YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

It’s a tough job to have to judge completely different instruments, as well as types of music, performance styles and levels of difficulty; and so we were fortunate to have as our adjudicator Keith Beniston, a former Music Examiner for Trinity College London, London College of Music and ABRSM, and someone with the experience and expertise to pull off this challenging job.

The Junior Final featured some outstanding solo performances, from the versatile Rocco E-W, winner of both the jazz and brass classes on trombone, to the elegant flute-playing of Casper C. Sadly, illness meant that not all the junior winners were able to perform on the night, but the audience were treated to some wonderfully committed and accomplished singing in both the classical and popular classes. Emma M won praise for an intellectual, expressive performance, while Peter W emerged as the Junior Musician of the Year for his focused and humorous rendition of Head’s Money, O!.

Rubens D kicked off the senior competition with Mohair Mountain on the electric guitar – his enjoyment of playing making it all the more enjoyable for the audience, but also providing a technically accomplished performance, with an intricate improvised solo run during the climax of the piece. Ava M then followed with her own composition on timpani, showing both skill and creativity. The first of the vocalists, Hattie H, perfectly set the scene for Send in the Clowns with her introduction and then delivered a mature performance of this classic. The boys’ Musical Theatre winner, Charlie H, demonstrated both his range and the power with This Was Nearly Mine from South Pacific, which made the most of his powerful bass voice but also showed his ability to project his upper register. Emily Reynolds sang Silent Noon –the first classical song of the senior competition - with a warm tone and some beautiful legato phrases, and I followed with Schubert’s dramatic Erlkönig which depicts the tragic story of a father losing his son to the Erl King, a sinister figure in European folklore. Representing strings, Harriet H played the 1st Movement of the Arpeggione Sonata in A minor on viola - a sonorous and poised performance that also captured the dance rhythms in the piece – and then Carwyn O brought out the rich timbre of his French Horn with the 2nd Movement of Glière’s Concerto in B flat Major. Maggie B showed impressive sensitivity, accuracy and very careful phrasing in a highly intelligent and very musical performance of Clarke’s Hypnosis, and one that genuinely transported the audience. Finally, Louis Allen – a veteran of these occasions – put the new Steinway through its paces by performing Ballade No.1 in G Minor by Chopin – a tremendously challenging piece which he played with characteristic passion and outstanding skill. He is, as the adjudicator, said “a cracking performer”!

Mr Beniston had warm words of praise, as well as useful advice, for all the competitors, but his job was to pick a winner and, fortunately for me, he announced that I was the Senior Young Musician of the Year. However, the evening was much more a celebration of music-making at Repton and a showcase for some of its most talented and committed performers. This is all possible only because of the support of a legion of music teachers and we were particularly grateful to our two accompanists on the night - Mr Owens and Mr Walker. The concert showed the remarkable levels of talent, commitment and achievement to be found in Repton’s Music School among both its pupils and staff.

Lemuel M (L6S)