Thank you and Goodnight!

The final day of the Guernsey Music Eisteddfod 2017, and what an amazing year it's been!

After a well-earned morning off, the last day began with the afternoon session, starting with a well-represented Violin Under 11 class. What excellent tuition these kids are having, as evident by some top quality work being performed in this class. I'd like to mention Harry Hutchins and Matthew Moody, both of whom I felt showed great promise, with a lovely warmth of tone and natural vibrato developing in their playing. I also quite enjoyed Harry's little speech at the beginning of his piece which outlined the background of the music he was about to perform. There were two knock-out performances in this class: Joseph Stoller performing 'Concerto in A Minor - 1st Movement' by Vivaldi, and Sam Cole performing 'Concerto in D major, 3rd Movement' by Seitz: a concerto battle it would seem! Both of these young lads showed in-depth command of their instrument, and also and thorough understanding of the music they were performing, which is incredible, especially when you consider that this is an Under 11 class! (In fact, I believe Sam Cole is only 9 years old!) - in the end, it was Sam Cole who pipped it to the trophy, with both of them receiving Distinction's. Top playing all round! - It did also occur to me during this class, that perhaps Sam Cole and Joseph Stoller should join forces with George Walker (violist) and Archie Purdue (cellist) - as an Under 11 string quartet, that would be a tour de force indeed!

The only other class of the afternoon was the Under 18 Pop Song. We've had a lot of good contemporary vocal singing this Eisteddfod, but I think many people (both performers and audience) will have begun to realise that, actually.... pop singing is hard!! A lot of the melodic writing can be relatively straight forward, the accompaniment easy enough for a pianist or guitarist with a solid amount of skill to pick up, which on paper (or by listening to the original artist) makes the song seem easy. But actually, as Adrian explained, those artists have trained for YEARS to sound that way, and make it sound easy - he spoke the other night about how The Xfactor and The Voice (and other programs of that nature) give a false impression of 'talent' - Leona Lewis is a prime example of someone who was marketed as being 'discovered' on the show when in actual fact she attended The Brit School for years of vocal training.... along with her classmates Adele and Jessie J by the way! These are singers who know the technical ins and outs of their voices because they've studied, and, contrary to popular belief, there is SO much to learn regarding contemporary technique. That said, it's great to see that the is a lot of good groundwork being done with the singers on this island. If I had a piece of advice for these young singers it would be to take the time to strip their chosen songs back to the bare melodic skeleton, master it in it's simplicity, and then build it back up with style/idioms/pop-tricks etc. It's far to easy to want to throw in all the riffs you can because, well, you can - but what does it add to the performance? It's something to think about, that's for sure. In regards to this class, I'd like to mention Charlotte Ewin, who I feel is really developing a gorgeous alto voice (which is not too surprising as her mother has one of those as well!). This is a singer with huge potential, and I'd really love to hear her tackle some 'seemingly' simple songs, just to see what she can draw out of them. Class winner Luella Taylor certainly showcased her growing command of her voice, and charmed us all with her rendition of 'Imagine' by John Lennon (based on the Eva Cassidy version), earning herself a Distinction.

L-R: Kim Reece-Sheerin, Chris Taylor (accompanist) & Julie Tostevin,
winners of the Pop Duos, Trio & Quartets Class

Onto the final evening session of the Music Eisteddfod, we began with the Over 18 Self-Accompanied class, featuring only myself and Julie Tostevin. Julie and I seem to be in the habit of contesting classes together, but doing the most diametrically opposite ends of the spectrum in the chosen genre, which the adjudicator remarked made his job rather more difficult! Julie performed an upbeat song 'House of Gold' by 21 Pilots, on Ukulele and leg-tambourine (which made for a rather amusing moment when she made her way 'musically' onto the stage!), whilst I performed the classic ballad 'What a Wonderful World'. Adrian was very complimentary, not only on our performances, but on Julie and I's excellent musicianship, and what a joy it has been to have met us and heard us perform these last ten days. I'm sure Julie will agree with me in how wonderful it was to receive that kind of praise. Separated by only one mark, both in the Distinction category, in the end I walked away with the trophy. Following this class we had the Over 18 Pop Duos, Trios & Quartets featuring just two duets; Louisa Mace & Julia Jager, and Julie Tostevin & Kim Reece-Sheerin. Duet singing can be difficult to master, as two voices can often not blend - in choirs it's general practice to try and have a minimum of three singers on any one part for this very reason. It takes great humility as a singer to be willing to adapt your unique voice and your own personal style to match your partner, which is something that was demonstrated excellently by Julie and Kim. These are two singers who know how to work together, and build each other up musically: they won the class with 88 marks.

The last of the solo classes this Eisteddfod was the Over 18 Popular Song; always well represented with a fantastic array of contemporary music on offer for the audience to enjoy. Some brilliant performances, but the highlight of the evening has to go to Dominique Ogier, who absolutely smashed it out the park with her rendition of 'Feeling Good' (based on the Muse cover). Dominique is a relatively new face (and voice) at the Eisteddfod, being mostly known for her Rock-style singing within the Guernsey music scene, so it's great to see her tackling this very different type of performing. The adjudicator remarked simply "wow" at Dominique's powerhouse vocals, and commented on her natural ability in the sultry blues style of singing. He had no hesitation in awarding her a 91 and the trophy. Bravo Dom - more like that next year, yes?!

A wonderful part of the last night of the Eisteddfod is the Special Awards; these are given by the adjudicator at his discretion, highlighting people and/or moments which he feels deserve special recognition (a full list of these winners can be found on the Special Awards page). I was very pleased to see my mother collect, not only the June Bourget Trophy for Most Outstanding Choir (awarded to The Accidentals), but also the Longmire Baton for her amazing work as a conductor. I was delighted to have been awarded the Peter A Malley Memorial Trophy for commitment to the Eisteddfod via my performing, accompanying and teaching. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, Julie Tostevin won the Miriam R Le Page Prix D'Honneur Trophy for most memorably performance of her Victoria Wood classic 'They Call me Pam'. Julie never fails to impress us with her novelty and comedic numbers, a thoroughly well deserved win there! I was also very pleased for the winners of the Adjudicator's Cup, an award for which the adjudicator can give to anyone for any reason. This year it went to GATE for their performance of Damn Yankees - as you may remember from a previous post, I talked about how they were stricken by illness and people being stuck in the mainland, and friends jumping in at the last second to help out, and how they still managed to achieve a Distinction mark despite all the issues they were face with. Absolutely well done GATE for this high honour, and being able to pull it out the bag when you most need to!

Get Inspired! Corporate Class winners 'Specsavers Choir' 

The final class of the night, the Corporate Class: a chance for the local businesses/teams of Guernsey to pull something together, get up on stage and have a damn good go. Not so popularly contested this year, with only two competitors, but thoroughly enjoyable none-the-less! We had the hilarious, but a bit haphazard States of Guernsey Choir performing a piece entitled 'Serious Business', versus the Specsavers Choir performing 'Mister Blue Sky'. To round off the absolute fun of this class (along with the rest of the Music Section), Adrian Goss decided that the audience should get to decide the winner via 'clap-o-meter'. Both performers received a brilliant amount of support and applause, but it was the Specsavers applause which was louder and longer, winning them the class and The Inspired Trophy.

Adrian closed the Eisteddfod by remarking how "hugely impressed by the musical standard of this island" he is. As an adjudicator of over 30 years, he stated often about how he rarely gives out 90's (outstanding), maybe giving one in a festival. In Guernsey, he gave out TEN - including the amazing 95 he gave The Accidentals for their mixed voice choir class, something he as never done before. I think it's safe to say, we have something really special here in Guernsey - musical talent of the highest possible standard - long may we continue to grow this talent, and long may we continue to support the music.

Thanks Eisteddfod 2017 - it's been amazing!

That's one happy lady! Dominique Ogier after winning the Pop Class with 91!

Practice until you can't get it wrong!

The penultimate day of the 2017 Festival, and the quality of the music making is still so incredibly high!

We began the morning with two Viola classes, for Under 9, and then Under 11. I've talked before about how under appreciated the Viola is, so it is really great to see just how many young Violists there are in these two well represented classes. Some fine playing occurring in both of these classes, and I really hope these players stick with it. The class winners were Somchai Blondin in the Under 9 with a Highly Commended, and Gracie Swain in the Under 11 with Commended. Next we had the Folk Solo Boys & Girls Under 12, although on this occasion, no boys were present (which is a shame). Folk singing is a great skill, and adjudicator Adrian did comment on how he wished more young singers participated in Folk Singing. It's also a style which can be done many ways, as demonstrated by our youngsters, in particular the decision to either sing accompanied, or unaccompanied, both of which have their strengths and weaknesses. When you're accompanied you have support, but you can be confined by the accompaniment in what you can stylistically do. When unaccompanied you have total freedom, but you have no harmonic support. So great singing happening in this class: in particular, I feel that Lucy Appleton shows great promise with her voice, as it was clear and unforced, and I hope she continues to perform and develop. Isabella Marren brought a witty charm to her performance, with a clear sense of style, and class winner Isabelle Lees performed a haunting a cappella song (originally Norwegian, but sung in English) with great understanding and maturity. Well done girls, an excellent class all around.

Following on with another unusual set of classes we had the Keyboard 10 & Under 13, followed by the 13 & Under 17. Although they can look like the same instrument, Electric Keyboard has it's own technical elements unrelated to the Piano - there is melody, and then chordal harmony which controls the backing track. The performer also has the ability to change their sounds and the complexity of the track. A really fascinating class to watch, especially Under 17 winner Gabrielle Le Lerre, who showed excellent command of the keyboard and all its elements.
- Following the Keyboards we had a more traditional 'keyboard class' with the Piano Under 12, with four budding young pianists. Adrian adjudicated this from the piano itself in order to demonstrate a few technical elements for the pianists to consider, one of which was a technique in working on pedalling which I found very useful! My personal favourite from this class was Christie Sykes - I thought she played the Valse No. 11 by Chopin with emotion and a beautifully tender approach, and I thought her use of colour was also wonderful. On this occasion the winner of the class was Isabella Marren with her 'Carnival in Rio' by William Gillock.

The next class was the Orchestral Woodwind Ensemble, Junior School Age, featuring two different recorder ensembles: Melrose Recorder Club, and Amherst Recorder Club. A popular instrument for schools (although many will have not so popular memories of the instrument!), it is good to see it being used well as a school ensemble instrument, and well done to Melrose for winning the class with a Highly Commended. Rounding off the morning session we had the Country & Western Song Under 18 - a new class last year (like its Over 18 counterpart), and not yet very popular it would seem. Perhaps if we were American it would be! There are a lot of vocal tricks and colours that make country country, and like every style they are unique to the genre. None-the-less, some great work being done by these singers in exploring the style, as evident by the high quality and high marks with Erin Vaudin and Samantha Paines each receiving Highly Commended, and class winner Luella Taylor receiving Distinction.

The afternoon session started with some superb Violinists in the Under 16 and Under 18 classes. Adrian adjudicated this session by reiterating his statements about slow practice. "Practice something perfectly seven times, and it'll stick" - I think it's also worth noting however that, if you practice something wrong seven times that will also stick - something to think about! Some excellent work being done here, but I have to say, I think Adrian was a little on the stingy side with his marks, particularly for the Under 18s. I almost feel as though, particularly with Charlie Brewin, that he was listening to a different class than I was! I thought Charlie had amazing depth of colour in his tone, but showed a good ability to vary it throughout the piece. I also thought that he seemed to have stabilised his posture a little more, as there was a lot less moving his body weight between the feet. Overall I thought his interpretation of the well-known 'Czardas' was excellent, hence my surprise that he only received a Commended. Just goes to show - it really is one person's opinion in the end!

Next up we had three piano Jazz classes, which all compete for the same trophy: Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18. As a Jazz singer, my personal thought on these young pianists is that there needs to be a bit more 'feeling' and breathing with their pieces. Jazz needs space, and a real understanding about how to be laid-back in your playing without being out of time. A famous drummer once said, "I spent my entire career learning how to put the beat a fraction of a second late", which just reiterates how Jazz is a lot more complicated than people perhaps give it credit. That said, some great work being done here. Benjamin Fletcher's performance in the Under 18s was certainly spirited and showed off his technical wizardry and understanding of the technical elements of Jazz - now comes the time to chill out a little and be smoooooooth - trust in your technique and enjoy it! Under 14 winner (and overall winner of the trophy) Francois Cloete really impressed me, and I still can't quite believe the boy is only 14! His maturity at the piano is really quite astounding, and the technique his is developing is awe-inspiring. I overheard him at the end of the class reading the names on his trophy, which includes Tom Hicks - yes Francois, you are in fine company young man - keep up the good work!

Closing out the afternoon we had two choral classes, the last of the festival: Secondary School Choirs (Years 7-11), followed by Choirs Folk & Traditional, Secondary School Age. Particularly in the first of these classes, the excellent choral work was demonstrated yet again. Really lovely to see the SOPM Pop Choir (Juniors), who, because of illness and a radical depletion in numbers decided they wanted to perform, but not be adjudicated. Adrian Goss remarked on how pleased he was to see and hear this choir, and remarked on their great sound and extreme courage and determination for deciding to perform, a sentiment shared by the audience. I rather enjoyed Grammar School Lower Choir's piece in which they were unconducted, and accompanied themselves with a few Ukuleles. I really love hearing choirs like this try different things - it keeps the idea of choral music alive and fresh! The Music Centre Intermediate Choir really impressed, and Adrian Goss remarked how, "If I had only come to the island to hear this choir it would have been worth it." He also praised Rachel Wright's excellent tuition of this choir. Not surprisingly they were awarded the trophy with a Distinction. The following class started somewhat differently, with a rather interesting use of narration in a piece by Andrew Lawerence-King, whom I understand is an ex-Elizabeth College pupil who wrote the piece for the choir. This piece also made use of Guernsey's native language Guernesais (also known colloquially as 'patois') and sea-shell and other percussive instruments. A really unique performance which earned them a Highly Commended.

The Friday evening may have, on paper, looked a little sparsely programmed, but in actual fact is was probably the most epic night of music of the festival! It began with the last of the 'big-gun' piano classes, the Piano Sonata Over 18. Four local pianists (all of high skill), playing two movements of one sonata, with each of the pianists choosing a different composer: Mozart, CPE Bach, Clementi and finally Grieg. It certainly made for a wonderful concert of classical music, much of which, if not all, many of the audience will have not heard before. Sonata's are difficult - not just because of the amount of notes, or the technique required, but capturing the essence of the original composer is actually much more challenging, and much more vital and some musicians give it credit. If you approach a light Mozart piece with the force required for a Rachmaninov piece it loses all of the nuance and subtly - likewise if you play a Rachmaninov piece with the lightness of Mozart you lose the depth and passion. Some fine playing indeed from the four performers tonight, but I agree with Adrian on this occasion that the pianist who captured the original composers style (whilst putting across their own musical style) was Marilyn Pugh, who won the class with 85 Marks (Highly Commended).

And now.... the end is near.... we have reached the last of the Songs from the Shows classes, with the ever-popular Over 18s class. This class never fails to entertain, and many compare it to a 'West End revue' as it gives the audience a fantastic cross-section of Musical Theatre, and does so with a really high standard. Guernsey is so lucky to have so many talented Musical Theatre performers on this Island, as evident by any musical any of the theatre companies put on, and this class brings many of them together to perform their socks off for no other reason than that they love it! What I also love about this class is the camaraderie amongst the performers. When someone is nervous, everyone rallys round to lift them up - when someone comes off stage everyone is there to congratulate them, and everyone is either backstage watching on the monitor, or quietly in the wings, or out front watching from the audience. It really is the most wonderful atmosphere to be in, and I think a great example to be setting for our young performers. This class had so many highlights, but to pick out a few of my favourites that I managed to see (I had a lot of costume changing and accompanying to do!), I'd like to mention Catie Le Prevost, who hasn't performed at the Eisteddfod since she was a junior competitor 12 years ago, and managed to get up on stage and wow us with her hilarious (and well sung I might add) performance of 'Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride', earning herself joint 3rd place and a Distinction Mark of 87. Bravo Catie! Another performer I thought really pulled something special out the bag was Dominique Ogier. Known better locally for her Rock-belt singing, I thought Dominique found a subtlety and warmth with the start of her song ('Burn' from Hamilton) which I hope she explores more as she continues singing Musical Theatre repertoire - but I think the audience will agree with me - WOW what a belt Dominique has! A hotly contested class this, as it always is - I feel like this class might be the hardest one to win, as the standard is so high you just can't predict which way any adjudicator will go. 3rd place was shared by three acts: myself & Mike Sullivan, Julie Tostevin & Kim Reece-Sheerin, and Catie Le Prevost all with 87 marks; 2nd place was shared by Jo Marsh and Lindsey Veillard both with 88 marks, and on this occasion I am delighted to say that I was the lucky winner of the class with an Outstanding 90, a real privilege indeed!

An incredible evening of music-making and entertainment, which rounded off the excellent day overall. Not long left of 2017's festival - let's cram in as much as we can!

Still can't quite believe it! Me and the Pauline Carre Memorial Trophy for Songs from the Shows Over 18

Five Special Potatoes....

We are into the home stretch of 2017's Eisteddfod, and boy, what a fantastic day the second Thursday was! So much excellent music!

We opened the afternoon session with three Double Bass classes; the Under 12, the Under 16, and the Under 18. I find Double Bass is one of those instruments for which it takes a long time for a student to get really comfortable with it, and start to excel at the instrument, probably because of how big the instrument is, I'm sure it can be a bit unwieldy! However, there is some excellent work being done with the young Bassists on this Island, as evident by this class, with each of the winners receiving Highly Commended. Next we had the Orchestral Ensemble Open class contested by two Music Centre Ensembles; the Flute Choir, and the Clarinet Choir. Some good ensemble playing happening here, but there was a little bit of questionable tuning to be had by both groups, however the Flute Choirs' opening piece 'Agnus Dei, Manzoni Requiem' opened with some amazing octave work, which was stunning. Adrian talked about how, with groups like this, often the more advanced players end up together on the upper part, or on the bass part, which leaves the less advanced players to fend for themselves on the harmony parts - this is actually a big mistake, as it leaves the piece, as a whole, feeling rather insecure: you're only as strong as your weakest members after all! What Adrian suggested was that the stronger players should be dispersed throughout the group, so as to help lead the players who need more support. That way, the group sounds much more connected. This is sage advice indeed, and something worth considering in all ensemble work. Both entrants received a Highly Commended in this class, with the Flute Choir just pipping it to the trophy.

Winner of the Under 12 Songs from the Shows,
Isabelle Lees

The most anticipated class of the afternoon, the Under 12 Songs from the Shows. What a fantastic class this was! So much excellent work performed, and Adrian remarked on how well presented each piece was with it's acting and any choreography. As per usual, he reiterated his desire for 'song' to be at the forefront, and that there were a few little general issues for all the singers to be aware of (e.g. too much twang, not forcing the voice etc.) Highlights from this class included Eliza Webster's performance of 'Les Poissons', complete with Jo Martel simultaneously playing the piano and reeling in a crab on a fishing line! Claudia Wallace's performance of 'Whistle Down the Wind' was also a rather special moment, as she sung beautifully with sincerity and charm. The class winner, Isabelle Lees, showcased her ability to deliver a song, with sincere acting ability and well-placed choreography - Well done Isabelle!
- I do want to mention how incredibly well-behaved and sensible the Under 12 performers were both before and during this class. Normally I find myself needing to constantly remind young performers to be quiet while someone is onstage (it's understandable, it's all a bit exciting!), but these youngsters were as good as gold, and seemingly more interested in focusing on their own performance, and then going out to the theatre to watch their friends. I think this is a real credit to the parents and teachers of these students, who have clearly taught them about mutual respect in the world of music, which is lovely to see.

Rounding off the afternoon we had two choral classes; the Secondary School Choirs class followed by the Male Voice Choirs Under 18. Two lovely classes, with a huge variety in choral and vocal repertoire on show. Performing in the Secondary School Choirs class, The Guernsey Girls' Choir produced a choreographed rendition of ABBA's 'Mamma Mia', which was visually enjoyable, although it wasn't as secure as it could have been. There was a slight reminiscent air of Les Chansonelles (one of Guernsey's premiere Female Voice choirs who retired a few years ago) about them, and perhaps, with a little more precision (and perhaps a little bit less of the movement) they could really pull this type of performing off. Highlights from the Male Voice Choir group include Elizabeth College Close Harmony Group's unusual but rhythmically epic 'Geographical Fugue' complete with immense expressions from Ben Fletcher and Chris Brooks, and St Sampson's High School Boys Vocal Group's excellent core sound. St Sampson's really impressed me in fact; Their unison sound was warm and clear, although I do think a little work could be done in picking things which sit a little more central in the vocal range, just because this is a group of developing boys. I also thing this group sold themselves a little short on the harmony front - when they did split into harmony is was wonderful! I want more of that! There's certainly scope for 2-3parts with this group of 8 singers, so I hope they start to trust in their abilities and explore this a little more. A high standard of group singing overall, the winners of the classes were the Guernsey Girls Choir (Secondary School Age) with a Distinction, and St Sampson's High School Boys Vocal Group (Male Voice) with a Highly Commended.

The evening class started with another one of the Eisteddfod's more unusual classes; the Piano Sight-reading Open. The usual approach for this class is for the performer to be given the music, have 30 seconds to study it, and then play it and be adjudicated. This year, something a little different - Adrian decided to sit onstage behind John Morris as he played his piece, and then once he was finished he asked him to play it again. His reasoning for this was so that John could show his acknowledgement of his mistakes or missed moments in the piece, and have a second chance to include more of the information given on the page. Sight-reading is really hard, there's no questioning that! I've done it frequently in audition situations or for students, and I have my own way of getting out as much info as possible, and every pianist has a certain way of reading a piece the first time they see it. An amusing moment which came about from this class was Adrian performing the piece himself (which he stated he had not seen or performed in over 30 years), and being awarded an 86 by John Morris. Most amusing!

Just keep swimming... wait, is is swimming or singing?
(Ruby-Jane Gill & Myself, 3rd place in the Songs
from the Shows Open)

Following the Under 18's Brass Ensemble Class, we next had the Songs from the Shows Open: a really lovely class, which I do wish was more
popularly contested. Essentially, it exists so that performers from various age brackets can perform a duet (or trio or quartet) together. In the case of this class we had myself and Ruby-Jane Gill (Over 18 + Under 12), Lindsey and Mary Veillard (Over 18 + Under 18), Miriam and Ivy Botzenhadt (Under 18 + Under 15) and Scott Dorritty and Harry Giubelio (Over 18 + Under 18). Four brilliant performances, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting onstage dressed as a clown fish! Highlights from this class included Ruby-Jane's absolute command of the stage (she certainly does give me a run for my money!), and Miriam and Ivy's beautifully moving performance of 'Some things are meant to Be' from Little Women - I must say, it brought a tear to my eye. Harry and Scott created an amazing build in 'pressure' in their song, with a huge range of vocal colours, reaching an incredible vocal climax at the end of the song. Whilst being adjudicated, Adrian asked Scott if he wouldn't mind trying something, which resulted in Adrian taking Scott through a shoulder release exercise, which involved a slight amount of hands on aiding in getting Scott to rotate his shoulder. After performing this on one shoulder, he asked Scott to turn to the audience, which resulted in the most incredible gasp of amazement in the audience as we realised Scott's left shoulder (the one manipulated) had dropped a full inch lower than the other. After evening him up, Scott's posture was much looser, and he stated he felt more relaxed and even sat more positively in his seat. This just goes to show how important posture is to musicians, and also how important it is to release negative tension throughout your body as a performer. Most enlightening!
- Finishing off this section of the evening we had the Vocal Trio & Quartet Over 18 with sole competitors 'Chord Blimey'. These guys are a regular appearance at the Eisteddfod, and never disappoint. With lush harmonies, their rendition of 'Fix You' by Coldplay was heartfelt and thoroughly enjoyable, earning themselves 88 marks.

The Novelty Song Classes are, well, a real novelty! Such a joy to behold! Although spaced out in the evening's proceedings I've decided to talk about them simultaenously. First the Under 18's class, featuring only one competitor, Toby Giles. Toby was simply amazing! His comic timing is sensational, and his own personal take on Tom Lehrer's 'New Maths' had the audience in hysterics, and earned him a Distinction mark of 88. This is definitely a performer to look out for in the future! The fuller class of the Over 18's featured five performers, of which I was one, and, quite frankly, we're clearly all a little bit nuts! Lindsey Veillard delivered a short and sweet song about potatoes, and Stephen Keenan waltzed onstage in a snorkel to sing to us about Hippopotamuses! It was Julie Tostevin's uncanny performance of 'They Call me Pam' by the late, great Victoria Wood which brought the house down, and earned her the trophy and an Outstanding mark of 90. It is sad to think that such a shining comedic force as Victoria Wood is no longer with us.... but hey, we still have Julie Tostevin, so it's all good!

Five Special Potatoes..... hang on a minute.....

The Musical Scene 12 & Under 18 has always been a bit of a festival highlight, but it didn't come without it's ups and downs this time! Due to the adverse weather (aka: Fog, Guernsey's kryptonite), several of GATE's key performers were stuck in the mainland. As such, a few other young performers had to jump in so they could perform their piece. Adrian Goss was completely unaware as to this situation, asking on of this 'ringers' why they were relying on a newspaper for their words. When he stated that he had 'only received the script this morning', Adrian (and the audience) were suitably shocked and impressed. "But you were perfect!" he declared. What an amazing display of community spirit and self-sacrifice: being willing to put yourself on the line to help out your friends. There was another slight issues with GATE's performance of 'Damn Yankees', and that was a technical problem with sound. Unfortunately the foldback wasn't working, so the had to perform without being able to hear their music properly. That said, they really pulled it out the bag, and I'm so pleased they came away with a Distinction for their efforts. Well done GATE!
- The final event of the night, the Choirs Ladies Voices Over 18 featured yet MORE need for a few 'ringers' as due to illness Johnny's Angel's found themselves short of a top Soprano and bottom Alto. As such, my mum, myself and Sam Nichols stepped in to help them out - nothing like a little bit of sight-reading to get the blood pumping! But hey, if John Morris can do, so can we all! Johnny's Angel's make a gorgeous sound, particularly in their performance of 'Seal Lullaby' by Eric Whitacare - a really warm, sensitive and maternal performance from these ladies, quite rightly earning themselves a Distinction mark of 87.

What a day! So much information and so much quality music making, particularly in the evening session. Most festivals would be winding down right about now, but not in Guernsey - we are pushing hard all the way to the finish line!

"Strangely Quiet...."
Harry Giubelio & Scott Dorritty, winners of the Songs from the Shows Open
with their performance of 'Lily's Eyes' from The Secret Garden

Just Keep Singing!

As someone who is a self-confessed Night-owl, I must admit, I'm never fully prepared for just how painful getting up early (anything before 10am is early in my book!) in the morning is, let alone when I've been performing and blogging about a music festival for a full week! However, it was definitely worth it, as the classes on offer for Wednesday's sessions were exciting and, in some cases, inspirational.

We began the day's festivities with the Unison Singing Choirs - Infant School Age, and my, what an amazing class! Such quality singing from these young singers, and some excellent work being done by all the music teachers as well. New to the class (and the Eisteddfod) were School of Popular Music (SOPM), making their first appearance with their Pop Choir (minis). I must say, the children really presented themselves well, sung with enthusiasm and a real sense of joy, and were incredibly well behaved and supportive of the other performers in the class by watching and listening intently, which is a real credit to themselves, their parents and their conductor Jo Marsh. Other highlights of this class include Blanchelande Infant Choir's performance of 'The Vegetable Song', complete with shopping trolley and disgruntled customer very displeased with his sprouts, and Forest Primary School Infant Choir's 'Let's go Fly A Kite' with a beautifully made and displayed kite flying away at the back of the choir. Such fun and really great singing from all the groups, with the winner's this time being Forest Primary School with a Highly Commended. Following directly on, we had another choir class, this time Choirs Unison Singing, Junior School Age. Another very high standard of class, with everyone receiving Highly Commended or above. Again, some lovely sound being made by all the groups here. I'd like to mention the young lad who performed the solo in Beechwood's 'Close Every Door' - a really beautiful sound there, well done! A particular highlight of this class was the performance by Melrose Junior Choir, who wowed us with a beautifully lyrical performance of 'She's Like the Swallow', followed by a suitably brash and mischievous rendition of 'Naughty' from Matilda.  The core sound these girls make is truly excellent, which won them a well deserved Distinction and the trophy.

SOPM Pop Choir (Minis) raring to go for their first ever performance at the Eisteddfod

Changing pace for a little while, we moved on to some Woodwind Solos, with the Orchestral Woodwind classes Under 16, followed by the Under 18. The Under 18 class in particular really showcased some amazing talent, with Maisie Whiteman showcasing some near virtuosic flute playing, and Jack Tostevin Hall wowing us with his superb command of the Oboe. In the end, it was Jack who won this class with a Distinction, and therefore won the trophy which is contested by both classes. It is a shame that this trophy is still being shared, and it isn't really fair for two age groups to be competing against each other. I do believe the committee are looking to donate a trophy to one of these classes to change that, but there are in fact still many classes which share a trophy, and many others which don't have one at all! The Eisteddfod heavily relies on donations for trophies, so it would be great if more of us could showcase our community spirit and get every class in the Eisteddfod with a trophy! (You can find the list of classes without trophies on the Donations page of this blog)
- Closing out the morning, we had two more chamber music classes: the Junior School Age Instrumental Ensemble, and the Junior School Age Orchestral Woodwind Duos, Trios & Quartets - another excellent example of the 'social' music making we seem to be so good at here in Guernsey, followed by the last class of the morning (or by this point, lunch hour!) the Folk Choirs for Junior School Age featuring the Guernsey Music Centre Primary Choir. Another fine display of choral excellence, with this choir creating a lovely warm sound, and earning themselves Highly Commended. I think it's perhaps worth mentioning at this point that, maybe a bit too much was crammed into this morning! By the time the first two choir classes had finished (and over run), it was nearly noon, and we still had 5 classes to go. This might be an oversight that perhaps the organisers what to look at the next year.


The afternoon session started much like the morning, with another choral class, this time the Junior School Age Part Singing. Once again we were treated to a fabulous array of choral singing from our youngsters, this time in the 8-11year old bracket. Class winners, Forest Primary School Junior Choir really showcased their excellent choral singing, earning themselves a Distinction, and I think this is a real testament to their teacher Elaine Chapman (who also conducted the Infant Choir in the morning session) - Elaine is doing stellar work with these youngsters, achieving a fantastic sound, but also clearly capturing the children's imagination and sense of fun - their second piece 'Dang-A-Rang-A-Dang-Do!' was sensational: a breakneck speed lesson in diction which would teach a fair few adults a thing or too! Other highlights of this class included Guernsey Music Centre Junior Choir's lovely use of umbrellas and tapshoes, and the lovely skill of the SOPM Pop Choir (Juniors) in accompanying themselves with percussion for their piece 'Budapest' - I'd like to single out Marley Fallaize from that group, who lead the singers with some super solid Cajon playing.
- Now.... I don't really want to talk about this, because it's upsetting, but I think it would be a disservice to not mention what happened in this class. Despite performing beautifully, and with great style, and receiving praise for their vocal sound, SOPM were actually disqualified from the class, much to the shock (and in some cases, disgust) of the audience. To explain what happened, basically, only one of SOPM's pieces actually featured 'part-singing', which this class is for, and so Adrian Goss decided that he had no choice but to disqualify the group for not adhering to the rules of the class. For me, this was 100% the wrong decision, and I know it was very upsetting for everyone, but especially the kids, because despite all the lovely things he had to say about them, all they heard was 'they did it wrong'. I've since checked the syllabus, and it actually doesn't specify what is a) meant by part singing, b) how much of it is required in the selection of music. It is very, very vague and I think this needs to be addressed by the committee in order to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. There is a huge problem there with clarity, which left our adjudicator (who is a stickler for sticking to the rules and guidelines) in a bad position, and in a position which, I feel, he really didn't want to be in, as he did express his great sadness to have to do it. Furthermore - I feel that disqualification of CHILDREN should never be an option, because any mistake that is made with content is the mistake of the teacher, which is what makes this so heartbreaking - children should not be punished for someone else's faux pas (and I know their conductor is devastated). There are many ways this could have played out - they could have been docked marks, and their conductor told to think more carefully next year, they could have been given a Certificate from a lower category, but they should have never been disqualified. My greatest concern is that these children will now not want to ever perform again, and I think a lot of damage control needs to be done. So, I'm urging you, public of Guernsey, to show your community spirit - if you were there and enjoyed this groups performance (which I know many of you did), PLEASE forward on your feelings on to SOPM so that the children understand it was one person's decision based on a technicality, not a reflection on their skill or talent. I would very much like to thank Rachel Wright from Music Centre, who came up to the children at the end of the class to tell them how amazing she thought they all were - I really hope that more of this positivity can make it's way to these fantastic kids and keep their hearts in love with music.

Moving on.... The next set of classes were the Pop Duos, Trios & Quartets Under 15, and Under 18. Some great display of 'social' singing here, and a good selection of music for this age bracket. I've already discussed the difficulties of choosing popular music repertoire for younger singers - add to that the need for a duet, trio or a quartet, and it starts to get a little trickier. One suggestion I might make to these students is to explore OLDER popular music. There's some excellent songs from the 60's and 70's (I'm thinking the Supremes, or even the Beatles for their use of group harmonies). That said, some impressive group work here, and some unique styles being developed. I particularly like Third Above, I think this little group have a lot of potential to develop something really unique. The winners of each class were Lucy Mahy, Simone Ashplant and Morgan Taylor in the Under 15s for their song 'The Climb' (receiving a Highly Commended), and Luchelli in the Under 18s who received a Distinction for their version of 'Feeling Good' (Seriously... was there a memo that went out this year about this song needing a lot of airtime?!) Excellent work all round.

Next we had a very large Orchestral Woodwind Class for the Under 14, showcasing, not only a large range of repertoire, but a vast variety of instruments as well! A good quality standard of class which, again, highlighted the quality work of the teachers in giving these students a solid musical training. A large section of this group received Highly Commended, but it was Lily Becker who just pipped the win with her performance of 'Tambourin' by Somis. Closing out the afternoon we had yet more choral classes; the Male Voice Choirs Under 14, followed by the Choirs Madrigal & Part-Song Secondary School Age class. Particularly with the Male Voice Choir, it's great to see boys of this age continuing to sing. There's been a lot of talk about vocal transition, which is really important to have the right information on, as it is a vulnerable time for voices! Good to see some careful and insightful work being done by Rachel Wright with these lads. Two great classes, with one choir in each, both receiving Highly Commended for their efforts.  

Winner of the U18 Songs from the Shows;
Luella Taylor

Kicking off the evening we had the Song from the Shows Under 18. Always a fun and popular class, Saturday's blog post). I'd personally like to single out three performances which were special for me. Charlotte Ewin's performance of 'Shine' from Billy Elliot was, I thought, an incredibly mature performance. Not only was Charlotte's voice strong, resonant and warm in its tone, her ability to hold on to that Geordie accent, whilst dancing and acting up a storm was a masterclass in 'triple-threat' in my opinion. Amazing Charlotte! Harry Giubelio, with his performance of 'Santa Fe' from Newsies gave an incredibly honest performance. I have the great pleasure of teaching Harry vocally, and his vocal development is really starting to shine. Interestingly this is the first time I have seen him actually perform the piece in it's entirety, as I've always previously been playing the piano for him! On this occasion Jo Martel (who, incidentally, deserves praise for the amount of accompanying she did that night!) was playing for him instead, so I got to sit back and enjoy the show which was in essence, incredible. I have no doubt that Harry is destined for great things. Another performance which really moved me was Luella Taylor's song 'With You' from Ghost. I've talked about Luella a few times this festival, but I am very much impressed by how her voice is developing, and I think her emotional, but vocally pure performance tonight actually showed her at her best. Adrian himself said he was so pleased with this performance as it showed off Luella's unique voice, and I absolutely agree with him. Not surprisingly, Luella won the class with an Outstanding mark of 90, the first for a solo performer Under 18 this festival. Congratulations to all in this class - continue the fine work!
I have to say, the standard of this class this year was amazing. Every single performance was slick, polished and hugely entertaining, whether it was a hilarious comedic number or a heart-wrenching ballad. In his adjudication Adrian reiterated his comments given to the Under 15's about the use of twang and not forcing the voice, and how he was looking for a performance with the emphasis on song (you can read my review of his comments in
- After the Musical's buzz, it was back to the 'serious' music with two solo piano classes - the J.S.Bach Instrumental Solo Class 16 & Over, and the Piano Jazz Over 18. Two classes vastly different in style, but equally demanding in technical skill and approach (although one could argue that J.S.Bach's understanding of harmony paved the way for Jazz... but we don't have time for that!) - Some truly excellent playing in both of these classes, with Martin Hassall in the Bach class receiving 86, and John Morris in the Jazz receiving 87.

Now... I'm actually going to skip ahead a little, and talk about the Mixed Voice Choirs Class in a little bit..... So, on to the French Song Over 18. It's an interesting class this, and it's one my dad constantly questions me about. He often asks, "Why does everyone sing classical when there are so many great French pop and jazz songs available?" - and my answer is this: The French song is a class in which the singer can use their mark to be in contention for the Marion Blondel Trophy, a special award given to the best classical singer in the adult section who receives the highest average mark. Only certain classes are eligible, French song being one of them; hence why people tend to perform classical French songs by composers such as Faure and Debussy. However, that's not to say you can't do a contemporary French song! In this small class, we had two classical performances, and a more contemporary performance which was given by class winner Lindsey Veillard. I am so pleased that Lindsey is having such a great festival this year, having won the Folk Song, Contralto and now the French Song. Great Job Lindz!

The Choirs Mixed Voices, Over 18 is always a great class, as the standard of choral singing in the Island is incredibly high. The first competitor of the class, GYCT Singers I think, sang the best they've sung this festival. I always enjoy hearing GYCT sing, because they really do embody the most important thing about music, the Eisteddfod, and the island in general - community. They always look like they are having the time of their lives, and by their own admission are, 'A bunch of people who like to sing.' Adrian was very complimentary about the first two pieces of their programme, but their third piece was a little rough around the edges, most probably because it was the most complicated in their set. I'm so pleased to see GYCT challenging themselves with more complicated material, and I hope they take away many positives from tonight's performance, which earned them a Highly Commended. The other competitor in the class was The Accidentals, who have already proved themselves to be an Outstanding choir on two other occasions in this festival. Adrian was impressed by the choice of programme (and apparently is even good friends with one of the composers!), and of the choirs ability to create lush harmonies. I was pleased to hear that Adrian really enjoyed the piece I had written 'August: Sweet Summer's Night' from my 'Year Suite', and am very thankful for the choir for performing it so brilliantly! An amazing comment which came about in the adjudication was about the Accidental's final piece, 'Short People', in which Adrian stated the choir achieved something he's only heard 3 times previously: A choir singing in 3-dimensions! (You might have had to have been there to really understand what he was talking about, but safe to say, the audience and choir knew what he meant!) - The most amazing moment of the evening came when Adrian decided to do something he's never done in 30+ years of adjudicating...... award a 95!! Safe to say, the choir, and their conductor Marilyn Pugh were blown away! What an incredible result!

Well, I thought Tuesday was long, but Wednesday managed to push the boat out due to the number of choirs performing. It also pushed things to the extreme lows, but also the extreme highs of festival performing. I think what we need to take away from today is the final words Adrian gave to the audience. That there is something really special about Island communities, as they always seem to produce the highest standard of music making (especially given the population size), and the sense of community spirit in the realm of music in Guernsey is very special indeed, and we need to hang on to it, and continue nurturing it for as long as humanly possible.

The happy faces of a happy choir! The Accidentals after their amazing win with 95 marks!!

"No Post Mortems - Move on!"

We have passed the half-way point for the 2017 Music Eisteddfod, and the tiredness has started to set in - even the theatre chairs have started to crack (no, literally, one of them practically exploded in the afternoon session - is that enough of a hint to say, we need to upgrade the theatre??!)

Starting the day, the Violin Under 9 - always a well attended class, with 16 young violinists all performing really well. It is a testament to the excellent teaching these youngsters are receiving, as the majority all seemed to enjoy themselves as well. There was one moment, where a performer suddenly found it all a little overwhelming and was close to tears at the idea of getting up onstage in front of a huge auditorium of people - but with a little support and encouragement, they were able to get onstage, compose themselves and play beautifully, and actually enjoy themselves as evident by their big beaming smile at the end. It just goes to show that performance anxiety happens to all, but with a little care and attention anyone can over-come it. Some fine playing from these young violinists, in particular class winner Matilda Cole who performed Dvorak's 'Humoresque' (from memory I might add). I felt this truly was an exceptional performance for such a young performer - I played this piece many years ago on the cello, and I don't think I even began to tackle it until I was 12 or 13! Some really mature playing coming from young Matilda - well done!

Next we had two Chamber Music Classes: the Chamber Music Duo, Trio & Quartet; Junior School, and the Chamber Ensemble; Junior School. Performing music in groups is really important to musical development. Not only do you get to make music with your friends, you also improve your general life skills along side your musical skill: you need to learn to listen to and support other musicians, and you need to know how and when to lead. You also need to be able to talk openly with your fellow musicians and make group decisions and work as a team. Thankfully, there is some of this important work already being done, as evident by these well represented classes. A highlight from these classes were the Melrose Handbell team in the Chamber Ensemble Class. This girls had real style and élan about their performance, and a brilliant sense of teamwork and compassion for each other. Their timing was also impeccable. Interestingly, one performer accidentally picked up her bells the wrong way round (in the wrong hand, not upside-down, just to clarify), and STILL managed to play her part correctly - that is no mean feat! It would be the equivalent of trying to play the piano with your hands crossed over the entire time! Very well done indeed! - Sometimes, we can't cover up mistakes, and if they are glaringly obvious it can feel very embarrassing. Adrian was quick to address this feeling with another one of his 'Musical' Mantras' - "No Post Mortems - Move on!" - Many performers dwell far too much on mistakes, often in the middle of pieces. Think about it for a second, how does letting a mistake get to you in the moment actually benefit you as a performer?.... Simple answer, it doesn't! Definitely an important lesson for all performers to learn.
- The next class, the Piano Under 10 was a lovely class of fine young pianists, all of which are clearly in the beginning of their musical learning. Another mantra came out of the feedback for this class, which related to how we need to practice musicians - "going slowly gets you there faster" (much like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.) This comment is in relation to how we often want the fast result, and young musicians in particular will think that in order to play a piece which is fast, they need to practice it fast. In actual fact it's not the case. Practicing things VERY slowly gives your brain time to process the information you're feeding it, but it also give your body time to respond and learn the muscle memory. This is an important lesson for all musicians, not just young pianists. Even vocalists will benefit from doing their vocal exercises slower than they think necessary, as it will allow them to really develop from the ground up. A well presented class with some lovely style and personalities shining through, with the class being one by Harry Childs with a Highly Commended.

The final class of the morning was the Vocal Girls 10 & Under 12. The general consensus from the audience when this class wrapped up was how lovely it was. There is a lot of wonderful repertoire for girls this age singing in this more classical style, and it's clear to see that they are all not only enjoying the repertoire, but being taught it very well. There's a few little technique issues that start to creep in at this stage, one of which is a personal niggle of mine (my students will tell you, I'm hot on this topic), which I call the 'Phantom H'. Essentially, it's an H where it shouldn't be. Think of the word 'and' at the beginning of a sentence. Many singers will (sometimes without knowing it) put an H in front of that word to begin the phrase, turning it into 'H-and'.... but that's not the word is it?! The Phantom H can also appear in-between syllables ('Ev-hevry' or 'wi-hindow' for example). Adrian also picked up on this tendency, and urged the students to try and connect their sounds more, and sing more legato to avoid this issue. That said, some beautiful singing happening here, with my particular favourites being Clemmie Reid for her delightful performance of 'London Birds', and class winner 'Charlotte Bougourd' for her performance of 'Grizelda'. Adrian was particularly impressed by Charlotte, citing her as a 'young professional' and awarding her a Distinction along with her trophy.

We began the afternoon session with the Music Making Class for Junior School Age, with Beechwood's Samba Band. A wonderful colourful start to the afternoon, both in musical entertainment and the ensemble attire! There's a real sense of enjoyment coming across from this group, with some of their smiles being really infectious. Adrian was quick to praise their ensemble leader, who was not in fact the 'conductor' of this group. Sam (in the green shirt - I didn't catch his last name!) stood in front of the group, with his back to the audience, and lead his group excellently, and I think it's time to hand him the samba whistle and let him have a go at flying solo as a leader! Bear in mind, this is a student under the age of 11 showing this kind of promise! Another budding musical director in the making perhaps?!

After some Recorder Groups (both Under 18 and Open) featuring St Sampson's High School, we were on to the largest class of the afternoon (so large it needed an interval in the middle of it!) - The Pop Song Under 15. This was a great class of well known popular music classics, which were tackled relatively well by this age group. I've said it before, 12-15yrs is a really hard age group for performing music, because of all the transitioning going on, and the fact that the singers are very much 'in-between' things on many levels. A lot of the repertoire they will like it either too old in subject matter, or too demanding, and they're too mature to be doing regular 'kids' material. That said, I think most of the performers chose their repertoire well, and performed with passion and understanding... and in some cases, enviable extravagant shirts (Elliot Hearne, don't forget to give the name of your stylist to the adjudicator!) The class was won by Simone Ashplant for her rendition of 'Feeling Good' (a popular choice this year it would seem!), with a Distinction Mark. One of my personal favourites was Ivy Botzenhardt, with her performance of Sam Smith's 'Lay Me Down' -  I though Ivy showed maturity in her approach with this song, with some lovely use of her vocal registers and a developing understanding of how to use tonal colours to convey emotion, it was truly beautiful. Another favourite was Drew Robilliard - Crooner extraordinaire! The only thing missing from his performance of 'Can't Take my Eyes off of You' was the mirror ball! Drew even managed to impress Adrian with his thorough understanding of the background of this song, including who originally sang it. This, to me, showed a true musical understanding, and I really hope Drew continues to explore this type of repertoire as it suits his voice (and clearly his personality) down to the ground. Most entertaining!

Closing out the afternoon session we had three small instrumental classes; Cello Under 16, Cello Under 18, and Piano Under 16, and boy was this a display of some excellent playing! Evie Hart in the Under 16 Cello showed us a more contemporary style of cello playing: unaccompanied folk-esque performing, complete with tapping percussion and a performance full of panache. Abigail Dempster wowed us with somewhat of a virtuosic piece, 'Requiebros' by Cassado, which show her ability to make her instrument sing - which was even more impressive after a little fluster with a misbehaving music stand! The piano class was presented by Jack Tostevin-Hall, and Marie-Claire Benoist, both fine pianists achieving warmth and style in their playing. A high standard all round, with each of these four players receiving Highly Commended.

Onto the most complicated and well 'orchestrated' session of the festival - it's band night! Three fully contested classes of Orchestras, Bands, Ensembles and Combos from Guernsey's Schools and Music Service. And truly, what a night! The standard of large-scale ensemble playing from our young musicians on this island is very high indeed, and this was remarked upon by Adrian. In particular, he praised St Sampson's High in the Secondary School Class for their fine sound for the musicians they had available. In picking out a highlight from all these classes, I have to praise the fine Brass playing, not just from one group, but from the whole evening. It is clear that there is some excellent brass teaching occurring in Guernsey, as the strength of the brass sections in the majority of the ensembles (several were just string ensembles) was outstanding. The Music Centre Brass Ensemble really highlighted this, as their warmth of sound, dexterity of movement, and super exuberant trombone section was awesome to behold! The Secondary School Class was particularly hotly contested - St Sampson's High showcased their groovy sense of fun with their piece 'The Final Countdown', Elizabeth College demonstrated fine String skill with 'Dargason', Ladies College serenaded us with some lovely Haydn and Handel, The Grammar School wowed us with their tight ensemble and musical theatre repertoire, and The Music Centre dazzled us with agile and dynamic brass playing. In the end, it was the Guernsey Grammar School Wind Band who won the class, with an Outstanding mark of 90; the first for any junior competitors from this festival, which is high praise indeed.

In the Open Orchestral Ensembles Class, again, some excellent playing. In particular I'd like to single out kit player, Jacob Sidebottom, from the Grammar School Swing Band - Jacob shows finesse, subtly, and a decent amount of passion and oomph when needed, which really held this ensemble together, and allowed the rest of the band to relax and give it their all. I also loved their choice of program; 'September' by Earth, Wind and Fire, 'Don't Cry for me Argentina' in a Latin Jazz style, and 'Uptown Funk' by Bruno Mars - it certainly got everyone foot tapping! On this occasion The Guernsey Youth Chamber Orchestra won the class, impressing the adjudicator with the depth of colour with their string playing. If I'm completely honest, I found their program a little long. The time limit for the Open class is 20minutes... but that doesn't mean you have to fill it to the last second! I think I would have enjoyed only two of the three pieces at a time, as clearly this is technical material which they performance wonderfully, but the length of program was a little overkill for me. The piece, 'Minotaur' by Richard Meyer, in particular, although it had amazing chord progressions and memorable lyrical lines, all very well put across by the ensemble, just kept reminding me of the end of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - or rather, how many false ending that film had, much like this piece! Anyway, I digress - the musical display of skill was wonderful! Well done Music Centre!

And finally, the last session of the day, the Barbershop Ensemble Open class, with single performers Johnny's Angels. We had over-run significantly (by at least 30 minutes), which meant the choir had an agonising wait for their performance, and I did feel rather sorry for them! However, a good chunk of people decided to stay to hear them, and I'm sure they'll all agree with me that it was worth the wait. Some beautiful sonorous harmonies, aided by the lovely blend of this SSA choir. A Distinction level performance, earning themselves 88 Marks, and rounding off the evening with a warm feeling.

And....... BREATHE!! - Tuesday was most certainly the longest and most jam-packed day of the festival so far - 9.30am start, and the last class wasn't finished until 11pm! On a day like today, I have to wonder about whether the start time of the sessions need looking at; perhaps an early overall start would have meant the school children could have been home a little early -  or perhaps there was a little bit too much put into this day. But we have to remember, there is new management in this year, and there is bound to be a few little hiccups - and when you couple that with an adjudicator who REALLY likes to talk, to make sure everyone gets as much valuable information as possible.... well, you see how easy it is for time to run away with us! - However, we are through to the second half to the music section now, the home stretch is in sight!

Have you seen any Dragon's today?.....

A later start to the music on Monday, with no morning session - and I must say, I definitely needed the lie-in, so I'm sure the adjudicator enjoyed his morning off as well! A good time to sit back and reflect on the awesome amount of quality music we've had in the past weekend, and look forward to the rest of the week ahead.

We started the afternoon with three Viola classes; Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18. In my opinion, the Viola is an under appreciated instrument, and I was pleased to hear Adrian Goss express the same thought. It is often over shadowed by it's smaller brother (the Violin), and it's bigger brother (the Cello), and is the butt of more musical jokes than I can remember off hand! However, the tone of a well-played Viola adds so much to an ensemble's colour - think of it as the Alto in an standard SATB choir - The Sopranos and Tenors often get the good melodies and the Basses are doing their thing down in the depths - but without that 'filler' harmony (and it often is 'filler') we miss out on the really beautiful harmonies. Violas also play this vital, but overlooked role. Safe to say, there was some great Viola playing in these classes, in particular George Walker. A very young performer who is already playing at a very high standard, not just in the technical work he chooses to perform, but in terms of his musical understanding and connection with his instrument. Adrian certainly recognised the potential in George, stating that he was an "exciting prospect" as a player, and awarding him the trophy for the Under 14 class (with Distinction), and the trophy for the Under 16 (with Highly Commended).
- As an interesting aside to this class, it's worth talking a bit about posture, as it's come up time and time again in the festival so far. In today's modern world, posture problems are rife, and if you're a musician these days you're going to have double the issue, because not only do you need to be aware of your posture when you play, your life outside of music (job/school/home/exercise etc) will also impact on your body, particularly areas like your back, neck and shoulders. I have some experience with The Feldenkrais Method, which is much like Alexander Technique (with which many singers and actors will be familiar), but I find it a really easy and non-invasive way of readjusting postural problems, and it's worth trying it out if you're aware of any issues, musician or not!

Continuing the afternoon we had two vocal classes: Vocal Duet 15 & Under 18, followed by the Vocal Trios/Quartets Under 18 - some lovely part singing being displayed with these young singers. I was especially impressed with Luella and Morgan Taylor's ability to sing in complete unison, not an easy feat I can tell you, although perhaps aided by the fact that they are sisters! I must also praise 'Just Good Friends' bravery for attempting 'Defying Gravity' - no easy sing, that is for sure! Perhaps a little out of reach at present for these Under 18 singers, but there was some lovely ability to harmonise being shown by the three singers in the Trio/Quarter class. A good set of classes, with both groups receiving Commended.

The next class, Versatility Under 18, is unique in this festival. Much like the Classe Superiuere, in which the pianist or singer is required to prepare two contrasting pieces, in this class the performer is still required to prepare two pieces, but playing two different instruments of their choosing. In this class, we were treated to some excellent versatility skills from Marie-Claire Benoist, playing first the Harp, followed by the Piano. In his adjudication Adrian made reference to the importance of harmony, and how paying careful attention to the dissonance and resolution of harmonic progressions will help a performer shape the music. I personally really enjoyed Marie-Claire's piano piece, 'Elegie' by Arensky - some wonderful style and colour achieved with her playing here, I thought.
- Continuing on we had two Brass solo classes: the Under 14, followed by the Under 18. Much like singing, playing a brass instrument requires excellent breath control, but also a clear sense of intention when it comes to pitching. Adrian talked about how important it is to 'blow right through the instrument' when playing brass, as this will enhance the tone as well as aid breath control. Particular highlights of these classes came from the respective class winners, Ben Tasker on Trumpet (Under 14) and Joel Tucker on Euphonium (Under 18). Both of these musicians showed real connection to their instruments, both creating a supremely warm and mellow tone. Joel's playing was, at times, quite moving, and rightly deserving of a Distinction mark.

The final class of the afternoon, the Vocal Jazz Under 18 (one of my personal favourites - hmmm.... I wonder why?...) Some great work being shown with the young singers here. I would definitely encourage these singers to listen to more Jazz - and OLDER Jazz. It's really easy to get swept away by modern Jazz singers like Michael Buble and even Lady Gaga (incidentally, her duet album with Tony Bennett is amazing), but like Adrian has stressed a few times already, "Knowing music cannot be taught, you (the performer) have to do that yourself - it's what makes you unique." If you want to understand Jazz, you need to listen to everything from it's very beginnings to the present day, and then take what you like and develop your own style. I can see glimpses of this starting to appear in the three performers in this class..... but there is SO much room for more! Overall, the class was won by Luella Taylor with a Distinction.

Helpful information and certificate of participation for all
(and perhaps a trophy if you're lucky!)

Starting slightly earlier on the Monday evening, the first classes of the night were three composition classes: Under 18, Under 18 school entry, and the Over 18. A slightly unusual set of classes, as they involve no performance on stage whatsoever! Rather, the adjudicator has been sent the scores and recordings ahead of time, and has adjudicated the pieces before the festival starts. The audience do get a chance to hear at least part of the pieces, as before the class began recordings are played through the PA system, and Adrian requested that snippets of the pieces were played so the audience could hear what he was talking about. Composition is a very subjective thing - example: I love Chopin's 'Revolutionary' Etude - my other half detests it and thinks it's rubbish. Does that mean it's not a brilliant piece, because he doesn't like it?.... Well, no! It's his opinion and he's entitled to it! I have spent much time in the USA on composing courses and forums, and listened to the music other composers have produced, some of it really not my cup of tea at all... but I still know how to appreciate it's worth and technical prowess. Music is art, and everyone has an opinion about it, as we've seen in the live performance classes. In the case of this particular festival, Adrian discussed how he was looking for each composer's use of structure, use of instrumentation, sense of style, and harmonic texture. In the under 18 classes, my personal favourite was James Thompson's humorously named 'Writer's Block', which was a Jazz style piece. James has a really good feel for Jazz, and I could see many an audience member tapping their feet along with his recording. Some promising work coming from him (and more to come I hope). Over 18's class winner Martin Hassell submitted a 31-minute long chamber opera, which in itself deserves praise for the amount of work which must have gone in to writing a work of that scale. Martin was also praised for his fine piano writing, which is of no surprise having seen his skill and love of the keyboard instruments over the festival so far. A thoroughly interesting set of classes, and I hope the audience took away just how difficult it is to judge 'art'!

Kicking off the 'live' part of the evening, we were treated to two well attended choral classes; the Secondary School Choirs class for school Years 7-11, followed by Choir Madrigals Over 18. Starting with the schools, this was a very close-run competition, which each choir bringing their own sense of style to their program. Certainly with choirs, the key element is blending, being able to create somewhat of a unison sound despite multiple parts. The choir which seemed to achieve this best on this occasion were St Sampson's High School Chamber Choir, with their second piece 'Tears in Heaven' by Eric Clapton proving particularly effective, especially as they were able to perform this un-conducted, and with a beautiful picturesque choir formation, sitting rather than standing for this lilting and emotional ballad. St Sampson's won the class with a Highly Commended.
- In the next class, blending was also of utmost importance, but the overall style of the music took precedence here, as Madrigal singing is very particular in it's approach and delivery. Having performed Madrigals back in the day with the Guernsey Music Centre Youth Choir, I can tell you, they are not easy to pull off! The ability to blend is immediately more difficult when you consider that the parts are often moving independently, and again when you consider that the size of a traditional madrigal choir is quite small. The group which fulfilled the Madrigal brief best on this occasion was The A Team, with a Highly Commended mark of 85.

The next class, the Lieder Over 18, can be a little heavy for some audiences. In Lieder classes both the singer and pianist are marked, but the song must be in German, and this is where audiences can often be lost. German is not a particularly easy language to sing in or to listen to musically if it's not your native language, as the consonants can be quite harsh, and the vowel sounds quite dark compared to English (As a little humorous aside to brighten your day, check out this Youtube video comparing German to other languages....) - That said, when you really listen to the musicality and skill required for Lieder, and observe the partnership that is needed to be successful in performance, you can begin to appreciate the genre for what it is. Another closely contested class on this occasion, but it was Tina James (voice) and Marilyn Pugh (piano) who won the class with 84 Marks.
- Continuing on with more piano classes we had the Piano Solo: Themes from Film & TV Over 18, followed by the Piano Duet Over 18. Film music is a bit of a love of mine, and I'll admit that I am very much imagery driven when I hear music - I create imagery, little movies if you will, in my head when I hear a piece being performed, so when I know a piece is associated with a film I immediately see the films in my head! When playing a solo piano performance of a film piece, unless the piece is originally written for such, it can be quite difficult to recreate the full sound from the movie soundtrack. Adrian also reiterated his view that, if the piece is already an arrangement, you are well within your write to RE-arrange that piece to suit your performance needs. A small but perfectly formed class, with a wide variety of excellent film music, from Forrest Gump to Alice in Wonderland, but on this occasion it was John Morris who won the class with his spirited performance of 'Montagues and Capulets' by Prokofiev (which is of course now associated with the BBC program 'Dragon's Den'...... No dragon's at this Eisteddfod though, that's for sure!)

The final classes of the evening were the Recorder Solo Over 18 followed by the Senior Music Making Class. This last class in particular was a rather warm and lovely class, showing that in the festival, and in general, music really is for everyone. A wide variety of music in this class, but it was actually a 'surprise encore' which captured everyone's heart. As it transpires, it was the final competitor of the evening, Grace Ozanne's 88th Birthday, and after her performance her accompanist turned to the audience and asked them to sing her Happy Birthday. This is what I love about the Guernsey Eisteddfod. We know when to show respect and stick to more professional presentations.... but we also know how to have a jolly good laugh and join in with a bit of fun!

Courage comes from Encouragement

The Sunday session for the Guernsey Eisteddfod is a rather special day - a day dedicated to Sacred music, and a chance for all the performers to perform in our premier concert hall, St James. Certainly that's the main reason I enter the sacred solo class: St James' acoustics are to die for!

Opening the afternoon session at St James we had the Under 18 Sacred Solo. In recent years this class has been much less attended by performers, with only three competing this year. Perhaps this is a reflection on musical trends; 'Sacred' music, to most, will be assumed to be Classical in nature, and perhaps rather stately, even a little dull. But this really is not the case. I would thoroughly encourage more young singers to give this class a go. There are many amazing Sacred songs in contemporary styles; Gospel, Christian Rock and Pop etc. Moses Hogan is a celebrated writer and arranger of Gospel music, whom I, and many of my friends and students have frequently performed at the Eisteddfod. I would also argue that there are immense benefits to entering this class: the chance to sing solo at St James, and hear how your voice fairs in an supreme acoustic, and also the chance to explore a wider variety of repertoire which will perhaps teach you a lot about your voice. Of the class this year, I'd like to make special mention of Luella Taylor. There's been a lot of talk about 'vocal transition' by our adjudicator, and Luella wouldn't mind me saying that she went through a big vocal change in recent years, essentially ending up with a strong 'chest register', a wobbly vocal break, and a weaker/breathier 'head register'. A lot of girls will find themselves in this position - and I was one of them! It can be incredibly frustrating, and can make you self-conscious of your voice. The worst part of it can be, often, girls are left to fend for themselves when their voices change because boys voices change more dramatically and noticeably. From hearing Luella sing today, I must say, she and her teacher are doing excellent work. Her voice is developing really well, and she's started to explore the 'mix register' (again, if you want more detail, contact me, not enough time/space to explain here!), and as a result her voice is much more connected across her full range. As an added bonus, there's much more freedom and less tension in her voice. Keep up the good work Luella! A close call today in this class, as all three competitors performed their choice of songs well, with soul and understanding. In the end, it was Elliot Hearne who just pipped it to the trophy, with a Highly Commended for his rendition of Moses Hogan's 'Give me Jesus'.

Elliot Hearne, winner of the Under 18s Sacred Solo class

Following on from the singers was two Church Organ Classes (Open and Over 18), entered by one musician, Martin Hassall. Martin has certainly thrown himself into the Eisteddfod this year; I've counted at least 13 classes! There was much talk in the adjudication about the colours available with the organ, and how playing it with the intention of sounding like a particular orchestral instrument is of huge benefit to the overall performance: for example, aiming to imitate an oboe with a particular melody, or creating the texture of a string ensemble. This is something I've often done with my piano students - getting them to think about, if the piece were played by an orchestra, who would play what? Then, how would you recreate that on the piano? Adrian was positive about Martin's ability to create colour on the organ, and gave some technical feedback in order to progress his playing. Another statement which relates to both pianists and organists is how, when they play in a concert setting, they have to play what they're given, as in, they get given a piano or an organ. "It's a bit like taking an octopus for a walk" Adrian remarked. Two well performed pieces from Martin in the end, earning himself a Commended and a Highly Commended.

The next portion of the afternoon was taken up by three choral classes: Junior School Choirs, Secondary School Choirs, and Community Choirs. One thing Guernsey manages to produce is very good choral work, with these classes showing this absolutely. On this occasion, I have to say, I have to disagree (shock horror!) with Adrian Goss on his decision in the Junior School Choirs class. The sole performers were Melrose Junior Choir, whom I thought sang heartily, with great connection, a lovely tone, and a lovely developing sense of dynamics and musical understanding. Their first piece 'One Fine Day' in particular I thought resonated really well, and captured the hearts of the audience. Hence my surprise that they only received a Commended mark for their efforts. Adrian also seemed to think they were forcing their sound, but again I disagree with him on that. Perhaps it was where I was sat on the hall, but to my ears I heard good, clean and well-produced power without excessive effort. But this is the truth of the Eisteddfod - everyone has an opinion! Don't be disheartened Melrose - I'm sure there are many of the audience members who were there who agree with me! The Community Choirs Class really does show us 'community', and we were entertained by two choirs from Guernsey as well as the Alderney Voices. What was evident in all these choirs was the sense of fun and belonging, with each choir showcasing their own unique approach to teamwork and choral singing. Much fun was also had by all in the adjudication, with Adrian almost needing to adopt the role of 'Headmaster' to keep the choirs in line! - They certainly are all a spirited bunch! I think credit needs to go to Adrian for his witty response to someone dashing from the hall to answer a loudly ringing phone (*tut tut tut!), calling after them, "Oh, was that your agent?" - A superbly fun class, won on this occasion by Churches Community Choir - Festiva, with 84 Marks.
- Closing out the afternoon we had the Oratorio Classes, followed by the Sacred Choirs Over 18, featuring The Accidentals. The afternoon session had managed to get itself hugely behind schedule, so it was pleasing to see that so many had stayed to hear The Accidentals sing, and surely they will not have regretted the decision to stay. A group which makes high standard choral sound, Adrian discussed their effective use of tonal colours and wide variety of dynamics. A rousing finish with Howard Goodall's 'Love Divine', and a fitting end to the afternoon with a Distinction Mark of 87.

Starting off the evening session was the Sacred Singing Groups Class, which featured two duets, and a chamber group of singers, spanning a wide variety of classical repertoire from Constantini to Lloyd-Webber. The 'theme' of the adjudication for this class was focused on Style and Intonation. Adjudicator Adrian Goss talked about how style is something which needs to be 'heard', in that, performers learn style by listening to it rather than reading about it. I do agree with him on this, as I frequently tell my students, when they are learning a piece to go and listen to many versions of it they can find so as to immerse themselves in it, and essentially absorb the style. Regarding tuning, Adrian's stated that, "Basically, if you're not in tune, you're not singing the right notes." - bluntly put, but 100% on point with that one! Tuning is certainly a fundamental musical skill, which even those who profess to be 'non-musical' can recognise when it's not quite right. Adrian also went on to talk about how Sopranos and Alto's have differing issues regarding pitch; Sopranos will often struggle with descending passages, and Alto's with ascending (and one could assume this applies to Tenors and Basses in the same way). The group which seemed to impress the most were The A-team, with their well executed piece, "Confitemini Domini", earning themselves the trophy and 88 Marks.

The Sacred Solo class is a festival favourite, and it always draws a large pool of performers (again, mainly because of St James' fabulous acoustic). I'm starting to wonder if Adrian Goss is a bit of a mindreader, because before the evening session started a group of us were discussing the meaning of 'Sacred', and about whether we would ever perform a solo which was not Christian in origin. I myself am not a religious person, but I love performing Sacred music because it is always so well written, so I've often contemplated exploring the Sacred music of other religions. This was an opinion which Adrian brought up himself when adjudicating this class. It's certainly something to consider - maybe we can pull in more performers if it's understood that there is a wider range of Sacred music to explore! This class was truly wonderful, we each singer showing a true connection to the music. One moment which struck a chord with everyone was singer David Tostevin, who in a moment of memory blank was unable to finish his song - however, the adjudicator encouraged him to get back on stage at the end of the class, with the sheet music, and perform the song as he intended. This was a wonderful display of compassion from our adjudicator, a wonderful display of courage from David for recomposing himself, but very importantly a wonderful display of encouragement from the audience, supporting him every step of the way. It's clear that David has a fantastic voice, as evident by his amazing top A at the end of his song, and moments like this happen to every performer at some stage - but as Adrian said, it is so important not to dwell on it, and get straight back on the horse. Bravo David!

The Final class of the night, a real crowd pleaser, the Gospel Choirs Over 18, contested by three choirs; The GYCT Singers, The States of Guernsey Choir, and The Accidentals. I must give credit to the States of Guernsey Choir, for their first appearance and for making a warm and well-rounded choral sound. I hope to see more States members supporting the Eisteddfod in this capacity! The winners of this class were The Accidentals, with another Outstanding mark of 90. Adrian has been extremely complimentary of this choir, citing them as "professional" on more than one occasion - "There's nothing 'accidental' about this choir!" he also stated. Of course, a choir is only as good as it's conductor, and this is where special mention needs to be made of Marilyn Pugh. Adrian took the time, when awarding the trophy, to speak about Marilyn's commitment to the the festival (and music in general), and her immense skill and ability to get such quality out of her groups. As her daughter, I'm incredibly proud of what my mum has achieved, and is still achieving in music, and it is wonderful to hear her rewarded for her efforts.

It is clear from today's sessions that, more than anything, community spirit is alive and well. Music has a funny way of bringing that out in people, and I would urge any of you who want to get involved in music (even if you think you're not musical) to look into taking part in a choir, or an ensemble, or even a local theatre production. The skill associated with music takes time to grow (10,000hrs to become an expert!) - and what better way to do that than with a group of friends, singing your heart out!