Battle of the Bands

This event was set up in 2002 in response to the phenomenal enthusiasm of Sandford’s young musicians. With just under half the school population taking an instrumental lesson in the school, the Battle of the Bands competition attracts around 15 bands, solos and other combos.

Students are encouraged to organise themselves into bands and to get organised as early as possible. Practice time can be arranged at lunch or before or after school.

Bands can be rock, jazz, folk, barbershop, punk or semi-classical fusions of anything and everything. Each group or solo performer can perform a maximum of two songs. There are usually two ‘novelty’ items- a teacher’s band (the Unteachables) and a Form Six novelty act.

A panel of esteemed teacher judges decides on a Junior and Senior winner who can win time in a recording studio as well as the sought-after Battle of the Bands Trophy.