Festival organisers praise high musical calibre of entrants
Performers who had impressed the judges throughout the Mid-Somerset Festival came together to take part in the concert on Saturday.
The 108th festival of music, speech, drama and creative writing saw aspiring authors, actors and musicians demonstrating their talents.
Organisers said this year saw a particularly high calibre of musicians with many outstanding grades being awarded.
Stephen Sykes (trombone), who won the Concerto for Woodwind, Brass or Recorder class, performed at the closing concert.
He took home the Roper Family Premier Award, beating off competition from Tristan Caulfield (violin) and Daniel Evans (piano).
The trophy was presented by the concert's principal guest Cllr Brian Chalker, vice-chairman of Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Also performing at the final concert was the choir of St Mary's RC Primary School at Weston, father and daughter piano duet Marcus and Susanna Sealy, and soprano Maria Montague.
Meanwhile, talented youngsters at a Bath school have been showing off their music skills. More than 150 pupils at King Edward's Junior School took part in the annual Young Musicians' Competition.
All the entrants in the 13 categories were judged by Major Tony Smallwood and Major Andy Thornhill from the Royal Marines Band Service.
Major Thornhill was impressed by the talent he had seen. "The standard of music in the challenge has been outstanding. It has been a privilege to have heard the children perform," he said.
"The Royal Marines Band Service relies on the talent of the next generation of young musicians to produce such a high standard of music and I am encouraged by what I have heard today that we shall be able to find musicians of sufficient calibre in future."
The 13 winners were trombonist Thomas Wilson, pianists Lali Rhydderch, Emma Jones and Anna Thomas, violinist Lydia Shephard, wind players Brogan Coates and Felix Munn, percussionists Ben Jukes and Alex Llewellyn, string players Hugo Giddins and Emily Bettles and singers Thomas Harcourt and Lottie Phillips.
Director of music Mary Edwards said everyone involved had worked very hard.
She said: "The challenge is always a highlight of the musical year at the school and for me it has to be more a celebration of both the quantity and quality of music-making that goes on in the school rather than a music competition."
Class P4 Piano Solo (Grade 2) Tom Leslie; Class P5 Piano Solo (Grade 3) Abi Morgan; Class P6 Piano Solo (Grade 4) Ben Ryrie; Class P7 Piano Solo (Grade 5) Brian Low; Class P8 Piano Solo (Grade 6) Brian Low; Class P12 Piano Repertoire (13 and under) – restricted Anna Disley-Simpson; Class P16 Enjoying Jazz (9 and under) India Raynes; Class P17 Enjoying Jazz (11 and under) Joshua Singh; Class P18 Enjoying Jazz (13 and under) Tom Highnam; Class P20 Baroque Piano Solo (15 and under) Nurry Lee; Class P37 Piano Duet 13 and under) Kathy Chan and Si Chen; Class P38 Piano Duet (15 and under) Rebecca Snell and Meg Anderson; Class P39 Piano Duet (17 and under) Sacha Clayton and Clare Farmer; Class P40 Piano Duet (Open) (Grade 4 and below) Susanna Sealy and Marcus Sealy; Class P43 Piano Trio (Six Hands) (15 and under) Clare Webb, Emily Jago, and Jasmine Leung; Class S27 Guitar Solo – Elementary William Braithwaite; Class S28 Guitar Solo – Intermediate Samir Sholapurkar; Class S29 Guitar Solo – Advanced Rowan Carolan; Class W8 Woodwind Duet – Intermediate (any combination) Joshua Black and Freya Elsy; Class W10 Woodwind Solo Repertoire – Advanced George Hyde; Class W12 Brass Solo – Elementary Jack Coles; Class W20 Concerto for Woodwind, Brass or Recorder (open all ages) Stephen Sykes
Class P25 Adult Beginner's Piano Solo Sian Jenkins; Class P26 Piano Solo (Grade 8) Jasmine Franck-Walton; Class P28 Classical Piano Solo Lee Jae Phang; Class P30 Post 1900 Piano Solo Jasmine Franck-Walton; Class P33 Piano Recital Shaun Motiani; Class S8 Violin/Viola Solo – Intermediate Zachary Mustin; Class S12 Violin/Viola Solo Repertoire – Advanced Thomas Percy; Class S19 Cello/Double Bass Solo Repertoire – Advanced Beverly Tsang; Class W14 Brass Solo – Intermediate Murray Tabeart; Class W16 Brass Solo – Advanced Rebecca Adams.
Class JC1 LEA School Choirs Camley Primary School Choir; Class JC2 School Music Presentation Weston All Saints Primary School Junior Choir; Class JC3 Roundabout Paragon School Choir; Class JC4 Sacred Music Paragon School Choir; Class P23 Own Piano Composition (16 and under) Daniel Evans; Class P24 Own Piano Composition (17 and over) Douglas MacQuistan; Class P27 Baroque Piano Solo Lee Jae Phang; Class P29 Romantic Piano Solo Daniel Evans; Class P34 Piano Concerto Daniel Evans; Class P41 Piano Duet (Open) (Grade 5 and above) Sophie Heard and Harry Goulding; Class S7 Violin/Viola Solo – Transitional Jasmin Allpress; Class S10 Violin/Viola Solo (14 and under) Chere Yee Law; Class S11 Violin/Viola Solo – Advanced Callum Shaw; Class V33a Show Song from Musical or Film (16 – 18 years) George Hahn; Class V33b Show Song from Musical or Film (16 – 18 years) Isaac Smith; Class W15 Brass Solo Repertoire – Intermediate Matthew Davies; Class W17 Brass Solo Repertoire – Advanced Helen Whitemore.
Class R3 Recorder Solo (11 and under) Tiffany Chickwanah; Class R4 Recorder Solo (14 and under) Jennifer Bubbear; Class R5 Recorder Open Solo Jennifer Bubbear; Class R9 Recorder Duet or Trio (11 and under) Tiffany Chickwanah and Megan Skinner; Class S9 Violin/Viola Solo Repertoire – Intermediate Joanna Broome; Class S17 Cello/Double Bass Solo (14 and under) James Watson; Class S21 String Duet – Advanced (any combination) Beverly Tsang and Declan Lees; Class S22 Concerto for any Stringed Instrument Tristan Caufield; Class S24 Harp Solo – Intermediate Kirsty Chaplin; Class S25 Harp Solo – Advanced Emma Murton; Class S26 Music with Harp Millfield Prep School Harp Ensemble; Class V38a Vocal Recital Young Adult (16 - 18) Esther Mallett; Class V38b Vocal Recital Young Adult (16 - 18) Jenny Liddle; Class V44 British Art Song – Adults over 21 Sonia Booth; Class V45 English Language Art Song – Adults over 21 John Qualtrough.
Class S13 Cello/Double Bass Solo – Elementary Rosanna Lowe; Class S15 Cello/Double Bass Solo – Intermediate Felix Hughes; Class S16 Cello/Double Bass Solo Repertoire – Intermediate Felix Hughes; Class S18 Cello/Double Bass Solo – Advanced Declan Lees-Smith; Class S20 String Duet – Intermediate (any combination) Hannah Munday and Joel Munday; Class S23 Harp Solo – Elementary Molly Rowan-Sharples; Class V28 Unaccompanied Traditional Folksong (16 – 21) Sarah Wade; Class V29 Opera or Operetta (16 – 18) Amy Lyddon-Towl; Class V32 Art Song (19 – 21) Edward Law; Class V34 Show Song from Musical or Film (19 – 21) Henrietta Hobbs; Class V35 Oratorio or other Sacred Work (16 – 21) Gary Pang; Class V36 Jazz and Pop Songs (16 – 21) Eden Simpson; Class V37 Vocal Duet or Trio (16 – 21) Esther Mallett and Jade Whymark; Class V39 Vocal Recital (19 – 21) Henrietta Hobbs; Class V40 Opera or Operetta (over 21) Stephanie Vicat; Class V41 Songs from the Shows, Musical or Film (over 21) Peter Schnabl; Class V43 Songs from the Early Music Period (over 21) Veronica Lee; Class V46 Art Song in a Foreign Language (over 21) Sonia Booth; Class V47 Oratorio or other Sacred Work (over 21) Carlos Alonso; Class V48 Vocal Recital (over 21) Stephanie Vicat; Class V49 Adult Vocal Group (over 21) Bourne Valley; Class V50 Duo for Singer and Pianist Peter Schnabl and Robert Burgess; Class X14 Wind/Brass Band (up to year 13) Writhlington School Wind/Brass Band; Class X15 Swing Band (up to year 13) Writhlington School Swing Band; Class X16 Senior Composition (up to year 13) Bet Lewis School, Pengam
Class C1 Choirs – years 7 & 8 Sydenham High School Singers; Class C2 Free Choice Class (16 & under) Las Chicas, Backwell School; Class C3 Sacred & Secular Music for Choirs (16 & under) Hayesfield School; Class C4 Unaccompanied Madrigal Group (18 & under) Ambrosian Singers, Backwell School; Class C5 Sacred Music (18 & under) Ambrosian Singers, Backwell School; Class C6 Female Voices (18 & under) Trinity Choir, Bath; Class V1 Unaccompanied Folk Song (11 & under) Beth Fitton; Class V2 My Favourite Song (9 & under) Susanna Sealy; Class V3 My Favourite Song (10 - 11) Roman Banwell; Class V4 Songs from the Shows and Film (9 & under) Peter Costello; Class V16 Songs from Operetta, Musical or Film (13 & under) George Hewitt; Class V17 Songs from Operetta, Musical or Film (14 & under) Tom Babbage; Class V18 Song from Operetta, Musical or Film (15 & under) Maria Montague; Class V19 Art Song (12 years) David Berrisford; Class V21 Art Song (14 & under) Lauren Clinch; Class V22 Art Song (15 & under) Esther Whittock; Class V23 Vocal Duet or Trio (13 & under) Madeline Kirby and Hannah O'Toole Thrower; Class V30 Opera or Operetta (19 – 21) Henrietta Hobbs; Class V31 Art Song (16 – 18) Holly Brunskill.
Class C7 Popular or Show Song (18 & under) Bridgwater College Show Choir; Class C8 Free Choice Class (18 & under) Bridgwater College Choir; Class C9 Gospel Music (18 & under) Hayesfield School Choir; Class V5 Songs from the Shows and Film (11 & under) Millie Fender; Class V13 Unaccompanied Folk Song (13 & under) Eleanor Fortune; Class V14 Unaccompanied Folk Song (15 & under) Lauren Clinch; Class V15 Song from Operetta, Musical or Film (12 years) Madeline Kirby; Class V20 Art Song (13 & under) George Hewitt; Class V25 Jazz & Pop Song (13 & under) Maria Torres-Massouras; Class V26 Jazz & Pop Song (15 & under) Patrick James; Class V27 Vocal Recital (15 & under) Sophie Luker.
Class C10 Vocal Ensemble (max 16 voices) Worle Chorale; Class C11 Female Voice Choirs Fascinating Rhythm; Class C12 Male Voice Choirs Frampton Cottrell Male Voice Choir; Class C13 Mixed Voice Voices in Unison; Class C14 Gospel Music GASP; Thomas Hope Award for the most promising group of singers in the adult choral classes Fascinating Rhythm.
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