Stirling High’s annual dance a rare experience
GUESTS can enjoy a trip back to the era of swing music with a Gatsby-like atmosphere at the Stirling Jazz Band’s annual dance tomorrow.
Taking place in the Stirling High School hall, the dance will include three hours of Big Band swing music in the style of Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington.
Guests are encouraged to dance the night away to classics such as In the Mood and It Don’t Mean a Thing if it ain’t Got that Swing. The band will also play a variety of vibrant modern arrangements in Latin American and funk styles.
“Big Bands at dances are a rarity nowadays as the cost of putting an adult band of this nature together is prohibitive and many modern dances depend instead on recorded music,” Stirling High School deputy headmaster and Big Band head Alan Webster said.
The band has an impressive reputation as a top youth jazz band in South Africa, having toured around the country over the years and performing regularly at the National Arts Festival with the UCT and Stellenbosch University jazz bands.
Over the years, the band has performed internationally on tours in Germany, Holland, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Britain.
“Last year, the band was invited to perform at the Standard Bank Johannesburg Joy of Jazz Festival and we have also had numerous members selected for the National Schools Jazz Band over the years,” Webster said.
Tickets for the show are R80 per person and can be purchased at the Stirling High School office. All the proceeds will go towards tour costs for the band.
There are limited tickets available, so for those interested, be sure to purchase your tickets today.
Bring your own food and drink and be prepared for the swing sounds of the 1920s.
