Members of the Rongotai College Big Band attended the national youth jazz competition as part of NZ’s highest profile jazz festival at Tauranga.   Our band entries (The Rongotai College Big Band and DoL Combo) won gold in their categories. Congratulations!

Two weeks before the Tauranga event, the big band and three of our combos (small jazz groups) attended the Manawatu Jazz Festival Youth Competition in Palmerston North, coming home with two category awards: Liam George for best trombone and Timothy Honiss, Rex More and Ish Nightingale who won the special judges commendation trophy for creative excellence with their ‘Spiky Beans’ combo.

A highlight of the festival for the boys was having Rodger Fox (NZ’s high-profile jazz musician and national legend) directing the big band at the competition after Mr Crayford contracted COVID and was unable to attend.

Congratulations to all involved and especially to Mr Crayford for all the hard work getting the boys to this level.