St Benedict’s hosts drumming championship

St Benedict’s College hosted the African Solo Drumming Championships on September 17 at the Bedfordview school.

Mr Rory Bellingham of the South African Pipe Band Association said that the championships are an annual event and hosted usually by a school.

Mr Bellingham assisted in coordinating and managing the national event.

“The championships went fantastic.This year St Benedict’s kindly hosted the event for the association ” said Mr Bellingham.

Mr Bellingham said that there were over 10 teams competing. This included both teams associated to schools and other organisations such as the Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment pipe band.

Other pipe bands included:

•  Jeppe High School for Boys.
•  St Benedict’s College.
•  Benoni Mactalla.
•  Pretoria High School for Boys
•  St Andrew’s School for Girls.
•  Transvaal Scottish Pipes and Drums group.
•  De La Salle Holy Cross College.
•  1 Medical Battalion.
•  Cornwall Hill College.

The championship was divided into 11 categories.

•  Theo van Wyk from Benoni Mactalla won the snare drum open march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Chad Naude of the Transvaal Scottish Pipes and Drums group won the bass drum open march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Keegan Rohland from Benoni Mactalla won the tenor drum open march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Ross Campbell from St Benedict’s won the snare drum junior march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Mandla Ndabula from Jeppe High School For Boys won the bass drum junior march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Keegan Rohland from Benoni Mactalla won tenor drum junior march, strathspey and reel category.
•  Timothy Reynolds from Benoni Mactalla won the snare drum novice overall category .
•  Timothy Reynolds from Benoni Mactalla won the snare drum novice march category .
•  Lorenzo Germani from De La Salle Holy Cross College won the snare drum novice march, strathspey and reel category .
•  Dominic Basson from King Edward VII School won the tenor novice march, strathspey and reel category .
•  Leila Schultz from Jeppe High School for Girls won the drum pad category.

A competitor in the championships Mr Rohan Morgan from the Spirit of Richmond Pipe Band said he enjoyed the championships and that the day went well.

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