The Jeppe Pipe Band hosted the 43rd Annual Geddes Cup Competition on October 19 at Jeppe High School for Boys.
The event is one of its kind in the South African piping and drumming community.
The competition was founded by Les Waskis, together with Bobby Geddes, in 1968.
The reason for the competition was to improve the standard of playing among the individual members of the band and to allow them to get the feeling of playing alone in front of an audience and a judge.
Bobby Geddes donated the Geddes Cup, that was to be presented to the best piper on the night.
Stan Hankey managed all the logistics of the event from the school’s point of view.
In 1949 Robert (Bobby) Geddes, a piper in the Jeppe Pipe Band, won two prizes at the Royal Scottish Gathering – the first champion of several to come from the school in years to come.
Les Waskis, who was later to become Pipe Major of the Witwatersrand Rifles Pipe Band, took over the reigns as Pipe Tutor of the Jeppe Pipe Band in 1965.
Hankey was the Master-In-Charge of the cadet division at the school.
The pipe band was considered a part of the cadet division and, therefore, Stan was also the Master-In-Charge of the Band.
Bobby Geddes was left blind as a result of a scuffle after school one day when waiting to catch a train home.
He still continued to play pipes until old age prevented him from doing so. He was also a respected solo piping judge in his time.
This year’s winner in piping was Timothy Lincoln and snare drummer was Connor Holz.
The 2020 leadership was also announced. Pipe major is Brett Harzon and band captain is Timothy Lincoln.
