Skip to content

St Peter’s College has a long history competing at the annual Generations in Jazz (GIJ) festival held in Mt Gambier each year. This event is one of the main highlights for music students involved in our jazz program. This year’s event saw 4,300 students from 110 schools, with each state and territory represented. Students perform and compete in a range of divisions, with many awards on offer highlighting the outstanding achievements of ensembles, sections, and individuals.

There were 90 participants from St Peter’s College this year, with seven of our outstanding jazz ensembles performing across a range of disciplines and divisions. St Peter’s College started to see strong success at GIJ from 2017, and the program has been building momentum to where it is today.

We are immensely proud of each ensembles’ performances, and we are thrilled with the following results:

Ensemble Awards 
Big Band 1 – First Place, Division 1 Stage Band Awards, second year in a row (Directed by Mr Max Grynchuk)
Big Band 1 – Best Rhythm Section, Division 1 Stage Band Awards, second year in a row
Big Band 2 – Third Place, Division 2.2 Stage Band Awards (Directed by Mr Luke White)

Individual Awards
Joey (Year 12) – Future Finalist, Division 1 Superband, Vibraphone, and winner of the Callisto Family Award for Most Outstanding Vocal Soloist in Division 1 vocals
Ned (Year 10) – Future Finalist and Division 1 Superband, Trombone 1
Aarav (Year 10) – Division 1 Superband, Alto Sax 2
Daniel (Year 10) – Division 1 Superband, Trumpet 5
Stephen (Year 12) – Division 1 Superband, Bass Trombone
Will (Year 11) – Division 1 Superband, Guitar
Quinn (Year 11) – Division 1 Superband, Bass
Miles (Year 11) – Division 1 Superband, Drums
Harry (Year 9) – Division 2 Superband, Trumpet 4 

These achievements are remarkable, but one of the highlights has been Big Band 2’s success in Division 2.2. This is the first time this band has ever placed in Division 2, and it’s a remarkable testament to Mr Luke White’s direction, and the students’ grit and determination to strive for excellence.

This is the most successful GIJ campaign St Peter’s College has experienced, and I would like to acknowledge Mr Max Grynchuk’s leadership of this program, as well as Mr Andrew Chatterton and Ms Ciara Ferguson’s development of the jazz vocal program. In addition, our instrumental staff team are a vital part of our School’s success with students’ weekly instrumental lessons.

We thank all students who participated, as well as the 70 parents who came to Mt Gambier in support of their boys and St Peter’s College. The festival is open to the public, and next year’s dates will be Friday 1 – Sunday 3 May.

Mr Brad Turner 
Director of Music