Newsletter Term 2 #13 18 May 2018 St Andrew’s COLLEGE Nec Aspera Terrent

The senior choir performing at the Music Festival

To the Andrean Community

"You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note" Doug Floyd

It is a well known fact that Jack Torres has an exquisite singing voice. He has the unique gift of seamless tonal progression and a beautiful barritone note range. As I sat in the audience at the Music Festival on Tuesday night for the Senior Choral concert, and as the choir organised themselves - the choir master fussing about in that uniquely choir-masterly quest for the pre-launch zero-defect state, it was with a sense of anticipation - for I love choral music and, as I have noted, there were some great voices assembled. St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018 All the more suprising, then, for my Philistine science-teacher ears, that as the choir embarked on their beautiful Saints "mash-up" (Mr Heynsen's words, describing a "mash" of Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Oh When the Saints) I was surprised that although he was there, and prominently so, the individual wonder of Jack's voice had disappeared. Not literally, of course, but into the layered harmony of the group. Each of them had become one, and in doing so, their individual gifts had ceased to be theirs, but belonged now to something much bigger than any one of them alone.

That is the essence of a choir, of course, and from where it derives its wonder. The same could be said of an orchestra, and indeed, of almost any sphere of life. For we are social beings, and we function best when we work together, when we work in harmony, and when we have a shared vision (in this case, literally singing from the same hymn sheet). I sat there enjoying my mash-up immensely, reflecting on the fact that while a choir has immense intrinsic aesthetic value, it is a great metaphor for life, for school, and the band of brothers that comprises it.

And of course, in spite of the fact that when I sat down to write this newsletter I had promised myself that I would not write about sport, and especially not about rugby (because I so often do, and we all need a change once in a while) there can be no better comparison than that between a choir in full harmony and a team in full flight towards the try-line. It's the same principle at work.

And tempting as it is to assume that harmony is a metaphor for sameness, the opposite is actually true. Like in the sports team that I'm not talking about, choral excellence is actually found in the unique differences inherent in the voices which, when harnessed and working together, create harmonious magic.

Alan Thompson [email protected]

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018 ACADEMICS Viewing design at VW

The Grade 10 Design class visited the Volkswagen factory and Auto Pavilion in Uitenhage and had an amazing tour of the factory where the VW Polo is built and enjoyed a nostalgic display of old VW cars and interactive activities. The pupils loved every moment!

Important dates

Grade 9 Parent and Pupil Subject Choice Information Talk: 14 June 16:00 - 17:00 Venue: Lille Strong Hall at DSG The selection of one’s subjects in grade 9 is becoming increasingly important, particularly with our boys being given the option (as of the end of this year) to do A levels or IEB from the end of their grade 10 year. I strongly encourage parents to attend this talk to hear more about this option as well as learn about the merits of several other subjects

Grade 10 Parent and Pupil A Level Talk: 14 June 16:00 - 17:00 Venue: DSG Library

At the same time that we are running the Grade 9 Subject Choice Information Talk, we will run one for the current grade 10’s to hear more about the A Levels we are offering from 2019. Attendance is strongly encouraged if this is of interest to you and your son.

Matric Exam Preparation Camp 2018 2-4 September In order for holidays to be planned and flights to be booked, a reminder from last term of the following dates for this year’s Matric Revision Camp. The camp will start at 8am on Sunday 2nd September, so boys will need to be back the night before if they don’t live close by. St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018 CULTURAL

Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA) A cast of six Grade 12 Dramatic Arts students and their stage manager flew up to Johannesburg to perform their play, titled REVOLT at the prestigious Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts at the Johannesburg Fringe Theatre on Saturday the 12th May.

FEDA is an annual festival for Johannesburg schools to compete and showcase their skill and talent on stage. It has been running for 12 years and has grown larger each year. This was the first year that a school from outside Johannesburg has participated and DSG and St Andrew’s were warmly welcomed to the festival. FEDA is divided into two sections: the original works category and the published works category. The best plays from each category then perform in the final round, taking place on the 26th of May. A prize of R10 000 is awarded to the winning play as well as the opportunity to perform at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

This was a fantastic opportunity for DSG and St Andrew’s College to be part of a festival that showcases some of the best student drama in the country. REVOLT, a play devised by the cast, under the guidance of Mr Wesley Deintje, was well received by a large audience. The adjudication, delivered by theatre industry professionals at the end of the evening, praised REVOLT for its creative, slick and thought-provoking approach to the complex issue of how boys and girls feel about ‘playing’ assigned gender roles. The cast – Avia Repapis, Alyssa Ross, Jacques Hoefnagels, James Baker, Josh Orsmond and stage manager, Luisa da Molo – will have to wait until the 24th of May to hear if they have made it through to the final round. Nonetheless, they are congratulated on a superb performance and certainly showcased some of the best high school drama that the Eastern Cape has to offer. Susan Baker HOD Dramatic Arts

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018 YOUTH MUSIC FESTIVAL KICKS OFF The annual DSG/SAC Youth Music Festival got off to an fantastic start on Tuesday afternoon with two excellent choral concerts. The junior choir festival was at 16h30 and included five choirs from DSG Junior, Graeme, Kingswood, and VG Primary. There were some startlingly charming and competent performances which bode very well for the future of choral singing in our city.

In the evening, there were seven choirs performing in the senior choir festival. SAC, DSG, and Victoria Girls’ High School were very well-represented. There was some excellent singing and the highlights included the VGHS tribute to Nelson Mandela and the energetic performances of both our own Chapel Choirs.

At the time of writing, the auditorium of the David Wynne Music School is packed with pupils, parents and teachers all listening to young soloists of varying playing levels and instruments. If the bursts of enthusiastic applause are anything to go by, they’re having a lot of fun in there!

By the time you read this, the Festival will be almost over save perhaps for the Gala Concert on Friday night. Nonetheless, more next week……..watch this space.

Mike Skipper Director of Culture

Mike Skipper Director of Culture

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018

ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE

CookClub ng

The cooking club hosted their second - Remove from heat, cover fillet with 30 to 35 minutes. session at Lad’s Corner last night foil and allow to stand for 5 minutes where they made pan-seared fillet before serving. - Remove from oven drizzle balsamic medallions, creamy thyme sauce and vinegar over the vegetables and roasted sweet potato with balsamic OVEN ROASTED SWEET POTATOES - season with salt and pepper. glaze. Ingredients: The evening was a success and it left Recipe - 4 cups chopped peeled sweet the boys excited for their next session potatoes. which will include the appearance of a PAN-SEARED FILLET - - 3 tablespoons olive oil guest chef and a taste test. - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or Ingredients: more to taste - 1.5kg beef fillet - 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste - 1⁄2 teaspoon salt - 2 tablespoons olive oil Method:

Method: - Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. - Sprinkle fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub seasoning into - Drizzle olive oil over the sweet meat with your fingers and cut into potatoes and toss to coat; pour into a medallions. shallow roasting pan.

- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium - Roast sweet potato in preheated heat. Add fillet medallions and cook oven, turning frequently, until the for 5-7 minutes on each side. vegetables are soft and golden brown,

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018

COLLEGE SPORT

1st rugby side at the Grey Rugby Festival.

Dear All On Sunday a number of our hockey players went through to for EP hockey trials and we are awaiting the This last weekend was dominated by the home rugby announcement of the various age-group teams. We also fixture against Hoër Tegniese Skool Daniel Pienaar from had boys in PE for the next round of EP squash trials as part Uitenhage. The fixture was played in ideal rugby conditions of this selection process. and the campus was a buzz of activity. Whilst the U14 sides put up a brave fight in going down to their bigger This week we have 6 boys going through to run in an EP opponents, the rest of the teams showed their skills in League Cross Country meeting in Port Elizabeth on Saturday securing comfortable wins, this despite being by far the and it will be interesting to see how they fair. smaller team. The 1st XV game saw the visitors getting off to a cracking start and they were first on the scoreboard. On Friday the Hockey Club travels through to East London College slowly asserted themselves and by half-time had to play Cambridge High School with a full programme being established their ascendancy playing some excellent rugby. played on their newly laid astro. The second half was not quite so fluent and it was not until the latter stages that College once again piled on the points The 1st XI game will be played at 18h00. Saturday sees the to win convincingly 43-7. Rugby Club making the same trip with games starting at 08h45 and the 1st XV game kicking off at 14h35. This will Our two South African U16 Development Rowing crew be a real test of our depth as this coincides with the final EP members returned to school this week after a very successful trials at U18 and U16 level in PE. and worthwhile tour to the UK. By all accounts Daniel Zahn and Brendan Mouritzen were outstanding in their various We will be missing eleven senior boys and five U16 boys events and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. Also part meaning that there are opportunities for a host of boys of this group was College coach, Harry Townsend. to step up and play at the higher level. I am sure that the College teams will stand tall and put in a huge effort this weekend, whilst we wish the EP trialists well.

Wishing you all a great sporting weekend.

Pete Andrew Director of Sport

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018 Ballroom Dancing

D2D (Dare 2 Dance) Studios, from Port Elizabeth, hosted their The competition was thoroughly enjoyed by both the students 15th Inter School (now inter district) Ballroom Competition held and the parents who supported the competition. Dance With… at the Feather Market Centre in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 12 would like to thank the participating dance students, the schools May. and the parents for their support and dedication to ballroom dancing. Grahamstown dance club, Dance With… proudly entered twelve students from St Andrews (SAC) and DSG, six Kingswood College We look forward to our new grade 8 and beginner ballroom (KWC) students and one student from Victoria Girls High School. dancers competing in the competition in 2019. Keep on dancing. Dance students participated against fourteen different High Schools (250 students).

All of our couples danced well with such energy and charisma. We are enormously proud of them. The competition champions for 2018 were Alexander Road High School, Pearson was placed second and new competitors Lawson Brown High School were placed 3rd overall. The competition included a Varsity section F van Eck where Rhodes and Nelson Mandela Universities also competed. Dance With Instructor

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018

The U16D's during a Makana Hockey League game against Kingswood U16C.

Brendan Mouritzen and Daniel Zahn with Harry Townsend.

Coca – Cola visted St Andrew's to congratulate the 1st XI for qualifying to play in the Coca-Cola T20 Schools provincial finals earlier this year.

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018

BACKGROUND MY FATHER’S COAT is the realisation of Michael Charton’s decade- long ambition to make the incredible story, that is South St Andrew’s College and DSG African history, more accessible to our people. To open the hearts of South Africans to our past, so that we may use our will host two performances of Michael Charton’s story no longer as a tool to inspire hatred and fear and division, but rather as a source of unity and healing. highly acclaimed story Accordingly, his idea was to condense the epic narrative of our country into a bite-size story which is both compelling and accurate. A monumental and time-consuming MY FATHER’S COAT challenge, but one which has given rise to a very unique product, providing new order and meaning to a notoriously complex subject. MONDAY, JUNE 18th But importantly, this is no history lecture. Instead, this is a Centenary Hall, St Andrew’s College story. A human story told by climbing into the boots of five 15h00 and 19h00 prominent, interwoven, protagonists spanning two hundred turbulent years: Mzilikazi, Kruger, Rhodes, Smuts and Additional tickets available to parents Mandela. Never before has our past been explored in this manner. from the school receptions Michael’s passion saw him leave behind the life of a Chartered Accountant in order to make this project happen. This passion shines through in his delivery. For this is a unique life experience: An opportunity to reflect on our past and to celebrate the fascinating peoples with whom we share this beautiful country.

Information Evening Saturday 2 June 2018 18h00 No 52 Orange Grove Drive, You are warmly invited to attend an Highlands, Harare Information Evening on our family of leading independent Children are encouraged to boarding schools accompany their parents St Andrew’s College The Diocesan School for Girls RSVP to: Vanessa Bowes St Andrew’s Preparatory School +27 82 331 1152 | [email protected] Situated in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. A family of three boarding schools, highly regarded for excellence in all spheres of education.

St Andrew’s College Nec Aspera Terrent 18 May 2018

SAC Sports Dates for Term 2 APRIL

26-29 HOCKEY St Benedict’s Festival JHB U16A

28 Rugby Grey festival PE 1st XV,U16A,U15A&U14A

MAY

4-5 HOCKEY York and Oakhill George 1st ,2nd,U16A&U14A

5 RUGBY Graeme College Home

12 RUGBY Daniel Pienaar Home

18 HOCKEY Cambridge High School East London

19 RUGBY Cambridge High School East London

25 HOCKEY Selborne Home

26 RUGBY Selborne Home

JUNE

1 HOCKEY PE

2 RUGBY Grey High School PE

8 HOCKEY Pearson High School PE

9 RUGBY Pearson High School PE

15 HOCKEY Kingswood College Home

16 RUGBY Kingswood College Home

JULY

14 RUGBY SACS (On tour) Home

21 RUGBY Marlow Agricultural High School Home

27 Hockey Dale King Williams Town

28 RUGBY Dale King Williams Town

St Andrew’s College