"I am Aldolpho!"

It's the final day of the music section, and of course we've kicked off with an absolute monster of a class taking up the entire morning, the Songs from the Shows Under 12 - originally with 36 entrants, but with a few dropouts we were down to 32.... which is still loads! And this was almost a production in itself, with such a huge amount of effort going into each performance, costume, and props - some highlights include an amazing costume of 'Mike Wazowski' from Monster's Inc, and flying inflatable men! I did feel that perhaps the dancing and movement in general got in the way a bit from the singing. We have just had the Dance Festival, and I wonder how many of these were also used for that festival and this one - nothing wrong with that on the whole, but the focus for this class really should be the singing (and if you were doing it again in the drama section, it would be the acting that is most important), and everything else should enhance the performance, not detract. Ben Costello himself did mention in his feedback that movement can cause things to go awry if not carefully managed. There are ways to tailor the same song to fit different class setups, so perhaps this is a consideration for all the competitors in the future. However, some wonderful songs on show here, with particular highlights for me including Jacob Morgan's performance of 'Different' from Honk, which he delivered with good projection and convincing emotions, and Harriet Lord's beautiful rendition of 'Let's Go Fly a Kite'. Ben also mention how it was lovely to hear so many more of the legit musical theatre songs (such as Rogers & Hammerstein) in this class, and he encouraged the students and others to keep exploring the older repertoire. Some great work all round, with placings going to Lottie Colmer and Bea Wilson ('Anything you Can Do') and Florence Sparkes ('Quiet') in 3rd, Ruby Coyde ('Happy Working Song') and Elodie Kenealy ('Sayonara') in 2nd. The winner of this super class was Bea Wilson with a Distinction performance of 'Party Dress'

Mia Larbalestier with the Self-Accompanied
and Songs from the Shows Trophies

Kicking off the afternoon session, yet MORE Songs from the Shows, this time from the 12 & Under 15, who sadly were in short supply! A bit of an ill-timed school trip and lots of illness meant we were down to 6 performers instead of 14, but none-the-less, some really great song choices and performances here. The winner of this class was Mia Larbalestier with a Distinction for her performance of 'Good Morning Baltimore' from Hairspray. Continuing on we had two guitar classes, the Electric Guitar Open, and the Guitar; Spanish/Acoustic/Classical Under 14 - I don't know if you could get more diametrically opposite with the same instrument! In the Open, we had Sam Cole demonstrate his fine skills as a guitarist earning himself a Distinction and the amazingly named 'Rock God' award, and the winner of the Classical class was again Mia Labalestier also with Distinction. Props to Mia as well, who is self-taught on the instrument, and has only been learning for a year! 

Next up we had another small class, the Piano Solo; TV, Film, Shows Under 18 fielding two competitors, Sam Cole performing 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and Sicely Mountford performing 'The Toy'. Again, some wonderful playing here, Sam in particularly managed to cover the entirety of the people I think, and managed to get all the amazing soundscapes from the films in his performance, earning himself another Distinction and the trophy. We finished off the afternoon with another small class, the Vocal Self-Accompanied Under 18. Ben did comment on how he's seen a lot of performers over the week that could easily have done this class, and I agree, more of you next time please! We had two performances with piano from Sicely Mountford and Isabelle Lees, and Mia Larbalestier chose to accompany herself on the Ukulele. On this occasion, Mia was victorious with her sincere and well balanced performance of 'Let it Be', earning a Highly Commended. 

The final evening session always seems to have a bit of a character about it, concluding usually with some of the more unusual classes of the festival - more on that in a second, as first I will talk about the special awards, which were peppered throughout the evening, but I will talk about them all together. Here's a list of who won what:

The Janet Bran Cup for the most promising junior singer 

– Genevieve Evans

The Marjorie Guillemette Cup for the most promising junior pianist 

– Archie Purdue

The Freeman Cup and Award for the most promising junior string player 

– George Walker

The E H Bodman Trophy for the most promising junior woodwind or brass player 

– Deanna Mahy

The Marion Blondel Cup for highest marks across certain senior vocal classes

– Joan Le Flem

The June Bourget Trophy for the most outstanding junior or senior choir 

– The Accidentals 

The De La Rue Trophy for the most outstanding junior or senior instrumental ensemble 

– St Sampsons Sound Stage

The Longmire Baton for the most outstanding conductor or director 

– Sarah Tennant

The Peter A Malley Memorial Trophy for anyone who has entered into the spirit of the Eisteddfod 

– Lindsey Veillard

The Miriam R Le Page Prix D’Honneur Trophy for the most memorable performance 

– Zaheer Anees

The Adjudicator’s Cup; awarded for any reason at the Adjudicators discretion 

– Archie Purdue

From my personal viewpoint, all absolutely worthy winners of these awards this year. I'm particularly pleased for Zaheer for winning the most memorable performance with his Vibraphone piece, and right on the first day - definitely made a lasting impression. Someone who I would like to hope was a contended who I'd like to mention is Sam Cole. I think he really showed such fine musicianship this year, across all his instruments, and his stunning Violin Solo in the Open class that earned him a 91 will stick in my mind, that's for sure. 

We kicked off the evening session with two duet classes; the Piano Duet Open, and the Piano Duet Over 18. In the Open, we had Benjamin Childs and Mervyn Grand performing 'Slavonic Dance No. 1' by Dvorak (one of my favourite sets of piano duets). Some excellent playing all around here, with some good pedal work from Benjamin, and some seemingly effortless scalic runs from Mervyn, earning them a Distinction. Myself and my mother performed in the Over 18, playing three movements from a set of duets by Amy Beach; 'The Brownies', 'Twilight', and 'Elfin Tarantelle'. My mother made a comment before we started about how all of her pieces this year had been by female composers, not because she was sexist, but that for 65 years she'd been playing works by men, and it was time to celebrate the women, which was received with a rapturous applause. I whole-heartly agree, and I'll go as far as to say my mum has been a bit of my own personal hero this year for the way she has championed the music of female composers, including me. I encourage and emplore more musicians, directors and conductors to programme music from a wider cross-section of the population; women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, go looking for them, you won't regret it! I was pleased with how we played, although I'll be honest, I think Ben was generous with an 87! Not complaining though, happy to win with a Distinction! Next up we had the Family Class, featuring a really lovely presentation from the Miller Family, consisting of four family members (mum, dad and two children), and a wonderful array of instruments, including vocals, two guitars, one cajon and a flute! This family made a gorgeous folk ensemble, with wonderful multi-instrumental playing and a great feel for the genre. They were awarded a Highly Commended, although I personally thought this deserved a little more, as I thought this was just heart-warming and beautiful to watch. 

And then..... we descended into madness! The Grade One-A-Thon - initially conceived as a one-off class for the Eisteddfod's centennery, but it proved to be so popular it was back this year and I believe is now a permanent fixture. The premise is that competitors are given their instrument choice in January, and have up until the eisteddfod to source their instrument and practice a piece at grade 1 level. Over all, the presentations were actually rather good, with most acheiving the level of playing you would expect to hear from say the Under 9 violin or Under 10 piano. But it was also, absolutely hilarious, as so many of the performers choose to give their performances a little something extra, in the form of sparkly jackets, costumes, and lots and lots of self-depricating humour. Honestly, Owen Cole I think you've missed your calling as a standup comedian! Highlights for me in this class: Owen Cole's 'research', Ian Wood's nod to Liberache, and Lindsey Davis' utterly hysterical performance of 'I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas' on the trombone.... complete with dancing hippo in the background! This is definitely a great addition to the festival classes, and I think represents what the spirit of the festival is about - getting up there and having a go! It was won this year by Mia Labalestier on Clarinet, which proved to be a fourth win for her today, what a way to finish your festival! 

'Hedge Veg' - only in Guernsey

And finally, the Novelty Songs Over 18... I swear, this class leaves each adjudicator leavingthe island thinking we're all mad as a box of frogs - if you missed this class, well, you missed out, because it was a fabulous display of music and comedy blended so wonderfully. Particularly props from me for 'Hillbilly Princess', which was written by performer David Herschel, and performed with suitable country style by himself and Emma Lancaster. Other highlight include:
- a seagul impersonation whilst playing the piano
- cape-ography
- more innuendo than you can shake a stick at
- cycling and playing a djembe at the same time
- a lifesize model of the adjudicator.... yes, really.... 

Hard to pick a winner out of this bunch of nutters, and so Ben decided to award joint first to Darren Alderton for 'To Excess' and Steve Rouxell for 'I am Aldolpho', both being awarded an Outstanding mark of 90. 

A fitting close to a great festival this year, so many wonderful performances to remember, and I hope everyone who took part is proud of their achievements and are already thinking about next year - I know I am! 

Thank you Ben - here's to more music making!

"Nobody Takes the Easy Way Out at this Festival...."

The penultimate day for the music section of the eisteddfod 2023, and somehow, SO much music still to be heard! We started the morning session with a huge class, the Violin Under 11. This was a delight to see, with everyone playing very confidently, it was a real showcase of up and coming young musicians. A great selection of different repertoire on show as well, including Bartok and Portnoff. Ben Costello was suitably impressed with everyone's performance in this show, and awarded a joint 3rd to Lucia Vizia, Rosie Gist and Sophia Omer Tariq with Highly Commended, joint 2nd to Lara Pimlott and Isamara Fernandes with Distinction, and the class winner was Chloe Falla for her performance of 'Flash of Lightening', also receiving a Distinction. Next up, I believe another new class (at least certainly a new trophy), the Pre-School Age Music Making, which is the youngest age bracket for performing at the eisteddfod, for which we had Butterflies Pre-School, and Elizabeth College Pre-School. I'm a firm believer in that it's never too young to start exploring music, so this was a really lovely class to see so many young children participating. Both participants received Highly Commended, with 'Butterflies Pre-School' taking home the trophy.

Continuing the group work, we had two super choir classes, the Choirs; Unison Singing Junior School Age, followed by the Choirs; Folk and Traditional Junior School Age. Some quality ensemble work on show here, with some great song choices including 'Hushabye Mountain', 'Colours of the Wind' and 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' (which I'm sure was lovely for our MT-specialist adjudicator). The winners were ECJS Choir, who performed the aforementioned Mary Poppins classic and 'When You Believe', earning themselves a Distinction. In the folk class, Guernsey Music Centre Primary Choir received a Highly Commended for their performances of 'The Tailor and the Mouse', and 'When I was One'. Rounding off the morning, three instrumental classes, which were the Orchestral Woodwind; Duo/Trio/Quartet Junior School Age, the Chamber Duo/Trio/Quartet Junior School Age, and finally the Orchestral Woodwind Under 12. Again, some good playing and confidence developing here with these youngsters, in particular Rosie Gist & Lara Pimlott's performance of 'Everybody wants to be a Cat', which I thought was very together and a really fun duet. They won their class (Chamber Duo/Trio/Quartet Junior School Age) with a Highly Commended, and the winners of the other classes were Melrose Recorder Group for the Orchestral Woodwind Duo/Trio/Quartet, and Renee Mitchell for the Under 12 woodwind, both also with Highly Commended. Well done to all! 

Starting off our afternoon, we had two piano classes, the Piano Under 14, and Under 16. Great to see lots of entries in this class, and some excellent skills developing with some challenging repertoire, including the likes of Edvard Grieg, Prokofiev and Chopin. I particularly enjoyed Sam Cole's rendition of 'Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet', a really great piece to have in the bag as a pianist, for which he received a Distinction and the trophy for the Under 16 class. The winner of the Under 14 was Lara Pimlott, also with a Distinction for her performance of 'A Distant Star in the Stillness'. Continuing the afternoon, we had the Folk Solo 12 & Under 15, with three competitors; Elise Gregson, Phoebe West, and Luella Gilligan. A nice set of traditional folk songs here, one of my favourites being 'I know where I'm going'. There was some good story-telling emerging, and an understanding of the folk-style, with the winner of the class being Phoebe West, who received a Highly Commended. 

Next up, continuing the vocal performances, we had set of vocal solo classes: the Vocal Solo; Alto and Soprano 12 & Under 15, Vocal Solo; Treble, Tenor & Bass 12 & Under 15, and the Vocal Solo; Treble, Tenor & Bass 15 & Under 18. Some good singing developing in each of these classes, but I do think that each of the singers in these categories would benefit from really sitting down with the texts of their chosen repertoire - I say this to my pop singers all the time, songs have words, and you have to know what you're singing about if you want to give an authentic performance. But it can be really hard to find the right repertoire for where you are, especially if you are going of grade singing guidelines. A really lovely moment that happened during this adjudication was, because we were running early, Ben decided to give these young singers a little masterclass on their song repertoire, which I think will prove invaluable, given that these singers will probably be doing exams shortly. I know I used to put my piano grade pieces into the eisteddfod classes when I was in the Under 18 categories, because getting that extra set of ears to give you some last minute guidance is soooooo helpful! 
- The winners of each class were; Florence Glynn-Riley with Highly Commended for the Alto & Soprano Under 15, Ramsey Ismail for the Treble/Tenor/Bass Under 15, also with Highly Commended, and Archie Purdue for the Treble/Tenor&Bass Under 18 with Distinction. 

Like it's earlier counter-part Piano Under 18 featured some pretty big guns in terms of the repertoire choices, including Lizst, Chopin, and Schubert. Four very accomplished performances here from four very promising pianists; Benjamin Childs, George Walker, Archie Purdue and James Kennedy - I think these four should get together and have a crack at 8-hands at 2 pianos! On this occasion the winner was Archie Purdue for his amazing performance of 'Nocturne in F Minor' by Chopin, for which he received an Outstanding. Finishing off the afternoon, we concluded with the Secondary School Age Music Making featuring St Sampson's Strings, who performed 'Enigam' by Snoek, and 'Bozrah' which was arranged by their conductor Sarah Tennant. They received a Highly Commended. 

Friday night is theatre night here at the eisteddfod, and the audience who turned out for the Friday evening session were treated to, basically a showcase concert of the best of the west end, with firstly, the Songs from the Shows; Duo/Trio/Quartet Open, which was won by Emma Cunningham & Darren Alderton with a Highly Commended mark of 85 for their performance of 'Corner of the Sky' from Stephen Schwartz's show 'Pippin'. We then descended into a great medley of musical theatre classics and moderns, and an extremely high standard of performances all around. Particular highlights for me included Lindsey Veillard's brilliant performance as Elvis with 'Jailhouse Rock', Kyle Gallie's touching performance of 'For Forever' from Dear Evan Hansen, Harriet Billington's dreamy performance of 'The Meadowlark', and Dominique Ogier's absolute belting performance of 'Defying Gravity' to close out the show. I thought Kyle in particular, who I had not heard sing before, showed real promise with his voice, and I hope he continues to develop his voice in the future. A really high standard of class, as seen by the placings, which include four people in 3rd place; Lucy Cave ('Requiem'), Stephen Glencross ('Waving Through a Window'), Dave Wheeler ('Shiksa Goddess') and Darren Alderton & Alison Castle ('Nuns of the Shows'), and two people in equal 2nd; myself ('Screw Loose') and Dominique Ogier ('Defying Gravity'). The winners of the class, with a poignant and beautifully sung rendition of 'Only Us' from Dear Evan Hansen were Caroline Hardwicke & David Wheeler, with an Outstanding mark of 90. 

Winners of the Songs From the Shows Over 18; Dave Wheeler & 
Caroline Hardwicke, with adjudicator Ben Costello

"For context, this is Shakespeare... but Jazz..."

We are very much into the home stretch now for 2023's music eisteddfod, and after a morning off, we were back up and running with the afternoon session, kicking off with two Violin classes; The Violin Under 16, and Under 18. Some lovely playing on display. We started off with two violin classes; the Violin Under 16, and Under 18. A slight change to the programming, as Matilda Cole was actually moved from the in the Under 14 and Under 16 classes, to being in the Under 16 and the Under 18 classes, and her brother Sam actually competed in the Open earlier in the week rather than the Under 18. Some great playing on display here, although noticeably again, two much smaller classes than I would have expected. Matilda was on fine form today, as she won both of the classes, performing 'Allegro from Sonata in E Minor' by Veracini for the Under 16, and 'Schindler's List' by John Williams for the Under 18, earning herself Distinction for both. 

Carrying on the afternoon we had run of piano classes, starting with 3 piano Jazz classes; Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18. Some fun pieces here on display, and as always with Jazz, some brilliantly titled pieces, such as 'Mr Trumpet Man' and 'Pink Minor' - I think it's a pre-requisite of Jazz composition, that the title needs to be a weird as possible! Some excellent playing all round, with clear understanding of the jazz idiom and the feel, with the winners being Mia Larbalestier for the Under 14 with Highly Commended, Harry Childs with Distinction for the Under 16, and Archie Purdue with Distinction for the  Under 18. Carrying on the theme of pianos, we were then treated to a wonderful piano duet from brother Benjamin and Harry Childs, performing 'Popular Song' by William Walton for the Piano Duet Under 18 class. Duet playing on piano is really fun (I've yet to do my duet with my mum later this week), and it can be a challenge in a family dynamic, but these boys seem to have a good grasp on playing as an ensemble on the one instrument. They were awarded a Highly Commended for their efforts. Next up we had two woodwind classes; the Orchestral Woodwind Under 14, and Under 16. What I was really impressed by was the really great bassoon playing in general. I think bassoon is one of those instruments that gets forgotten about, it's a bit like the Viola of the woodwind family! But it has such a unique tonal colour to it, and when it's played well it really does sing in such a unique way. The winners of the classes were in fact two bassoonists, Freddie Furley for the Under 14 with Distinction, and Elizabeth Collenette for the Under 16, also with Distinction.

Finishing off the afternoon session, we were treated to a really lovely and soulful class, the Vocal Jazz, Blues & Swing Under 18 (one of my favourites!) As with the pianists earlier in the afternoon, a great selection of the jazz repertoire on display, and some good understanding of the style of techniques required for jazz vocals. Ben Costello did make a note in a small rant about making sure to credit the composer of the piece, and not the singer - for example, 'Autumn Leaves' is in fact written by Joseph Kosma, not Eva Cassidy as stated in the programme. As a composer myself, I whole-heartedly agree with this statement! I definitely want to be credited for my work. I would go further with this discussion though, as I think the particular arrangement that is being used is also important. So in the case of this 'Autumn Leaves', is was in fact the Eva Cassidy arrangement being used, so it's right to credit her as well. A simple fix for this (for anyone not sure what to do), is to use the surnames and write: Kosma arr. Cassidy (which means written by Joseph Kosma, but arranged by Eva Cassidy). That way everything is covered. It can get complicated when songs have lots of different writers (some have 4 or more!), so your best bet on your entry form is to write them all down in the order they appear on the sheet music, and then if space in the programme won't allow they'll leave it at just the first name, who is the main writer with the most credit. Anyway, I digress, back to the singing! Some wonderful work on display here, with my personal highlights being the lovely work on display from Freya Tardiff again, I really think here vocals have come on in leaps and bounds, and the surprising and gorgeous vocal tone from Rebecca Philp, it was a wonderful surprise, please keep singing Jazz Rebecca! Isabelle Lees also created a wonderful 'Jazz-Club' feel with accompaniment from double bass and finger clicks. All the top three in this class received a Distinction, with Sicely Mountford in 3rd for 'What a Wonderful World', Rebecca Philip in 2nd for 'Why Don't you Do Right?', and the winner was Isabelle Lees for her performance of Fever. 

Starting off the Evening session, a couple of piano classes, starting with the Piano Sonata Over 18, with sole participant Marilyn Pugh, performing 'Sonata in G Minor; 2nd & 3rd Movements' by Clara Schumann, and yet again flying the flag for the female composer. Two well presented movements here, of a Sonata that definitely needs to be played and heard more, which earned her a Highly Commended mark of 86 and the Father Phillips Trophy. Continuing on, the Piano Solo Over 18, which by pure chance featured two competitors new to performing at the Eisteddfod, Deborah Lawson, and David Hutchins. Two very contrasting song choices here as well, with 'Mazurka in A minor' by Chopin (performed by Deborah), and 'Thrice in America (Medley)' by Ennio Morricone and arranged by David himself. On this occassion, David won the class earning a Highly Commended mark of 85, congratulations! Continuing the evening, two instrumental classes, starting with the Viola Open. Once again, tremendous variety between the two performers here; an epic movement from Hoffmeister's Viola concerto in D Major, and a short and sweet stylistic folk piece 'Broceliande' by Sasiedzi. In particular, George Walker's playing was, at times mesmerising in his command of the instrument, and very well supported from excellent piano accompaniment. George won with an Outstanding mark of 90. Following the violas, the Orchestral Woodwind Open featuring Madeleine Vaudin, performing an epic flute piece, 'Carmen Fantasie Brillante, by Borne. One thing the Open classes do tend to bring out is huge repertoire, and it's wonderful to see and hear. Madeleine received a Highly Commended mark of 86 and the RH Le Prevost Trophy. 

After the interval, we started off the 2nd half of what would be a great 'mix-tape' of vocal performances, with the Barbershop Quartet Open, featuring the bizarrely named Hapax Legomenon.... apparently it translates as 'to say once', and according to the boys they said they literally formed for this performance... and one of them depped in today! Some good understanding from this young group of the Barbershop style, although I think some more attention to detail regarding part balance would be good for them to explore, but this will come as their voices develop. From the arrangement side, it's lovely to see that Archie Purdue did this himself for the group, and shows some promising in writing for the style - I do encourage him to look into the genre more though, moving forward, to really get into the nuances of the vocal barbershop arrangements. A fine performance, for which they won the class with a Distinction mark of 87. 

We then continued the evening by running four classes back to back, which gave the audience a really great variety show - first up, the Voice & Instrument Open, with Lindsey Veillard (voice) and Simon Howitt (guitar) performing 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. I thought this had a lovely feel to it, and their choice of feel and tempo gave it a bit more of a light and heart-warming vibe than the typical slow smushy ballad. They won the class with a Highly Commended mark of 86. Next up, a bit a belter to say the least, the Pop Song Duo/Trio/Quartet Over 18 featuring myself and Dominique Ogier performing the epic rock ballad 'Dream On' by Aerosmith - you may remember the duet version from Glee.... but, if I do say so myself, this is much more epic, complete with big hair, leopard-print and vintage cage mics. Dom and I have been working this number for a while, but have been unable to perform it due to the pandemic, so it was great to finally be able to get up there and belt this out. I'm delighted to say we won the class with an Outstanding Mark of 90.

Slightly later in the schedule, as Emma Lancaster kindly agreed to switch so that Dom and I could have a little break before the Jazz class, we next had the Country & Western Over 18, for which Emma sang 'Heartbreak Town' by The Chicks. Emma has a lovely feel for the country style, and brings her usual folk sound to it, which makes for a lovely warm and gentle style for the country genre that I think really suits her. She was awarded a Distinction mark of 87, and the Martyn Guille Senior Trophy. Closing out the evening, the Vocal Jazz, Blues, Swing Over 18 - probably my favourite class to participate in. Three completely different styles of Jazz on display here, with Lindsey Veillard performing a rock'n'roll style rendition of Blueberry Hill, Dominique Ogier performing a huge soul/blues version of 'I Never Loved a Man', and myself with a self-penned sultry slow-swing number 'Sigh No More' (which I did announce before performing, that it's a Shakespeare text that I have set as a jazz ballad). Lindsey was awarded 3rd with a Highly Commended mark of 86, Dominique was awarded 2nd place and an Outstanding mark of 90, and I'm delighted that I won the class with an Outstanding mark of 91! Ben Costello mentioned that he very rarely awards Outstanding to both 2nd and 1st place, so a wonderful rarity to be part of! What a cracking way to end the evening 

L-R: Simon Howitt & Lindsey Veillard (Voice & Instrument), Emma Lancaster + Dave her accompanist
(Country & Western) Dominique Ogier & Lydia Sullivan-Pugh (Pop Song Duet / Jazz Vocals), and
Marilyn Pugh (Piano Sonata)

"Wear it on the Sleeve..."

Wednesday's sessions, and we are getting into the home straight of the Music Section of the Eisteddfod 2023. We started the day with the Unison Singing; Infant Choirs class, and another wonderful display of group singing from our youngsters. Some more complicated organisation going on, making sure each choir gets to hear each other, which is hugely important for developing musicians, not only to know what they are doing, but to experience what their peers are working on. Some really soul-warming songs on show here too, with the likes of 'Teddy Bear Rock n Roll' and 'Give a Little Smile', a definite happy start to the day! On this occasion, Blanchelande College Infant Choir were the winners with Distinction. After the choir madness, we calmed down a bit with two cello classes; the Cello Under 9, and Under 11. I was surprised to see these classes so under-represented, as I've always known them to be very popular classes, much like the young Violin classes. Nonetheless, some fine cello playing on display and some lovely song choices. The winner of the Under 9 was Dexter Barnes with a Highly Commended performance of 'Whirlpool Waltz', and the winner of the Under 11 was Solomon Bearder with a Distinction performance of 'Concerto' by Vivaldi. 

Following the cellos, we had a string (haha!) of vocal class, starting with the Vocal Solo Under 8, and two lovely performances by Edie Bromley and Genevieve Jager. I get asked a lot as a vocal coach about whether young singers need a teacher or guidance at that age, and my response is always, "would you expect a potential athlete to just learn their sport by themselves?" - of course having a teacher is beneficial! But crucially, finding the right teacher is important, not just from a personality point of view, but expertise with the type of singer. It's good to see that these young singers are getting a good start with their singing. The winner was Edie Bromley for her performance of 'The Crocodile', receiving a Highly Commended. We continued with the Vocal Solo Boys Under 10, with only two competitors, and the Vocal Solo Girls Under 10... with MANY more competitors. I personally don't see the need to separate out voices at this age, from a development point of view, it's highly unlikely that any voices would be transitioning at this age, but perhaps it's purely a numbers thing, that girls are more likely to want to get up and sing at this age than boys. I would be lovely to see a bigger gender balance overall! In the Boys Under 10, Both Jake and Nathaniel received a Highly Commended for their lovely songs, but on this occasion the winner was Nathaniel for his performance of 'Coconut Man' (a great song, by the way!). In the Vocal Solo Girls Under 10, there was some really excellent vocals on display, exploring some lovely repertoire for this style of singing. I particularly liked 'Butterfly' and 'Earth, Sea and Sky' by Lin Marsh, who is an excellent composer of songs for this age bracket and voice type. The wiinner of this class was Isamara Fenandes with Distinction, who incidentally, I realise was the lovely young soloists from the Les Encores Starts Up Singers who we heard at Les Cappelles on Sunday. A really lovely tone developing on this young singer. Finishing off the morning, we had another vocal solo class, the Vocal Solo Girls 10 & Under 12. Again, we were treated to another good set of singers, and yet more lovely repertoire choices. It is interesting to see how many of these songs for this age are about animals though... 'The Dormouse House', 'Seagull', 'The Owls...'  The winner of this class was Ruby Coyde with a Distinction performance of yet another Lin Marsh classic, 'Hallowe'en Witches'.

Kicking off the afternoon session we had the Cello Under 18, with, I must say, some really stellar playing on show, and some incredibly challenging repertoire. I will say though, a lot of OLD repertoire, I'd love to see these players tackle some modern works and really explore the diversity you can get out of the cello! A closely contested class this between Archie Purdue and Benjamin Childs in particular, but on this occasion Archie Purdue was victorious with a Distinction for his performance of 'Sonata for Cello & Piano' by Debussy. Next up, a set of vocal classes, the Vocal Duet Under 15, Duet 15 & Under 18, and Trio or Quartet Under 18. Again, given how many fine young singers I've seen this year, it's a shame these classes weren't better represented - I'd love to see lots more entries in these classes and students learning to sing together with each other. Nonetheless, some lovely work on display, with all the performers receiving Highly Commended for their efforts, and the class winners being Florence and Beatrice Glynn-Riley for the Under 15 duet, Maddie Vaudin and Naomi Kewell for the Under 18 duet, and Julia Madden, Lauren Varley and Evie Petterson for the Under 18 Trio/Quartet, performing 'A Clare Benediction' by John Rutter.

Jumping about a bit here, just so I can talk like for like, next I'll talk about the Choirs; Secondary School Age, featuring Cantabile and Ladies College Senior Motet. Some more very good singing here, but on the day, Cantabile had (for me) the better ensemble performance, and were awarded the class win and a Distinction for their performaces of 'A La Cart' and 'Autumn Leaves'. Next up we had two chamber music classes (consecutive in my blog, not on the day!), the Chamber Music; Duo/Trio/Quartet Secondary School Age, and the Chamber Music; Teacher & Pupil. These were two really lovely classes, which again, I feel could have many more participants in them given how much talent we have lurking about. The Teacher with Pupil class is particularly is a lovely class to get students to perform alongside their teacher as a peer, rather than as the higher status (or with the teacher as 'accompanist', which is most typically the case). Highly Commended all around here, with Ellie Garlands and Nicole Wyatt taking the trophy. In the Chamber Secondary School Age, the winners were Vivace! Featuring Benjamin Childs, performing a stellar rendition of 'Piano Quartet in G Minor ' by Mozart, for which they quite rightly received an Outstanding.
- And finally for the afternoon, two solo performance classes, which, again, I'd love to see more participants in, first of which was the Versatility Under 18, which requires the competitors to perform on two instruments separately (not like the self-accompanied... although there's no rule about accompanying yourself if you're singing!). Sam Cole was the sole participant, performing on Violin and Piano (which is only two of his instruments by the way, as he is also an excellent guitarist), and won the class with a well-deserved Distinction. And finally, we had the Double Bass Under 18, for which Alexandra Dorey was the winner with a Highly Commended performance for her 'Meditation from Thais' by Massenet. 

Opening the evenings session we had the Musical Scene Over 18, for which competitor's perform for a maximum of 20minutes. This can be a scene taken out of a musical, or as is often quite common a medley performance of show 'highlights', which is what Music Theatre Guernsey chose to do with their performance of 'Godspell'. Not as well-known a musical as some of Stephen Schwartz's other works, but it has some really wonderful music in it (I was in the band for a production many years ago), and I thought they did very well with their chosen songs for their scene, which they performed more in a concert-style setting, rather than a full-staged choreographed number. Some good ensemble work and promising solo performances, earning themselves a Distinction mark of 88 and the Ivygate Trophy. 

Next up, the Self-Accompanied Over 18, for which I was participating in. Self-accompanying is it's own secret beast of a skill-set, as you not only have to be competent on your voice and chosen accompanying instrument, you have to create a balance and cohesive ensemble.... and continue to perform with emotion and authenticity and not be distracted by what you're playing! It seems like you're doing two things at once, but really, you're doing much, much more. Four competitors in this class, with two on guitar and two on piano, and with everyone managing that careful requirement of balance from the instrument - not an easy thing to do with our old friend 'The Beast' (aka, the piano), but Emma Lancaster and Darren Alderton managed this with ease. A good variety of songs in this class two, with everything from more traditional folk, through Disney, Paul McCartney and 80s synth-pop stripped back to acoustic ballad, it was a class of versatility and variety for sure. I'm delighted to say that I won this class with an Outstanding mark of 90 for my performance of 'Only You' by Yazoo. 

Continuing on, we had another two solo performance classes, the Piano Jazz Over 18, and the Cello Open, featuring two very accomplished performers in their own rights. In the Piano Jazz we were treated to John Morris' pianistic fireworks with his rendition of 'Tea for Two', and for which he was awarded the trophy and a Distinction. In the Cello Open, Archie Purdue won with a Distinction mark of 88, although I and I think a lot of the audience felt this was an actually an Outstanding performance, as the maturity Archie showed in his playing was truly wonderful. Next up, the Choirs; Madrigal Over 18 featuring MTG's Vocally Unlocked. Two diverse song choices in this genre; a more traditional madrigal of 'The Month of Maying', and a fun madrigal style setting of the 90s hit 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls (I do love it when songs get a genre overhaul!). They were awarded Distinction mark of 88 for their performances. Finishing off the evening, one of the highlight classes of the Adult section in my opinion Pop Song Over 18, which is always a really great class full of diversity and challenging repertoire, with songs ranging from Hozier, Katie Melua, Elton John and Adele. Personal highlights for me included Jo Marsh's stunning rendition of 'Goodbye Yellowbrick Road' (originally Elton John, but this was a more ballad style arrangement), and Alison Castle's rememberable and poignant a cappella performance of 'Some Say I've Got Devil' by Melanie Safka, for which she gave a heartfelt spoken introduction to. A hotly contested class, with equal 3rd and equal 2nd all receiving a Distinction, but the winner was Stephen Glencross with his effortless and stylish performance of 'Walking in Memphis' (which is STILL in my head as I'm writing this), for which he received a Distinction mark of 89. A cracking way to close out the night's festivities, thank you all! 

Stephen Glencross, winner of the O18 Pop Song (and with the trophy
that everyone is secretly happy 'not' to win, because no one knows where
they would put it!)

A little bit of Epic Tuesday...

Another big day at the Eisteddfod today, as we kick off the morning session with a choir class, the Choirs; Junior Part Singing. Always a wonderful class to see so many young singers on stage, singing together. It's no mean feat conducting a choir, and conducting young singers on mass poses huge challenges, which all the conductors managed excellently, keeping their groups focused and engaged with the music. Some choice musically offerings today as well, my particular favourites from each choir being:
- Guernsey Music Centre Junior Choir's joyful performance of 'The Animals went in Two by Two'
- ECJS Choirs wonderful rendition of 'If I Only Had a Brain' from the Wizard of Oz
- Blanchelande College Junior Choir's lovely performance of 'I am the Earth' 
Some excellent group singing on display from all of these groups, with each group receiving a Distinction for their efforts, but on this occasion, the class winners were ECJS Choir. Well done to all! 

A slightly calmer set of classes following, with the Viola Under 9, and Under 11 classes. Every year I say this, but I really do like the Viola! It tends to be the forgotten about member of the string family, with the 'show off' violin, and the 'romantically resonant' cello and the 'jazzy big brother' double bass around, but the viola has such a unique tone I feel - it's woody, and warm, and creates such a unique sonorous sound, I love to see so many youngsters learning it. And not only learning it, but playing it so well, as was evident by the high scores in these two classes, with Lucia Ozanne winning the Under 9 with a Distinction performance of 'Rhythm Fever', and Sebastian Smillie winning the Under 11 with a Distinction performance of 'Viola Time'. Keep up the good work everyone! Closing out the morning, we had the Piano Jazz Under 12, again showcasing some fine playing and understanding of the Jazz idiom. I always say the art of Jazz (and associated genres like funk and soul) is that it has to be so meticulously accurate, but sound completely off-the-cuff, and these piano students are making great steps to achieving this. I came to Jazz quite late in my learning (not until I was about 14/15), and I fell in love with it, so I'm pleased to see so many younger than I was pianists exploring this genre now. Again, some really excellent playing with a lot of Distinctions awarded, and the winner being Lara Pimlott performing 'Worrisome Blues'.

Back to business in the afternoon and we kicked off with the Violin Under 14, and again great to see a good spread of students performing a diverse set of repertoire, including 'Humoresque' by Dvorak (a personal favourite of mine from my cello playing days), and the Theme from Schindler's List (a must-have in every violinists repertoire if you ask me). I do feel like this is a tough age bracket for learners, for various reasons: you're figuring out who you are as a person and what you actually like to play, you're probably going through a growth-spurt and that can massively effect your playing and physicality, not to mention, hormone central! But I think these players are doing very well to tackle the obstacles and explore their musicality through their instruments. The winner of the class was Renee Mitchell with a Highly Commended.

Continuing the afternoon, a set of short choir classes, starting with the Choirs Male Voice Under 18 featuring the Elizabeth College Close Harmony Group. I feel like there's some wonderful Barbershop aesthetic being achieved by this group, particularly in the upper voice work exploring the more legit style of vocals, and I hope this group continues to explore and refine this work, as there's promising stuff going on! I particularly enjoyed their rendition of 'The Bare Necessities'! They won the class with a Highly Commended. Next up, the Choirs Secondary School Age Madrigal and Part Singing, featuring the Guernsey Music Centre Girls Choir. Some intricate work here with their song choices, expertly lead by Rachel Wright (as I've come to expect), earning themselves a Distinction for their performances of 'Il Est Bel et Bon' and 'Here in my Heart'. Finally in this little choirs section, we had the Choirs Secondary School Age featuring Ladies College Senior Motet. Again, yet more excellent work on display from this group exploring the motet style of ensemble work, with some good harmonic work and balance of parts. They performed 'A Flower Remembered' by John Rutter, and 'Fly me to the Moon' arranged by Kirby Shaw (not an easy version, I've done it several times myself!), earning a Distinction and the trophy. 

Next up, the Orchestral Woodwind; Duo/Trio/Quartet Under 14, featuring Catherine Paul & Clementine Glynn-Riley, performing a delightfully titled 'Brunch with Beethoven'. Some good playing on display here with excellent ensemble work from these two performers, who won the class with a Distinction. Finishing off the evening, the Pop Song 12 and Under 15. Like the Violin class I mentioned earlier, I do think this is the hardest age-bracket for performers, and for vocalists not only are you going through everything else I previously mentioned, your voice is probably going through transition too! Every voice goes through adolescent vocal change, and for some it can be seamless, but for others if can be a real challenge (as it was for me!). Knowing all that, it can be hard for this age bracket to find repertoire that is safe for the changing voice, age-appropriate for the young adolescent, but still engages the singer emotionally and creatively! Generally, I think there's some good choices going on here, but I do think some of these singers need a bit more guidance at this delicate stage. That said, this was a really strong class, with some good development on display. Ben made general comments to all the singers about making sure songs are in the right key (I always say, 'put it in the key of you'), and to make sure that all the words are clear so the meaning of the songs are fully conveyed. The Top three placements of this class all received Distinctions; in equal 3rd were Mia Labalestier and Sicely Mountford, in 2nd was Matilda Cole, and in 1st place with a beautiful and personal arrangement of 'Brave' by Sara Bareilles was Beth Phillippe. Congratulations everyone on a really super class! 

L-R: Mia Labalestier, Lydia Sullivan-Pugh (aka, me!), Beth Phillippe and Sicely Mountford
Pop Song 12 and Under 15

One of the reasons this day is called 'Epic Tuesday' is due to the fact that tonight is orchestra night, featuring a huge array of ensembles and players, and just by reading the programme, some really epic repertoire choices, particularly from the film score genre. Some personal highlights of mine included 'Pirates of the Caribbean' (can't go wrong with a big of Hans Zimmer), 'Superstition', and 'Game of Thrones'. I also say hats off to the Grammar School & 6th Form Centre for taking on a programme of 'Jupiter' by Holst, 'Apollo 13' by James Horner and 'Highlights from Rocketman' - a truly bold choice of repertoire there! The evening session kicked off Orchestra, Band or Ensemble; Secondary School Age (12 or more players), featuring some truly excellent playing all round. This was reflected in the marks, as each group received Distinction. A tough one to call I felt, but the winners on this occasion were St Sampsons High Orchestra performing 'Mission Impossible', 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Soul Bossa Nova'. Continuing on, two smaller classes with the Brass Ensemble Under 18 won by the Guernsey Music Centre Brass Band with a Distinction, and the Orchestra, Band, Ensemble; Secondary School Age (3-11 players) won by Elizabeth College Junior Strings with a Highly Commended, before we returned with the big classes and big ensembles. The Orchestra, Band or Ensemble; Open (3-11 players) again featured some really top-class playing from all the ensembles, particularly from St Sampsons Stage Sound. I've seen really great things from this ensemble over the years, and they won the class with an Outstanding mark of 90. Huge congratulations!
- The last class of the night, the Orchestra, Band or Ensemble; Open (12 or more players), featuring some wonderful choice of ensemble names, with the likes of 'The Orchestra People' and 'Brass Oddity' (although gutted not to see my favourite pun name of the festival so far, 'Tutti Flutti' perform). Some more great ensemble playing here, my personal highlight of the class being 'The Muppet Show Theme' from The Orchestra People, who won the class with a Distinction Mark of 87. Well done to everyone who performed, and especially to everyone who organised this huge night of music - it is no mean feat to wrangle this many orchestras in one venue! 

A really great day of music making all around as we reach the halfway point of the festival. 

Monday, Monday.....

After a jam-packed weekend, and a morning off, we started up the 2nd week of the Eisteddfod with the afternoon session, and two Quick Study classes: Instrumental Under 18, and Piano Under 18. For those who don't know, the quick study is similar to sight-reading, but the competitors have had 48hrs to look at their pieces, whereas with sight-reading you only get 30 seconds! I did find myself pretty much sight-reading the piano accompaniment for double bassist Alex Dorey though, thankfully it was not too scary! Some good preparation work on display here for these musicians, who managed to perform their pieces with lots of fine detail and carefully considered performance markings. The winner of the Instrumental class was Zaheer Anees on snare drum, and the winner of the piano class was Sicely Mountford with a Highly Commended. 

Next up, a well represented class, the Pop Song 15 & Under 18. Some great repertoire on display here, with pieces from across the decades, and indeed across styles within the pop genres, with songs from the likes of Elton John, Roxette, Mariah Carey and Harry Styles. Again, as with the younger singers, I'm hearing a lot of the forced expulsion of air coming at the end of phrases, and sometimes, not even then, just whenever there is a rest. It's got me wondering if there's a particular artist that does it that everyone is copying, or even if COVID has had something to do with it?..... But as a general note, if you're wondering if you might be forcing breath too much when you sing, here's a few things to look out for: 
    1) Do you have a fast almost 'bleat' like vibrato? This is almost always a sign of far too much             breath and pressure 
    2) Do you hear and feel a lot of air escaping in your sound, either through an overly breathy tone,         or a huge release of breath pressure at the end of phrases?
    3) Do you feel like you constantly need to be taking in more air to sing? Usually a sign that you're     breathing in way too much and creating way too much tension - we only ever really want to have         80% lung capacity maximum when we sing. Think less about taking a BIG breath, and which             about taking a DEEP or LOW breath instead
Some promising work in this class though! Particular highlights for me included Amy McColl's wonderfully warm vocal tone, Harry Northmore's bombastic rendition of 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting', and Clemmie Reid's powerful approach to Beyonce's 'Listen'. I also think Clemmie shows some great potential for the pop style in general (I've heard her sing a few times now), but I'd like to encourage her to explore more of her own voice - I could hear a lot of Beyonce in her performance, but Beyonce already exists, I want to hear more of what Clemmie can do! Some high marks in this class, with Emily Northmore in 3rd and Isabelle Lees in 2nd with Distinctions, and the winner being Amelia Garn with an Outstanding for her performance of 'Feeling Good', which Ben Costello stated as being 'truly worn on the sleeve'. Well done everyone, a cracking class! 

Winner of the Under 18 Pop Song Class, Amelia Garn

After a very brief interval to catch up time, we continued the afternoon with the Folk Song 15 & Under 18, which featured some lovely traditional pieces from the folk genre, and some good story-telling displayed within the performances, with the winner was Genevieve Evans, with a Distinction Performance of 'The Brisk Young Widow'. Following the singers, we had two cello classes, the Cello Under 14, and Under 16. Some challenging work being explored here by our young cellists, and all handled extremely well. I particularly enjoyed hearing the Bach Bourrees 1 & 2 from Suite No. 3 in C Major. I have fond memories of playing these myself when I was learning Cello, and I think they are not as well known as they should be when it comes to Bach's Cello Suites, so definitely look them up! Ben spoke to each of the performers about having promising dynamic palettes, and gave sound advice on using recordings of yourself to work on your tuning, which is good advice for all! Many people hate hearing themselves on recording, but the truth is, yes, that's what you sound like, accept it and use the recording as a tool to help yourself improve! The winners of each class were Imala Bearder in the Under 14 with Distinction, and Molly Robinson in the Under 16 with Distinction. Closing out the afternoon we had the Chamber Ensembles Secondary School Age featuring three different groups. A really diverse selection of music again, which is always a joy to hear - where else might you hear the Holst 'Brook Green Suite' programmed alongside the Dr Who Theme Tune?! Some promising ensemble work all around here, with the class winners being Quintissimo with a Distinction for their performance of 'Company' by Philip Glass. 

The Monday evening session, always a seemingly calm affair, perhaps because it always starts with a lot of listening but no one actually playing, as we had three Composition Classes; Under 18 (school entry), Under 18, and Over 18. Out adjudicator talked about how composition classes are somewhat of a rarity for festivals in general, so it was lovely to have three of them here in Guernsey, but also to have so many entries for each class. Ben talked about what he was generally looking for for compositions, including idiomatic writing, and understanding for feel, tempo and intelligent scoring, as well as melodic invention and originality. He also highlighted the importance of a clean and clear score presentation. The format of the composition classes does shift a bit from year to year depending on how the adjudicators want to handle it, but I did really enjoy the way it was handled this year, with the recordings of each entry being played at the beginning of each class (with the lights dimmed for a full concert experience I might add!), before Ben talked about each piece. I think this gave the audience a really good understanding of what Ben was talking about and listening for, as well as giving them a chance to hear brand new music! In the Under 18 school entry class, some promising work on display from three students, with each showing an understand of the chosen instrumentation and exploring thematic writing effectively. I particularly enjoyed the class winner Amelia Winsall's 'Underground', which had a great rock groove and drive about it, and for which she received a Distinction. In the Under 18 class, some more great writing on display here, in particular from Archie Purdue, who's film score titled 'Hansel and Gretel' really displayed his understanding of melodic themes and a wide variety of instruments (and included a great key change at the end of his piece!). Quite rightly he was awarded an Outstanding for his piece, Bravo!
- The Over 18s class soon followed, and I will say, I was disappointed that more of the young composers didn't stick around to hear the Over 18 works, as I really think they would have learned a lot from hearing mine and fellow composer Steve Richer's works, and the comments that Ben had to say. That said, some wonderful feedback for myself for my three entries, and the class win awarded to Steve Richer for his choral work 'Remember', a beautiful setting of the poem by Christina Rosetti, for which he received and Outstanding mark of 90. 

The next set of classes featured the Instrumental, Vocal, Ensemble Beginners Over 18 (which I believe is a new class for 2023? Correct me if I'm wrong), which encourages adult beginners to participate. Are really great idea for a class.When we think of 'beginners' we immediately default to young, but the truth is music is for everyone, and anyone can pick up and instrument at any age! Well done to everyone who took part in this class, and congratulations to the winners Yana Belogiannis & Debbie Anderson for their Saxophone duet, for which they received a Highly Commended mark of with 85. Continuing the instrumental theme, we had the Instrumental Bach Solo, which interestingly is the only class that features 'Over 16' as it's age bracket. Only one contended together, John Morris, who I do think sits really well with the Bach style of piano work. John's flair for quick runs, articulations and sharp shifts in dynamics are so prevalent in Bach's work, so it's somewhat of a match made in heaven. Some fine skills on display from John today, with his performances of Partita No. 1: Sarabande, Minuet I, Minuet II, Minuet III and Gigue, for which he received a Highly Commended mark of 86.  

Next up we had the Lieder Over 18; Voice & Piano. A little bit of a dying art form this class unfortunately, which specifically explores the voice and piano repertoire, and crucially in German! For this, both the vocalist and the pianist are being judged, and the ensemble work is incredibly important. Jane Martine (v) and Felicity Millard (p) won this class with a Distinction mark of 87 for their performance of 'Verborgenheit/Secrecy' - well done ladies! Finishing off the evening, the Folk Solo Over 18, another class which, I remember a few years ago was very well represented, singing well over 10-15 performers taking part. This was during the height of the local 'Sark Folk Festival' though, so maybe the presence of that festival had something to do with inspiring others to give folk singing a try. I would love to see this class with more performers in future years. Some wonderful performances here, in particular class winner Lindsey Veillard for her performance of 'Danny Boy'. I always find Lindsey has a natural ability to tell a story with her singing, no matter what genre she is in, and quite rightly she was awarded a Distinction mark of 87 and the trophy. 

All in all, a more slower paced day, but a lovely day of great music making all around at the Music Eisteddfod 

"Joyful, Joyful!"

The Sunday of the Music Eisteddfod is always a special day - we move venue from Beau Sejour, and, from previous years we have been at St James, but this year we moved to Les Cappelles, which as a venue I think has some wonderful pros, but a few cons to (more on that later)

Opening the session we had the Church Organ Under 18, and Open classes. Much like using the piano for the pianists, the Organists are at the mercy of whatever organ is available at the venue. Luckily, all these players seem to have a good grasp on their instrument, and clearly know their way around! The winner of Under 18 was George Walker, which his performance of 'Joie Et Clarte Corps Glorieux' by Oliver Messiaen, receiving a Distinction, and for the Open we had Joint winners with Distinctions both for George Walker and Archie Purdue, both playing two challenging pieces by JS Bach. Continuing the afternoon classes we had the Sunday School Choirs class, featuring Les Encores Start Up Singers, which was beautifully introduced by a young singer who also stated that unfortunately she was 'too old now to sing with the group' - this was a delightful little moment, and lovely to see that this singer clearly still supported the group that she was once part of. This group had a lovely unified vocal sound, and some promising solo work coming from one of their older singers (I didn't get her name unfortunately). My only wish for this group was that I would have liked the conductor to just hold off starting the next piece until the applause had died down, because they sang so well and earned their applause, I would have been nice for them to enjoy it! Some promising work from this small group, who earned themselves a Distinction and the trophy. 

Continuing the choir theme, we had three very well contested classes: The Choirs Sacred; Junior School Age, the Choirs Sacred; Secondary School Age, and the Choirs Gospel & Spiritual Under 18. These classes were were we saw some of the issues with Les Cappelles as a venue - trying to fit ALL the singers in the venue, as well as their audience members (and struggles with the carpark layout) made this quite a challenge for the organisers. However, I personally think this venue has so much potential given it's more than adequate 'backstage', and these issues are going to be happening wherever this days events are. Perhaps the day needs to start earlier to allow for adequate changeover time, and/or perhaps the choir classes can be dispersed further with smaller classes (like vocal and organ solos). Regardless, the huge pros of this space are the wonderful acoustics, which is such a valuable experience for young singers in particular to experience (not to mention a confidence boost), and from an audience perspective, the venue is warm and comfortable, which makes for an overall much more pleasant experience. Anyway, I digress...
- The choir classes featured some truly stellar singing, and a wide range of wonderful sacred repertoire. In the Junior School class, I thought both groups once again gave some lovely unified singing work, but I was particularly impressed with class winners ECJS singers for their ability to follow their conductor, who was also their accompanist - no mean feat for young singers! They won their class with a Distinction. In the Secondary School Class, some impressive repertoire for the choirs, including 'Ubi Caritas' by Ola Gjeilo, and 'Ave Verum Corpus' by William Byrd - this class was won by Cantabile with Distinction. And finally, in the Gospel and Spiritual Under 18 class we again had a wonderful variety of this genre of music. I thought Class winners Guernsey Music Centre Youth Choir gave a wonderful performance of Bob Chilcott's 'All my Trials', creating a gorgeous sonorous sound. I'd like to see everyone in this class let loose a little more though, and really get into the vocal aesthetics of gospel singing. That said, some promising choral work on display this afternoon, well done everyone.

Finishing off the afternoon we had the Sacred Solo Under 18, which featured such a wonderful variety of vocal styles within the sacred category. Every year, this does spark some debate as to whether classical and contemporary should be split, but I feel this is a wonderful unique class for the very reason of diversity - the only stipulation for the class is 'sacred', which doesn't even specify a religion, it just needs to be sacred, regardless of genre. What an amazing way to experience different styles, cultures and experiences, don't you think? Important for performers and audience alike in my book. The vocal technique on display from all the performers was first rate, with each individual voice showcasing clear diction, wonderful vocal tone, and engagement with their choses style and text. I actually personally couldn't pick who I thought would win this class. On this occasion, Ben Costello chose Genevieve Evans as the winner, awarding her a Distinction for her sophisticated performance of 'A Christmas Carol' by Arnold Bax. Congratulations Genevieve, and well done to all the singers in this class, a lovely way to close out the afternoon. 

The evening session opened with a fair amount of gusto, as we were treated to the Choirs Gospel Over 18, featuring States of Harmony, and The Accidentals. Both choirs tackled this repertoire with suitable energy and aplomb. States of Harmony (this time in an SSA format rather than the TTB format we saw from the Barbershop class) gave a convincing performance of their two spirituals, with very tight harmony and ensemble work. Like the juniors though, I would love to see this choir explore a different vocal sound for this genre, and perhaps let loose even more! The Accidentals followed with two, for want of a better term, absolute belters within the gospel repertoire, 'Joyful Joyful', and 'Total Praise'. The latter piece, if you don't know it, is a truly wonderful work by Richard Smallwood, which really gives the choir a chance to explore the very widest dynamics, and all possible vocal colours. Suitably impressed by this choirs performance, Ben awarded them an Outstanding mark of 90, stating that the last part of 'Total Praise' in particular "took his breath away". 

Continuing the evening, we had the Groups, Sacred Song Over 18, followed by the Sacred Solo Over 18. Again, like the juniors, these two classes made for some wonderful variety of genres within the sacred world, with everything from the likes of Anton Brucker (classical) to Curtis Mayfield (country/gospel) to Jason Robert Brown (legit musical theatre). The sacred groups class was won by Darren Alderton and Mike Ozanne performing 'King of Kings', for which they earned themselves a Highly Commended Mark of 86. I was in fact the winner of the Sacred Solo, for which I performed 'People Get Ready', receiving a Distinction mark of 87. I actually personally thought Jo Marsh's performance of 'Christmas Lullaby' was beautiful and heartfelt, which a great command of her vocal range and tone - she was my winner! Our next classes, as Ben stated during his adjudication, are ones which are sadly dying off in the festival circuit, the Oratorio Over 18, for which we had split into two classes for our festival: Amateurs (those new to the genre) and Previous Winners. Oratorio work is challenging at best and insanely demanding at worst, and requires a lot of technical prowess from singers, particularly in the forms of breath management, pitch accuracy and flexibility. A great cross section of the repertoire on display here, including Rossini, Fauré, Handel and Bach. Winners of the classes were Louisa Mace for the Amateurs class, and Joan Le Flem for the Previous Winners class, both receiving Highly Commended.

Finishing off the evening, what can only be described as a truly epic class, the Choirs Sacred; Over 18. The visiting Jersey Choir Les Conteurs Singers actually performed their set earlier in the afternoon, but were adjudicated along with the other choirs in this class, the Guernsey Welsh Male Voice Choir, and the Accidentals. Each individual choir gave stellar performances of their repertoire, with my highlights being: 
- Les Conteurs Singers performance of 'Grace' arranged by Mark Hayes - a beautiful setting of the traditional 'Amazing Grace' which this choir delivered with warmth and wonderful ensemble tone. 
- Guernsey Welsh Male Voice Choir's incredible 'wall of sound' - there's nothing quite like a lower voice ensemble and the absolute power it can emulate, as displayed most intensely in the final closing moments of 'Deus Salutis'
- The Accidentals performing a stunning arrangement of 'Finlandia Hymn', which features such (as Ben Costello referred to them) 'tasty harmonies' that just subtly weave in and our of the piece, as well as a wonderful key change. The arrangement is originally performed by Voces8 if you want to look it up! 
This was a really wonderful final class for the day, with the winners being The Accidentals, with another Outstanding mark of 90. Although I sing in The Accidentals, I really thought The Guernsey Welsh Male Voice Choir were going to win, just the incredible sound this choir makes is so impressive, I don't think I stopped smiling through their set! 

A wonderful day in the new venue for the Sacred classes - perhaps a few logistical things to work out, but I think the venue works so well for the music of this particular day, it'll be worth figuring things out moving forward.