Port Macquarie Vanguard’s Rhythm of Success

Port Macquarie Vanguard, the St Agnes' Parish Secondary School (SAPSS) Senior Drumline team, won the 2024 Australian Percussion Eisteddfod for the seventh consecutive year. (4 August 2024)

Congratulations to Port Macquarie Vanguard, the St Agnes' Parish Secondary School (SAPSS) Senior Drumline team, composed of students drawn from Port Macquarie Catholic Secondary Schools (MacKillop College, St Joseph's Regional College and Newman Senior Technical College), have dominated the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod for the seventh consecutive year.

The Australian Percussion Eisteddfod is an annual competition organised by Percussion Optimum to showcase student performances with percussion instruments. This year’s competition was held at Barker College in Hornsby.

Dominating the competition, the SAPSS team scored 87/100 in the mandatory Test Piece section and excelled with a 92/100 in the Own Choice section, where they performed ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,’ crafted and choreographed by Drumline Director Mark Spence. Their combined score of 89.5 secured their status as national champions, and they also garnered the Best Snare Section caption award.

Meanwhile, the Junior Drumline, competing as the Port Macquarie Brumbies in Division B, showcased their skills with an 85/100 in the Test Piece section and matched this score in the Own Choice section with their performance of ‘Shake 'n Bake,’ earning them a combined score of 85 and first place, despite a mix-up in the awards announcement. Both performances were highly praised by the audience and judges alike.

Below are some quotes from some of the students:

‘My time this season as part of the Port Macquarie Vanguard has been an experience I will never forget. I have been fortunate enough to have been taught by Mark for the past four years, and his wisdom and experience are truly the reason for our national title, and every other member can attest to this. His funny and inviting persona encourages us all to become open to each other, and over the course of this season, which began with a great new team of drummers, we have formed a family that has each other's backs and loves each other without our community we would never have performed to the high standard that we did. The greatest feeling of the season was the culmination of every up and down when we walked off the stage at nationals, and the tunnel erupted with us screaming and jumping for joy with the performance, we were so proud of each other even though we hadn’t won yet, we had already won in our hearts. YEAH VANGUARD!!!!!!!!!!!’ said Year 10 student Jack. 

‘It's my first time doing this ever, and I thought it was a cool experience, and I’m looking forward to next year, and we won, so I guess that's also pretty cool,’ said Year 9 student Amelia.

‘Those who put in the effort and never give up can transform into anything they dream of becoming. Our drumsticks may move in unison, but it is our collective skills, driven by shared purpose, that form the entire ensemble,’ said Year 9 student Mason.

Watch the amazing skills of these dedicated and talented students below.