"The benefits of singing are indisputable"

I think.... I need to refer to this as 'Super Saturday', because it was so full of incredible moments - luckily, I know where to start because there's a chronological order (haha!), but sometimes it is hard to believe that all this wonderful music making comes out of our tiny little island!

Starting off the morning we had a lovely little piano class, the Piano Under 10s. Only two competitors, who both gave solid performances, Henry Kennedy with 'The Wild Horseman', and Lily-Ella O'Brien with 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' - two lovely Highly Commended performances from these young pianists. I think it needs saying again, Steven Roberts our adjudicator is SO good with children! He has this amazing positive energy which just puts them at ease, and he always finds good things to say about everyone. A tough choice this morning, but on this occasion Lily-Ella was the winner. Well done both!

Pop stars in the making!
L-R: top row - Ruby-Jane Gill, Sicely Mountford,
Matilda Cole / bottom row - Eliza Webster,
Emily Northmore, and Kiriana Hutchinson 

Next up was the Pop Song Under 12, featuring six lovely young singers, and, as Steven commented, a wonderful variety of pop songs. He was very complimentary about all the singers voices, and made constructive critiques to the singers about breathing and sustaining the vocal line - as a general rule for you all at home reading this, you essentially want to try and breathe where the punctuation in the lyrics is, otherwise the words stop making sense. And typically in pop, if you listen for it, some singers are terrible at breathing! Adele is one of the worst offenders (amazing songwriter, great voice, rubbish at breathing!) - The trouble is then, if you're a singer and you've learned a song by listening to the original, it's quite possible that you've accidentally picked up their bad habits (along with the good of course). Certainly something to think about, all you pop singers out there. A really strong class this one, with excellent deliveries from all - on this occasion, Sicely Mountford won the class with a Distinction for her engaging delivery of 'I See Fire' by Ed Sheeran. Steven was particularly impressed with her ability to draw the audience in right from the beginning, and maintain excellent pitch whilst unaccompanied. Well done Sicely, and all the singers in this class. We next had two Double Bass classes... but only one competitor! Alexandra Dorey competed in both the Under 16 and Under 18 classes, receiving Highly Commended for both, and taking home two trophies! Not a bad day in the office, eh Alexandra? Continuing the session was the Piano Under 14, with 4 performers each delivering something completely different to the others, with music from Granados, Bach, Elgar and Chopin. Some fine playing developing here in these young musicians. I was particularly impressed with Maisie Belford's performance completely off-by-heart, and delivered with sincerity and a maturing expression. She won the class with a Distinction. 

After the interval we had the Folk Song Solo for 12 & under 15, which is open to all voices in that age group, but there were only female voices today. Four nice voices developing here, and a great sense of story-telling from all, which, knowing they all go to drama schools, you'd expect a good sense of acting! The winner of this class was Erin Vaudin, with a Highly Commended performance of the Scottish traditional song, 'Wild Mountain Thyme'. Next up was the Versatility Class Under 18 - three hugely versatile performers in this class, who all showcased great ability on both their chosen instruments. If you're unsure as how to how this class works, performers must showcase a piece on two different instruments (which can include voice, and unlike the self-accompanied, not at the same time!). This class is always amazing when you see just how well some musicians are able to play several instruments! In this class we had MC Benoist, performing on Piano and Violin, Cara Fitzpatrick performing on Saxophone and Piano, and Sam Cole performing on Violin and Piano. Each performer chose a lovely program, which highlighted their individual skills wonderfully. I particularly enjoyed Sam Cole's interpretation of Einaudi's 'Nuvole Bianche' (but then I am a sucker for Einaudi's music!) - A high standard of class. The winner was MC Benoist, receiving a Distinction. Finishing off the morning, one of my favourite classes, the Special Needs Choirs Open, in which we saw the Gateway Club performing two pieces, 'John Brown's Body' and 'Side by Side'. It's always a joy to see this group performing, and I think it's the best I've heard them perform - it's clear to see that they all enjoy music so much, and have worked incredibly hard for their eisteddfod performance. Steven was, again, amazing and positive during his adjudication, and awarded them a Distinction for their performance. Well done Gateway!


Opening up the afternoon session, we had the Country & Western Song Under 18, featuring three performers in Erin Vaudin, Hermione Reoch-Brehaut, and Samantha Paines. This genre is becoming more and more popular, and I hope to see it grow to a similar size of the pop and the jazz classes. Whilst still 'popular music', like jazz, country and western music has it's own skills and stylistic qualities that cement it's sound, things like vocal twang, and the use of diphthongs within the lyrics. Some nice country qualities developing in these young singers, and I'd encourage them to further immerse themselves in the genre to develop their sound further; listen to everything, and copy people! This is how we learn how to do things in the short of it, by listening and copying, which if used effectively can be super helpful for your progress as a singer. Highly Commended all around, with the winner this time being Samantha Paines, performing 'My Church' by Maren Morris.

Next up, the Piano Under 18. Two beautiful performances here from Annabelle Pizzey and MC Benoist, performing 'Nocturne in C#minor' by Chopin (one of my favourites), and L'Alouette by Cunka-Balakirev respectively. Neither of these are easy pieces, by any stretch of the imagination, and I've said it before, often the pianists seem to have to work a hell of a lot harder to get the same results. I've shown this to music colleagues before, when you look at what is required of even a Grade 1 pianist versus a Grade 1 violinist say, the piano is much harder! These two performers did however show great command of their instrument, both receiving a Highly Commended, with Annabelle just pipping to the top and taking the trophy. The last class before the interval was Concerto Class Open... This was always going to be a bit of a show-stopping class; it was the Violins vs the Oboes, and when you've got the likes of Joseph Stoller, George Walker, Jack Tostevin-Hall and Annabelle Pizzey up against each other, you can guarantee, you're going to get some amazing music! These performers really didn't disappoint. The musicality they each presented was remarkable, and something which I hope the audience enjoyed as much as I did was hearing two performers play the same piece (Joseph Stoller and George Walker both played the 'Concerto No.1 in A Minor' for Violin), but in completely different ways. A nice little demonstration of how each individual musician develops their own style I thought! An incredibly high standard class, with everyone receiving Distinctions, except our overall class winner Jack Tostevin-Hall, who won with an Outstanding. Superb music of the highest level indeed!

1st, 2nd and 3rd placed performers from the Songs from the Shows Under 15

And finally, we get to the first of the big-hit classes that prove so popular year after year, the 12 and under 15s Songs from the Shows. "At last! Costumes! Makeup!... Stage-hands!!" Steven cried when he came to adjudicate. As we've come to expect from these classes, the standard high, and the energy even more so. Steven stated that musical theatre, although it often appears easy, is in fact not; it requires good vocals, stage craft (sometimes including choreography), and a clear ability to communicate with the audience and tell the story of the character you are playing. He went on to say that choice of repertoire was also really important, which I whole-heartedly agree with. When you're looking for songs to sing in musical theatre, it's important to consider your 'casting' (as they call it in the biz) By that we mean: is the song right for your voice (range, tone, style); is the song right for your AGE (often over looked, but important - you need to be careful not to choose songs that are too mature for you); and is the song right for your personality - are you capable of being convincing as the chosen character, in every way that can be expressed in musical theatre? Lots of the kids in this class proved that, yes, they can be! Every competitor received a Highly Commended, with the three winning acts gaining Distinctions. In 3rd were Freya Tardif, Poppy Cochrane, Clemmie Reid & Lexie Brock (performing 'Edgar Allan Poe' from Snoopy the Musical), in 2nd were Maisie Webster, Eve Whalley, Imogen Watts & Imogen Giles (performing 'All I Wanna do is Eat' from Disenchanted), and topping the class we had Freya Mitchell with a hilarious and engaging performance of 'Party Dress'. I'd also like to make special mention to Jorja Barrett, who I thought delivered an impressively sung and sincere performance of 'What it means to be a Friend' from 13. Well done everyone!

The first Saturday evening started off the Piano Duet Over 18. Piano duets, as Steven reiterated, are really fun (or at least, they should be!), especially if you also try to learn the other player's part! So often in a duet, you end up relegated to whichever part you've 'always played' (or been told to play), so it's actually a really great exercise to look at the other part so that you understand the piece more fully. Steven was hugely complimentary of both pairs; Alison Bourgaize & Felicity Millard playing 'Valse Op.11 no. 4' by Rachmaninov, and myself and my mother playing 'Badinages, Valse Excentrique 3rd Mvt' by the lesser known Philip Lane. He said he thoroughly enjoy the partnership in both performances, and was hugely entertained by the interesting choices of repertoire. Distinctions all around, but it was myself and my mother who won the trophies (there's two for the duet, one each of course!) with 89 marks. Continuing on from piano duets, we had the Instrumental Bach Class for Over 16s. A thoroughly interesting class this; we're perhaps used to hearing Bach on pianos and orchestral instruments, but it was great to hear it on a Saxophone, an instrument we most commonly associate with Jazz. Cara Fitzpatrick performed the Sonata No. 6, 2nd Mvt, and I think the audience really enjoyed hearing a hugely famous composer's work come to life in a new way. Also in the class was John Morris, performing the infamous 'Toccata in D Major'. John is usually known for his lightening speed playing, but tonight, he just seemed to breathe a little, and chose a more relaxed tempo for his performance, which I think really worked for him. Steven clearly also thought so, as he awarded John the trophy with a Distinction mark of 89. Continuing the evening, we had the Folk/Traditional Choirs Over 18 class, featuring State of Harmony, and visiting us from the north, The Alderney Voices. Two wonderful performances from these choirs, and in my opinion, I think both of these groups have improved from last year. Steven was certainly complimentary about them both, although he urged them both to relax and not look so worried on stage. "You're up there doing it! Commit and have fun!" - A close call with this one, but on this occasion it was States of Harmony who pipped it with a Distinction Mark of 87.

Finishing off the night, the highlight in my opinion, the Mixed Choirs Over 18. In previous years this class has been a little small with only 1 or 2 choirs competing. This time, we had six, which included choirs from both our neighbours in the north (Alderney), and from the 'other island' (Jersey, if you weren't sure...) The overriding feeling from this class was a sense of support and community, as where possible other choirs were in the theatre to listen to their competitors, and each choir received applause before they performed. Opening the class were the Sing for Health, who although were not competing in the class, the absolute joy on their faces was infectious, and they really got us all going with their enthusiasm and passion for singing. I want to praise their conductor, Samantha Nichols, as she is a powerhouse of positive energy, and this choir are truly lucky to have her at the helm. Bravo Sam! Next up, GYCT Singers, who as always provided us with their unique choral staging and bags of energy. I think this is the best I've heard GYCT in the last few years, possibly because they really seemed confident in what they were delivering. Their use of signing in their performance of 'This is Me' was also beautifully incorporated. Alderney Voices came on next, giving us a lovely unison sound from the men, and a heartfelt performance of 'Anthem' and 'Colours of my Life'. Our neighbours from Jersey, Les Conteurs Singers took to the stage with a wonderful, classic, choral sound and a wonderful program. I also really enjoyed seeing their conductor lead this choir, which I thought she did with grace and elegance. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them. The penultimate choir were State of Harmony, who went for a bit of 'Razzle Dazzle', complete with sparkly jackets and green top hats, before the final choir (of which I am a part), The Accidentals closed out the evening. The smallest choir, but packing a punch, and from a personal point of view we also performed a composition of mine, 'Adiraï (Misplaced)', which is written about the evacuation of the Channel Islands in World War Two. There was something quite magical about this performance for me; perhaps it was having choirs from Alderney and Jersey present in the audience that just felt like something of home-coming, but I thought The Accidentals did me proud, and the reception from the audience was truly wonderful, so thank you everyone from me for that! Steven was hugely positive about all the choirs, and stated about how much he enjoyed this class of choral music, and the huge variety it had to offer. In 3rd place came Jersey's choir Les Conteurs Singers, with GYCT coming in second, and topping the class were The Accidentals, with a truly outstanding mark of 93. Steven said of this choir, "You have the essence of a West End Chorus", which is quite possibly the best compliment ever! The sense of support from the rest of the choirs was not done though, as the Jersey choir rose to their feet to give The Accidentals a standing ovation. I truly hope this support continues into Sunday's choir classes, and perhaps beyond.... inter-island choral festival anyone?....

Steven closed out the evening by reiterating just how wonderful singing is, not just to listen to, or even to do, but in that it's health, social and psychological benefits are incredible. He praised the Guernsey Eisteddfod on the whole for providing these opportunities where choirs can not only perform, but hear other choirs perform, and enjoy each others styles, successes, and learn from each other in a truly supportive manner. I can't agree with him more! Just keep singing everyone!

Winners of the Mixed Voice Choirs O18, with an Outstanding 93 marks, The Accidentals