BOG Walk High School is on a high having become the first rural school to have won the Jamaica Best School Band (JBSB) competition.

The event took place at the Vera Moody Concert Hall, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, recently.Bog Walk High came out ahead of second-placed St Catherine High while third-place winner was Cross Keys High from southern Manchester.“For a school like Bog Walk High to win Jamaica’s Best School Band competition, it means a lot. Everyone is proud and feeling super excited that the flag of Bog Walk is once again flying high,” said an elated Obrien Henry, the school’s music teacher.He noted that even before his tenure, the school has an enviable record of excelling in such musical contests. One of which is the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) competition in which the school’s instrumentalists participated prior to entering the 2017 JBSB competition and was awarded a silver medal. In 2013, the same year he joined the school’s staff, Bog Walk High made it to the second round of All Together Sing.“The kids have a lot they wanted to prove to Jamaica, and this propelled them to become the reigning JBSB champions. My journey here as music educator started in September 2013. However, based on the history of this institution, a music programme has always been a part of Bog Walk High School from as far as in the 1970… We have always done exceptionally well to make our school community proud. The school is blessed to have different entertainment groups. We have a wonderful choir, a dynamic band, awesome soloists, group singers (a capella, duets, trios, etc) and we also have a boys’ choir,” said Henry.The music teacher said the music programme usually runs from grades 7 to 9. However, since 2014, it has been introduced at the CSEC level. Therefore, it is now extended to grade 11.In addition to the four-year-old trophy, Bog Walk High also walked away with $250,000, the opportunity for recording sessions with Grammy nominees Raging Fyah Band, musical instruments courtesy of Paul Miles Gateway Life Foundation and advertisement valued at over $100,000, courtesy of the Portmore-based

SunCity Radio. They also featured prominently among the sectional prizes, as the band’s lead vocalist and percussionist Casey Donaldson was awarded the Most Outstanding Male Performer. Their closest rival St Catherine High capped the Best Image prize.The award for Most Outstanding Female Performer went to Cross Keys High School’s lead singer Tracy-Ann Morrison, while her school was the recipient of the Most Dedicated and Most Improved BAND Award. Belair High received the Most Disciplined Award.Started in 2014, JBSB contest has been won by Pembroke Hall High, St Andrew Technical High School, and Alpha Boys’ School.– Basil Walters