Westminster Students Excel at SASBOF
Over four exceptional days, Westminster School once again opened the Michael Murray Centre (MMC) and Chapel for ABODA’s annual South Australian Schools Band and Orchestra Festival (SASBOF). This year we saw 176 ensembles, equating to 3,000 students perform on stage, proudly representing their schools.
Enthusiastically supported by the school community, Westminster entered 10 ensembles, including Senior Orchestra, Fusion Strings, Vivace Strings, Senior, Intermediate and Prep Concert Bands, Percussion Ensemble, and Big Bands 1, 2 and 3. For many of our students this was another performance experience at SASBOF, but for some this was their very first opportunity to perform in a festival of this calibre.
Awards and Achievements
After countless rehearsals and a focus on the finer details of ensemble playing, our ensembles brought home an incredible set of results:
Section 2 Junior Band – Prep Concert Band – GOLD Award
Section 3B Intermediate Concert Band PLUS – Senior Concert Band – GOLD Award
Section 3A Intermediate Concert Band – Intermediate Concert Band – GOLD Award
Section 7 Advanced Big Band – Big Band 1 – GOLD Award
Section 6 Intermediate Big Band – Big Band 2 – GOLD Award
Section 11A Open Percussion Ensemble (tuned) – Percussion Ensemble – SILVER Award
Section 8 Junior String Ensemble – Vivace String Ensemble – SILVER Award
Section 5A Novice Big Band – Big Band 3 – SILVER Award
Section 9 Intermediate String Ensemble – Fusion Strings – SILVER Award
Section 10B Open Orchestra – Orchestra – BRONZE Award
A truly outstanding result—five Gold, four Silver, and one Bronze—highlighting not only our students’ talent, but also their dedication and teamwork.
Beyond the Results
For our students, SASBOF is more than just a competition. It is an opportunity to grow as musicians, to strengthen ensemble connections, and to experience the joy of performing alongside a wider community of musicians.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many supporters who made this possible—students, families, and the broader Westminster community. A special acknowledgement goes to our Friends of Music, who generously provided a canteen for festival guests throughout the four days.