A whopping total of 373 videos were submitted of boys showing off their progress for these concerts. The Johannesburg Festival for the Advancement of Music also took place Online, and many of the boys sent videos in for this event. Music exams continued digitally, with close to a hundred exams being submitted by Pridwin over the course of the year. ABRSM Music theory exams were written digitally for the first time ever, which called for much needed support from the IT department. Kingsmead hosted both a choir and an ensemble festival online, with our Senior Choir, African Ensemble, String Ensemble, Senior Jazz Band, Rock Band and the Grade 7 Marimba Group participating. Our boys have certainly learned how to record themselves and have flourished within the digital realm.

The third term finally saw the return of live performances. The Senior Jazz Band continued to rehearse outdoors on the Junior Astro, entertaining the Junior Phase boys playing on the pirate ship, as well as parents in the car park on a Tuesday afternoon. The boys’ hard work was evident in their first live performance in almost two years, when they performed for the Riviera Grandparents Day. We also returned to the auditorium for our Lunch Hour Concerts and Soirees, which for many of the boys was their first ever opportunity to perform in front of a live audience despite having had lessons for almost two years. Having been prohibited from hosting these concerts for so long, we were reminded again just how important it is to provide our boys with the opportunity to develop their performance skills.

The third term also saw the debut performance of the Pridwin Community Ensemble. This ensemble, led by Mr Mugerwa, provides an opportunity for any member of the Pridwin community to rehearse and perform together, from boys to estate staff and even Mr Lees. This ensemble performed for the first time at the Heritage Day celebrations and were asked to entertain the Grade 7 boys and their parents at the Leavers’ Lunch in November.

In October, Dylan Price (Grade 4E) was one of 23 pianists selected to participate in the prestigious Atterbury National Piano Competition. The competition is aimed at pianists between the ages of 5 and 19. What makes this performance especially notable is that Dylan had only had a handful of lessons in Grade 3 before the school went into lockdown. Despite the continued upheaval that the pandemic has brought, his continued commitment showed that talent in combination with hard work will create wonderful opportunities.

Our final highlight for the year was our Christmas Celebration. This year, the Grade 3 and 4 boys performed a Christmas Celebration of Music and Poetry, with the Grade 5 to 7 boys presenting our traditional Carol Service. These two events allowed us to really show off the incredible musical talent that Pridwin has to offer. As the boys came together in song, we were once again reminded that music has the unique ability to unite the whole community.

As Vaughn Fleischfresser, a wellknown music educator writes, “the Music Department is an alternate universe where pupils are often unrecognisable from who they are outside of it. The shy become confident. The agitated become calm. The lonely become included. The quiet become heard. And the lost become found. Music reveals the real child.”

Senior Choir Back row: Aarav Desai, Khalane Moletsane, Rhys Watson, Matthias Hassam, Nicholas Morgan, Liyema Zondi, Reeza Kazi, Keamo Noge 3rd row: Mason Bunkell, Nuzayh Sarang, Theodore Warui, Sava Theodosiou, Elias Masango, Njabulo Mabena, Zachariah Mtine, Anthony Crossley, Dougal Carr 2nd row: Suleiman Cassimjee, Oliver Thompson, Siya Dlomo, Joshua Mans, Shayur Nagar, Mpumelelo Mkhize, Lethabo Makwela, Hlumile Ntontela, Adam Angamia, Adrian Roberts, Rushir Nagar, Grant Roberts Front row: Mrs K Gudde, Alexandru Dobrescu, Mukona Marageni, Rafael Beyin, Hiyaw Beyin, Siyamthemba Shabangu, Ms E Meerkotter

African Ensemble Back row: Liyema Zondi, Allan Njanfang Patu, James Jarvis, Elijah Onyejiaka, Elias Masango 3rd row: Luzuko Zithulele, Lethabo Makwela, Reeza Kazi, Khalane Moletsane, Hlumile Ntontela, Avaneesh Nunna 2nd row: Mukona Marageni, Anthony Crossley, David Webb, Raphael Blount, Adrian Roberts, Fynn Asamoah, Michael Costa Front row: Mr C Mugerwa, Onalerona Ndebele, Matthias Hassam, Grant Roberts, Mpumelelo Mkhize, Leano Labuschagne, Mr L Mashishi

Senior String Ensemble Back row: Sava Theodosiou, Ziya Ismail, Raphael Blount, Mason Bunkell, Suleiman Cassimjee, Paul Tebeila Front row: Mrs A Te Riele, Nathan Teper, Gopal Padayachee, Mpumelelo Mkhize, Ms L du Toit

Junior String Ensemble Back row: Dzingira Matenga, Caleb Wood, Lebone Matooane, Kgosietsile Sebati 2nd row: Elonna Peters, Azande Kupiso, Isa Mia, Talhah Cassimjee, Niam Ranchod, Musa Mkhize Front row: Mrs A Te Riele, Arno Pretorius, James Janisch, Eli Teper, Lonwabo Matha, Ms L du Toit

Senior African Drumming Back row: Amaan Mohamed, Zachery Ichikowitz, Oliver Thompson, Andrew Müller, Oliver Proudfoot, Dylan Martens Front row: Mr L Mashishi, Oliver Barnes, William Stevens, Victor North, Matthias Hassam, Liyema Zondi, Mr C Mugerwa

Senior Jazz Band Back row: James Voller, Mishar Batohi, Robert Burman, Allan Njanfang Patu, Oliver Barnes, Matthew Bezuidenhout, Miles Cox 2nd row: Zachary Woolley, Sean Burman, Avaneesh Nunna, Raphael Blount, Oliver Lamb, Shaiyen Desai, Ruben See-Schierenberg Galvan, Matthew Southey, Nevan Naidoo Front row: Mrs K Gudde, Christopher Roos, Ulrich Feÿ, Jakob Kullmann, Victor North, Rourke Glossoti, Mrs A Elliott

Junior Jazz Band Luca Blount, Christian Jooste, Mrs A Elliott, Joshua Teper, Thomas Burgoyne

Rock Band Andrew Müller, Theodore Warui, Xem van Zalk, Mr P Sklair, Rourke Glossoti, Alexandru Dobrescu, Hayden O’Raw

Grade 7 Marimbas Back row: Benjamin Schärges, Matthias Hassam, Matthew Bezuidenhout, Miles Cox Front row: James Voller, Michael Smithyman, Mr C Mugerwa, Khalane Moletsane, Shayur Nagar

Grade 6 Marimbas Back Row: Reeza Kazi, Allan Njanfang Patu, Tinnare Hatendi 2nd row: Aiden Greenstein, Raphael Blount, Lethabo Makwela, Max Asamoah, Alexander Stewart, Adrian Roberts Front row: Fredy Kameni Nguedam, Zachery Ichikowitz, Tshimega Magakgala, Mr C Mugerwa, Mukona Marageni, Zachariah Mtine, Michael Costa

Grade 5 Marimbas Back row: Chulumanco Mrwata, Mpho Mokake, Fynn Asamoah, Tristan Bard, Ben Brown, Rushir Nagar Front row: Grant Roberts, Avaneesh Nunna, Mr C Mugerwa, Max Vries, Leano Labuschagne

Grade 4 Marimbas Back row: Thomas Burgoyne, Dylan Price, Duncan Webb Front row: Kevin Jewell, Luca Blount, Mr C Mugerwa, Oliver Yuill

Grade 3 Marimbas Back row: Benjamin Wood, Sean Kelly Front row: Muhammed Mukaddam, James Janisch, Mr C Mugerwa, Taariq Saloojee, Arno Pretorius

Grade 2 Marimbas Back row: Amiri Dakile, Griffin Glossoti, Thomas Gerakaris, Joshua Greenstein, Nicholas Jooste Front row: Benjamin Yuill, Andrew Costa, Mr C Mugerwa, Joel Asamoah, Douglas Backhouse

JUNIOR PRIMARY