We have several music groups here at Macleans College. The four main instrumental groups all participate in the famous KBB Festival, the annual music festival where schools from all across Auckland come together to showcase their hard work and repertoire from the entire year.
Over 4,000 students performed this year, with fifty-one schools and 147 performances throughout the five days all to be invited for the prestigious Gala Concert during the weekend. It is a massive deal.
This year, the KBB festival was held from the 12th of August to the 17th of August at the staple Holy Trinity Cathedral. Macleans’ Symphonic Band, Sinfonietta, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Concert Band, all entered the competition with high hopes. The groups performed all their pieces from the earlier Eisteddfod event in Term 2 (where you can read here.) All of these groups have been rehearsing from the beginning of the year – all that practice amounting to here.
The Symphony Orchestra and Concert ended up doing incredibly well and were invited to perform at the Gala concert on Saturday 17th August. Schools from all over Auckland came to perform together, such as Westlake, Avondale, anled even one or two out of Auckland students all watched the best groups perform.
At the very end of both Gala concerts, the student representatives elected by the conductors of each group came onto the stage to receive their awards and certificates. Although there is no winner, there are individual scores for each group.
The Symphonic Band and Sinfonietta were awarded bronze.
A massive congratulations to the Concert Band for their very high achieving score of Gold, and to the Symphony Orchestra’s silver – being one point off of gold. Chamber Orchestra was also awarded the special award of “The Best Performance of Classical or Romantic Work.”
All the young musicians from every single school have rehearsed well and put mass amounts of effort into their performance – a massive congratulations to all! And of course, thank you to all the teachers who made this possible.
22nd August, 2024
Written by Emma Li, edited by Aaron Huang and Amelia Hu
Photography by Deane Cohen Photography
