Drum major/conductor Aaron Caesar Albert (Podium 2) proudly holds the award and trophy.
KUCHING: St Joseph’s Secondary School Marching Band Kuching has made the country proud by winning gold and a second-place ranking at the Rasteder Musiktage (Rastede Music Days) in Rastede, Germany.
The band members will touch down at Kuching International Airport on two flights at 8pm and 10pm today where Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah will be on hand to welcome them home.
“They came in second place from among 20 other bands in their division class – VIII B Show – European Open Championship,” the principal Henry Chai Yam Fui said when contacted yesterday.
(From right) Wong, Chai, Lim and Abdul Waie and others in a photocall. From left are Fox, Greene, and Huebner.
The ensemble’s programme, entitled ‘Star-Crossed Lovers’ entertained a large and enthusiastic audience in a programme based on ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Wind players, battery players (marching drums), pit players (concert percussion), and dancers (colorguard) wowed the crowd with their virtuosity, confidence, and artistic expression, he added.
The host of the competition was World Association of Marching Show Bands, which attracted about 70 bands playing over several days.
“In the preliminary round last Saturday (June 2), our school scored 87.17 points, good enough for an impressive third-place finish in the first competitive performance.
“The following day, they improved their standing with an inspired performance that earned them 88 points, and an additional step up in the standings to second place, and a gold medal; just 2.5 points shy from the champion team from Thailand,” he said.
The band resided in the quaint northern German town of Rastede for nearly a week for intensive practice guided by international experts including Michael Huebner, Austin Greene, and Jonathan Fox, music director Anthony Wong Soon Yong, color guard and dance instructor Mavis Lim, and alumnus Abdul Waie Abdul Rahman.
The team acknowledged the primary contributions of the newly-retired former band director June Ling Siew Joon, whose artistic vision and dedication brought the band to where it is today.
The band was led by Chai and senior assistant (co-curricular) Johnny Lim Ah Teng.
The band acknowledges Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, president of Josephian Alumni (Old Josephian Association of Kuching), who is also Minister of Local Government and Housing for his support, primarily in soliciting for funds for the success of the band.