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!