
Cultural Achievements
Culture at Stirling is taken very seriously, both in the number of students participating in activities and in the excellence that our top students achieve. The following students achieved at a national level in 2023 & 2024:
National Schools Jazz Band: Tallis Hurly (bass), Bokomosa Kawe (sax), Kuhle Royi (sax), Daniel van Zyl-Smit (bass)
SA Chess teams: Keagen Meise, Elsje Jacobs and Ali Lin
Dance: Tamica Windell & Jenna Victor received distinctions for the Tap Dancing Pre-Associate exam. Danica Hansen & Jenna Victor passed the RAD Advanced 2 Ballet exam with High Merit and Merit respectively.
Music
At the East London Eisteddfod over the years, Stirling students have regularly won the trophies for Best Instrumentalist, Best Chamber Choir, Best High School Band, Best Jazz Band, Most Promising Brass Player, Best Senior Vocalist, Most Promising Senior Vocalist, Best Brass Ensemble and Best Woodwind Ensemble.
Stirling has one of the best school jazz programmes in the country and 81 students have been selected for the National Band since 1995, many of whom have become professional musicians. Three band members were selected for the 8-member national band in 2022. The band has toured Europe, Britain, Zimbabwe, Namibia and all around South Africa (performing in over 40 towns) and performs about 30 times a year at dances, community activities and varied professional venues. The band has performed at the Wigan international Jazz Festival, the Joburg Joy of Jazz festival, the Standard Bank Grahamstown Jazz Festival, the Hilton Arts Festival and many others. They have appeared on national television twice and are one of the best school jazz bands in South Africa, having received the Premier’s Award for Excellence (best junior ensemble in the Eastern Cape) twice. The band has recorded 10 CDs.
There are a variety of choirs for different types of voices and musical styles and the annual Vocal Celebration is always a spectacular show. Stirling is considered a leading school for vocal and choral teaching: in 2016 the Stirling Chamber Choir was adjudged Best Non-Afrikaans Choir in the nationwide ATKV competition and came second overall at the 2017 ATKV national finals. In 2018 they were adjudged the best choir overall in South Africa in the ATKV competition and came 5th in their category in the World Choir Games. They were again the top local choir in 2021 & 2022. Numerous past members of the choir have gone on to study and perform in opera and vocals, with 2014 matriculant Marina Pienaar’s recently awarded a scholarship to the RCM in London after her BMus distinction at Stellenbosch University.
Oratory
Oratory is an essential social and business skill and the Stirling Debating Team has always done very well in the Border Debating League. Since 2003 twelve students have represented South Africa at Debating or achieved Top-Ten placings at the National Championships. The Debating team was one of the top in the Eastern Cape in 2024.
Dance
37 Stirling dancers have received Honours cum Laude (the top award in the school) for passing their RAD or Cecchetti Advanced exams or being selected to represent South Africa in Hip-Hop Dancing. There are two major Dance Extravaganzas each year.
Drama
Ten students have been recognised with Honours cum Laude for dramatic performance considered equivalent of a national standard. Stirling students have won numerous Gold awards at the East London and Grahamstown Eisteddfodau, as well as Double Golds, Triple Golds and trophies.
Chess
The Stirling Chess Team has won the Border League regularly and many Stirling students have been selected for Border Chess teams, with 2 achieving national selection in 2024.
National representation: In the period 1985-2024, 182 (including repeat selections) Stirling students received South African national colours or the equivalent in the following cultural activities: Chess (11), Choir (30), Culture (1), Dance (37), Drama (10), Jazz Band (143), Music (5), Oratory/Debating (11), Performing Arts (3), Photography (2)