Cultural activities
Debating
St David’s has established a proud tradition in the refined discipline of debating. At present we participate in the more competitive national league, which is run under the auspices of the South African Council for English Educators (SACEE).
Debating is an exciting activity that challenges boys to think on their feet. St David’s has been extremely successful in the debating arena, with boys being selected to provincial and national teams on an annual basis. We are fortunate to have passionate and established coaches in old boy Mr Daniel Lee and English teacher Ms Claire Baker.
Drama
St David’s has a well-established dramatic tradition, and a number of our old boys have gone on to complete Drama degrees at university. Drama can be taken as a matric subject.
Our boys are guided by experienced and passionate teachers, as well as professional performers, in the creation of world-class theatre. The department tackles full-scale productions, one-act plays, student-created showcases and short films.
Major production
St David's undertakes a major annual theatrical production in association with St Teresa's Convent. These vibrant shows have routinely been a great success, often receiving rave reviews and standing ovations, and almost all performances are sold out.
Behind the scenes of the 2019 major production, Footloose.
Inter-house Play Festival
The annual Inter-house Play Festival continues to give many boys their first opportunity to take to the stage, with the number of boys involved having increased significantly. A special feature of this festival in recent years has been the number of houses working from original scripts – scripts that are generally of high quality and have resulted in some outstanding one-act plays.
Music
The Music department has grown considerably in terms of staff members as well as pupils over the past couple of years, under the leadership of Mr Chris Luke. We offer tuition on saxophone, trumpet, trombone, flute, piano, guitar, drums and recorder.
We regularly hold music soirées with great success, combining the Prep and College for these performances, along with talented soloists as well as our choirs, marimba bands and the College band performing.
A number of our Music pupils take the Trinity Guildhall and Rockschool Music exams annually.
Choir
The College and Chamber choirs regularly perform in festivals around Gauteng. St David's hosts the annual CHOIR IS ALIVE Festival at the Linder Auditorium and was awarded a Gold Certificate at the World Choir Games in 2018. The choir is an integral and energetic part of our school life, performing at assemblies and Masses, soirées, Valedictory Mass and our annual prize-giving, and often receive standing ovations from audiences.
College band
The energy and entertainment value of the College band is off the charts. The talented musicians often provide entertainment at school events and functions and provide backing for our choir, for major productions as well as performing in assemblies and Masses. The biannual supper theatre show is also an exceptionally successful fixture on the St David’s calendar.
The band consists of a number of instruments, including saxophone, flute, violin, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass guitar, drums and percussion.
Inter-house music
The annual Inter-house Music Competition has proved to be an exciting innovation, with each house having to produce a soloist, a group vocal item (with no fewer than six boys) and a group instrumental item (with no fewer than six boys). Audiences are often amazed at the wealth of talent evident in the St David’s school community.
Marimba band
The marimba bands provide fun opportunities to make music, and the distinct sound and energy produced by the marimbas and the musicians are a popular addition to any event or function. The band has collaborated in projects with the choir, the College band and in bespoke performances with, for example, Joburg Ballet.
Public speaking
St David’s has a vibrant community of public speakers, participating in internal and regional events.
Boys are challenged to engage with a range of contemporary issues in the formation of ideas. St David's participates in the annual festival hosted by the South African Speech and Drama College of South Africa.
The St David’s Best Speaker Competition is an annual internal event. Pupils from Grades 8 to 12 present prepared speeches on any topic, followed by the challenging impromptu round. The winners in their respective age group areas are recognised at the annual prizegiving ceremony.
Creative writing
Creative writing provides an opportunity for boys to craft their ideas into words. Participation in external competitions is undertaken on an annual basis
Sound and lighting
Our boys work behind the scenes in activities ranging from the weekly Mass and assemblies, to major productions and music performances. There is regular engagement with industry professionals, as well as opportunities to work with state-of-the-art equipment.
Graffiti club
Our boys get the opportunity to explore commentary-making through visual means.