Fantastical Cats and Types of Wood

The Final Saturday of the Eisteddfod 2020 - it's been an amazing week of music making, and the last day was no different; full of amazing performances, and high quality music making. 

We started off the morning session with a set of piano classes; the Under 10 Piano, the Under 12 Piano, the under 14 Jazz Piano, and the Under 16 Jazz piano. Some great playing here; I was particularly taken with William Kennedy's piece 'Toccata Breve', which kicked off the morning for us in the Under 10s with excitement and flair, earning himself a well-deserved win and an Outstanding. There was some really characterful playing in the Under 12s; in particularly I enjoyed class winner Lara Veillard's performance of Lazy Bear, as well as Darcy Hodgson's performance of Elgars 'Chanson De Matin', for which they both received Distinctions. The Under 14, and the Under 16 Jazz piano class (which share a trophy), also saw some brilliant piano playing of demanding repertoire, from the likes of Dave Brubeck, Mick Cornick and George Gershwin. The winners of the Jazz classes were Archie Perdue (Under 14), and Benjamin Childs (Under 16) respectively - in this instance however, Archie took home the trophy due to a shared trophy for these classes (I'll say it again, it'd be lovely if every class had a trophy! The festival is always happy for trophy donations!) 
- One thing that I've also enjoyed from the Piano classes is when Nancy adjudicates, she'll get up on the piano to demonstrate the critiques she's talking about to the young performers. Nancy is clearly an amazing pianist, and it was lovely to see and hear her play whilst helping out the youngsters.    

Following the pianists, we had the Songs from the Shows Open - of all the classes, this for me was the most weirdly placed, being on a Saturday morning - I feel this class is better served scheduled right before one of the other Songs from the Shows class (before the afternoon's Songs from the Shows Under 15 would have made more sense in my view). None-the-less, I had a lot of fun participating in this class, as I performed 'I know it's today' with two of my students, Sicely Mountford, and Emmelie Wright. We've had a lot of fun pulling this together, and I think this is what this class is all about, teachers and pupils able to perform together, or even family members or friends of different age categories. It's a shame that it's not filled to the brim like other Songs from the Shows classes! Next year, I'm determined it'll be a much bigger class! But this year, I'm enjoying celebrating that our 'three fionas' trio got an Outstanding mark of 93, and we took home the trophy. 

- Before the interval, another piano class, which is always good fun, the 6 hands or more Open. As pianists, we most often perform solo, so it's really good fun to play duets or trios (and even quartets!) on the piano, and it takes such skill to get it right as well! The winners of the class were Sam Cole, Owen Cole and Judy Beaugeard for their performance of Benodet Breeze, for which they received a Distinction. 

After the interval, we had a collection of vocal solo classes, the Vocal Boys Under 10, Vocal Boys Under 12, the Vocal Boys 15 & Under 18, and finally the Folk Song Solo Under 12. The boys classes all fielded only 1 competitor each, which tends to be the trend with these classes at present (it seems we see most of the male competitors in instrumental classes, or contemporary vocal classes like Pop, Jazz or Musical Theatre) - There's any number of reasons for this trend, but I do find that young boys perhaps aren't encouraged to sing as much as girls, and this is something I would like to see change for sure. Some lovely singing in these classes though, as we were treated to 'The Crocodile' performed by Ramsay Ismail winner of the Under 10, Highly Commended), 'Poco Poppa Pizza' performed by Jack Manheim (Under 12 winner, Commended), and 'Music for a While' by Purcell, performed by Sebastian Hazzan (Under 18 winner, Highly Commended). The folk solo Under 12, which incidentally is open to all singers but on this occasion only had female singers participating, saw some lovely performances of traditional folk music, both in the traditional unaccompanied style, and with piano accompaniment. I particularly thought that Zara Stafford-Bell did an exceptional job with her performance of 'Dona Dona', completely a cappella. This young singer has an excellent grasp on pitch, and a gorgeous vocal tone developing, and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future. A high standard of class all round here, with every competitor receiving Highly Commended, except class winner Sophia Roger, who received a Distinction for her performance of Danny Boy. Another fine voice here, with a beautiful tone. Well done everyone. 

- Closing the morning, we had a wonderful class with the Choirs, Special Needs. Gateway Club presented a spectacular performance with the most vibrant and colourful appearance, complete with giant straw hats, a selection of percussion instruments, and accompaniment on guitar, flute and trumpet. The joy coming from this group was delightful to see, and their rendition of 'Is this the way to Amarillo' was particularly great. Nancy awarded them all Highly Commendeds, and the Melody Press Printers Cup.  

Emily Northmore showing
'costume commitment 

Starting off the afternoon we had two classes, the Pop Song Duo/Trio/Quartet Under 15, and the Pop Song Duo/Trio/Quartet Under 18.  In the first class, sole competitors Poppy Cochrane, Alexa Brock, and Freya Tardiff performed with lovely 3-part harmony in there piece 'Fade', receiving a Highly Commended, and the new presented trophy for this year, the Dawson and Wright Cup. The following class (Under 18) saw two very different performances, with a fun piece entitled the 'Elvis Medley', in which I believe Reece Kilminster, Drew Robilliard, Simone Ashplant and Lucy Mahy arranged themselves, and a lovely duet from Bella Lee and Lucia Enevoldseen. I particularly enjoyed the duet, and I thought Lucia's voice (whom I've not heard before) showed lovely promise, with a fabulous low range and a really great tone of voice. The quartet delivered with energy and commitment, as I've come to expect from them, and won the class with a Distinction. 

- The rest of the afternoon was taken up with the last of the big musical theatre classes, the Songs from the Shows Under 15. Proving to be another stellar class of hugely high standards, we were treated to another selection of great music, with great performances to boot. Shows performed included West Side Story, Les Miserables, Once Upon a Mattress, and Little Women. Nancy complimented the youngsters on their confidence, their find developing voices (also praising the teaching in this island), and the commitment of everyone involved in pulling together such amazing performance. She also praised the presentations of costumes, which always seem to be brilliant. A truly outstanding class, we saw jointly in 3rd place on 94 marks Isabelle Lees with 'On my Own', and Maisie Webster with 'End of the Line'. In 2nd place was Freya Mitchell, on 95 marks for 'I Love Play Rehearsal', and on another super 96 and winning the class was Hermione Reoch-Brehaut for her performance of 'Shy' from Once Upon a Mattress. I thought Hermione sang with beauty, grace, and real maturity, and she seemed genuinely shocked to have won this class - I wasn't, it was wonderful! Congratulations Hermione, and everyone who took part in this amazing class! 

Under 15 Songs from the Show winner
Hermione Reoch-Breahuat

Starting off the final evening session, a little bit of class to kick everything off, which was probably a good thing, since it was all going to descend into madness later! The first class was the Instrumental Bach Open, which saw John Morris and Martin Hassall battling it out once more. Two fabulous performances of such hefty repertoire, saw Martin receive 89 marks, and John take the win with another 90 for his playing. Next we had the Under 18s Country & Western song. A relatively new class to this festival, but it seems to be taking peoples fancy, and we had a good amount of performers, as well as some wonderful performances. I do think that half the fun of doing something like the eisteddfod is trying loads of different styles of performing, because then you get to find what really suits you. It might be Jazz, it might be Musical Theatre, it might be Classical, or it might be Country and Western! I certainly thought this of class winner Samantha Paines, that this genre of music just seems to work with her personality and voice, and I hope she explores this genre further. Another high standard of class saw the top three, Erin Vaudin, Isabelle Lees, and Samantha Paines, all receive Outstandings. The last class of this part of the evening was the Under 18s Novelty Class, which saw Elliott Hearne deliver a spectacularly hilarious rendition of 'The Trololol song', complete with the infamous brown suit, and expert comedy timing - as the accompanist, I promise you, I was struggling to keep it together! Elliott rightly received an outstanding 92 marks, winning the Pond House Trophy. 

Next up, we had a wonderful speech from Barbara Minta, thanking everyone for their support and contribution to the festival, followed by the Presentation of the Special Awards, the winners of which are below;

The Janet Bran Cup for the most promising junior singer 

– Isabelle Lees 

The Marjorie Guillemette Cup for the most promising junior pianist 

– Benjamin and Harry Childs (shared)

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

– Joseph Stoller (Violin)

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

– Cara Fitzpatrick (saxophone) 

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

– The Accidentals 

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

– Elizabeth College String Quartet 

The Longmire Baton for the most outstanding conductor or director 

– Lydia Pugh and Azita Mehdinejad (Shared) 

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

– Hannah Beacom 

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

– Darren Alderton & Alison Castle for 'Classical Cats' by Rossini 

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

– Sam Cole 

Elliott Hearne (L) 'Trolololing', and Lindsey Veillard
all dolled up for the Jazz Class

A really wonderful selection for these special awards this year. I was very pleased in particular for Sam Cole, who I thought gave amazing performances throughout the week, and for Cara Fitzpatrick,  who I also thought really performed beautifully this festival, and has developed into a fine Sax player. I was also delighted for Hannah Beacom for winning the Peter A Malley Trophy, and naturally, I was very happy (and somewhat shocked) to have jointly won the Longmire Baton. I never in a million years thought I'd ever be considered for that award, so I'm absolutely over the moon! 

Continuing out evening, a little bit more class, but perhaps with more sass than the Bach class, we had the Over 18 Vocal Jazz. Always a great class with powerhouse performances, and this year really did not disappoint. Big love to Lindsey Veillard who performed in this class for the first time, earning a Distinction, and I'm really pleased for Tracey Robilliard, also in her first venture into the world of Jazz, for receiving an Outstanding mark of 90 for her performance of Summertime, which was sultry and truly in keeping with the Jazz idiom. Another highly marked class saw Jo Marsh come in third place with 91 marks, and a joint 1st on 94 marks for Dominique Ogier performing a sassy 'Mama Morten-esque' rendition of 'All about that Bass', and myself performing what Nancy described as a 'sultry, idiomatic and stylish' arrangement of 'Toxic'. A fab class all around, as always!

And finally, closing the show, and therefore the musical festival, the class where literally anything goes, the Over 18 Novelty Song. Unlike the Under 18s class, there was plenty of performers here in this class - perhaps some more Under 18s need to let loose and embrace the ridiculousness a little bit more, because honestly, I've never laughed as hard as I did for this class! There were some truly spectacular moments from everyone tonight; Darren & Alison kicked off the evening with the last of their mad 'Cat' duets, Lindsey Davies & Kirstin Radford delivered pure insanity with a re-interpretation of 'Common People', Matt Nichols & Sam Claxton expertly channelled The Flight of the Concords with their song 'I'm Not Crying', Linsdey Veillard had a questionably shaped 'Type of Wood', Laura Simpson performed 'Alto's Lament' with expert humour and delivery, I channeled my inner Bill Bailey with my a self-accompanied piece called 'Cockney Rocks', Darren took the audience way beyond any line they may have drawn for themselves with 'My Girlfriend and Her Car', and finally, Alison Castle closed the night with a show-stopping performance of 'Popsy Wopsy'. Another tough one to call, in which Nancy said she was advised to "not bother with critique, just say what you enjoyed!" - the top three were myself in 3rd place with 93 marks, Sam & Matt in 2nd with 94 marks, but way out in front with our last 96 of the festival was Laura Simpson, proving that just because you're an alto doesn't mean you haven't got a great top C! 

It has been a truly amazing festival this year, and I thank Nancy for her in-sight, her knowledge, her wit, but most importantly her kindness in her approach to adjudicating. Thank you everyone who participated, accompanied, supported, chaperoned, shifted pianos and set, handed out certificates or tickets, and everyone else who was involved. Here's to the next one! 

A super end to a super year! 

 

"Let's start at a Distinction and go up from there!"

The penultimate day of the eisteddfod, which you might think would mean we were slowing down, but far from it! 

We started the morning session with what is always a delightful class, the Infant Age Music Making class. Now, I must confess, I didn’t actually get to see this class (to my eternal sadness), as I was warming up all my singers who were set to perform in the following class. I did however hear some of the fun coming through some of the backstage speakers, and I did see the huge array of fabulously bright coloured instruments, so can only imagine the fun that all these young musicians were having on stage. Congratulations to all of you for participating and entertaining us with your music! 

A fine group of young pop stars in the making! 

Continuing the morning, we had the Pop Song Under 12s. A lovely class here, with everyone choosing songs which I felt really suited them, both vocally, and their personality. Nancy remarked that there was "a high standard all around, from performers and teachers alike” and that there was much to admire. She went on to talk about what she was looking for from these young performers, which was good use of pop technique, engagement with the words, and an emotional connection. One piece of advice I would like to give all these performers is to bring greater awareness to your whole body when you are singing. Sometimes we do things without realising we are doing them, like clenching our hands into fists, or hunching our shoulders, or distributing our weight in uneven ways. Take a moment to really look at what the rest of your body is doing when you sing, and will any muscles that aren’t needed to let go. I always say, the larynx (voice box) is the mechanism for producing the voice, but the whole body is the instrument, so don’t just focus in on the smallest part of the whole thing! A truly super class here, with everyone receiving Highly Commended or Higher. I particularly thought that Imogen Ellis, who was performing in her first Eisteddfod solo gave a really natural performance, and there is great promise in her voice. I also thought Zara Stafford-Bell showed a lovely tone developing in her voice, and I look forward to hearing more from her. There were three singers all in second place on Distinctions, which were Kiriana Hutchinson, Zara Stafford-Bell, and Mia Larbalestier, but the winner today was Sicely Mountford with another Distinction, for her performance of 'Hey Brother' by Avicii. Well done everyone, great work! After the Junior School Age Music Making, in which Blanchelande College Year 5 received a Highly Commended for their performances 'It's Out there' and 'In the Autumn', we followed on with the Choirs; Part Singing, Junior School Age, featuring three choirs; ECJS Choirs, The Guernsey Music Centre Junior Choir, and Melrose Junior Choir. Some good singing coming from these youngsters, across all three groups. I particularly enjoyed Melrose's rendition of 'Castle on a Cloud', I thought they delivered this with conviction and a lovely even tone across the choir. On this day, it was Guernsey Music Centre who won the class with a Distinction, with Melrose coming 2nd (also with Distinction), and ECJS coming 3rd with Highly Commended. 

We started the afternoon sessions with a huge class; not just in a sizeable amount of performers, but in the vastness of the material being presented. The Concerto Open Class requires an understanding and delivery of hugely demanding repertoire, which I think all the performers in this class showed. There was a lovely array of instruments on offer here as well, as we were treated to concertos on Violin, Double Bass, Cello, Saxophone, and rather interestingly Bassoon. I thought Daisy (our bassoonist) in particularly performer with a great sense of maturity, and she produced some lovely rich and wood woody tones from the Bassoon. I also thought that Sam Cole performed with lovely poise and elegance, as is expected of Mozart. A cracking class all around, as Nancy said that “the lowest mark starts at Distinction and goes up from there!” - The winner of the class was Joseph Stoller, who received a remarkable 95 for his performance of 'Concerto in C Major' by Kabalewski.  

Next up, a selection of choral and vocal classes. First we had the Choirs; Male Voice Under 14. This is always a tricky age for singers, especially young Male voices, as there's a lot of uncertainty and changes happening that effect the way the voice works and feels. I thought this group did really well, and were awarded a Highly Commended for their efforts. Well done! Next, a small, but lovely class, the Vocal Girls; 15 & Under 18. What was really interesting here was the contrast between the two singers competing - Louise Madden produces a beautiful Soprano tone, with a lovely light and bright quality, and wonderful control. Ellie Evans' voice, whilst also controlled is much mellower in her tonal quality, and has much more of a mezzo-soprano tone and range. Both were praised for their excellent breath control within these songs, which were Song to the Seals (performed by Louise) and Sea Slumber (performed by Ellie). On the day, Ellie was the winner with a Distinction. Following the solo vocalists, we had yet more choral with the Choirs; Gospel & Spiritual Under 18 class. I did think this was an unusual place for this class to be - normally any sacred class would be at St James, but there has been some necessary shifting around this year to accommodate other events, so perhaps this was moved to enable the sole competitor, Guernsey Music Centre Youth Choir, to perform in full capacity. This choir performed really well, perhaps the best I've heard them this entire festival, and were awarded Outstanding, winning the Alan Ingrouille Trophy. A short respite from singing, we were next treated to some chamber music in the Chamber Music Open. It never ceases to amaze me that most of the 'open' classes tend to be fielded by our young musicians, which just goes to further cement that we have some great talent here in Guernsey that I hope will always continue to be nurtured. Also a closely run competition this one, with Elizabeth College Chamber Ensemble winning with a Distinction mark of 87, and Insieme just coming in 2nd with 86 (Highly Commended) 

- We closed the afternoon with the Choirs; Secondary School Age - part 2! If you remember this was another class in which Alderney School Choir competed earlier in the week whilst they were able to be on island. Another great class of choral singing, which is something we really do well here in Guernsey, across the ages! The Guernsey Girls Choir gave a magnificent performance of 'Over the Rainbow', followed by 'Straighten up and Fly Right', which earned them an Outstanding and made them winners of the class. Coming in 2nd was Rhapsodie (Guernsey Grammar School), who also received an Outstanding, and St Anne's School Alderney received a Distinction, coming 3rd. 

We started the evening sessions with the Over 18s Self-accompanied class. Unlike the Under 18s, this class had a wider variety of accompanying instruments, including piano, guitar, and in one case ukulele as well as percussion. Always a heart-warming class, I thought there were some wonderful performances here. I want to commend both Lindsey Veillard and Jo Marsh for performing in this self-accompanied class, as neither one of them as ever accompanied themselves on piano before! Lindsey's tongue-in-cheek performance of 'Blue Moon' was delightful, and I thought Jo did a great job of creating atmopshere with her performance of 'Zombie'. Coming in 2nd in the class was Julie Tostevin-Hobbs, who created, in essence, a one-woman-band, performing Bruno Mars' 'Count on Me' on Ukulele and various percussion. Nancy did say that she thought that Julie's lovely rich low voice would be better served by a guitar - I can see what she means, however, I would also argue that it depends on the ukulele! Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam produced an amazing album of ukulele songs, and he sings them all in a bass-baritone range. If Julie wanted to try a deeper instrument though, I would suggest a baritone ukulele! 1st place for this class was jointly awarded to myself, and Darren Alderton, with 93 marks apiece. I'm somewhat gutted I missed Darren's performance, as my sources from the audience say it was beautiful. I'd also like to make mention of a little blip I had, not for sympathy you understand, but simply to make a point! During the highest most powerful note of my song, my voice fully cracked (and I mean, hilariously so, just ask my friends!), which was frustrating, I must admit, but clearly this didn't matter to our adjudicator. I just wanted to mention this for any singers out there, especially young ones, who are either afraid of your voice cracking, or get frustrated with your voice not behaving. It really isn't the end of the world, and clearly it can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced they are! 

Just as the Over 18s class, the Under 18s Songs from the Shows proved to be not only hugely entertaining, but showcased the huge amount of talent we have in this island. Nancy said she was “amazed by the huge amount of skill, in use of voice and acting.” She also stated that she thought some of these performers were of a professional standard already, even thought they were still Under 18. Some personal highlights of mine included Imogen Hayman’s rendition of ‘Part of Your World’ from the Little Mermaid, and Ivy Paris-Smith’s heart-warming rendition of ‘She Used to be Mine’. I also thought that Erin Vaudin sang the best I have ever heard her; her performance of ‘With You’ was sincere, and beautifully placed vocally. Another stellar night seeing the marks soaring to dizzy heights, as we had nine competitors all on 90 and above! In third place was Scarlett Bougourd with 94 marks for her performance of ‘Always Remember’ from A Star is Born. In 2nd place was Erin Vaudin with 95 marks, and pipping the win was a quartet comprised of Lucy Mahy, Simone Ashplant, Reece Kilminster and Drew Robilliard performing ‘Cantata for a First Date’, from the musical I Love you, your perfect, Now Change, achieving themselves 96, the 4th one we’ve seen this festival! 

"Like a West End Review"

The Second Thursday of the music eisteddfod always feels like the start of the home stretch for me - we have a morning off, and then there seems to be a renewed energy that comes about once we get going in the afternoon. 

Kicking off the afternoon session we had a series of Viola Classes; Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18. Nancy has frequently mentioned the fine string teaching here in Guernsey, and these Viola classes proved it once again. I’ve mentioned before how the Viola often feels like a forgotten instrument, but it is clearly alive and well with these youngsters. It also seems perhaps a little trickier to fine repertoire purpose built for the Viola; quite often pieces are repurposed Violin or Cello pieces shifted into a suitable range for the Viola rather than specifically written for it. Composers out there! Write more music for the Viola (she says having not written much for the Viola herself…) - It’s a fabulous instrument! Some excellent playing in these classes, which included Ben Davidson's version of Cello Suite No.1 by Bach (adapted for Viola), and George Walker's performance mature and assured playing of 'Morpheus' by Rebecca Clarke. The Winners of each class were George Walker (Under 14 with Distinction, and Under 16 with Outstanding), and Sze-Ching Chung (Under 18, Highly Commended). Before the interval, we had the Guernsey Girls Choir, performing in the Choirs; Madrigal & Part Song Secondary School Age Class. These girls always look very professional onstage, but I wonder if perhaps they were not as centred as they have been in previous performances, I didn’t feel their usual flair from them as I have previously - but hey, everyone’s allowed an off day! It's always worth noting that choirs like this do sometimes go through what we call 'rebuilding years', where a lot of strong older singers leave, and there is an influx of younger and less experienced singers coming through. They still sung beautifully, and I particularly enjoyed their version of ‘Yesterday’. The Guernsey Girls received a Highly Commended, and won the Island Singers Trophy.

Continuing the afternoon session, we had another choirs class, the Choirs; Unison & Two-part Secondary Year 7-11, featuring The Ladies College Junior Choir, and The Schola Cantorum (from Blanchelande). Some excellent singing from both of these groups here. I thought Scholar Cantorum did particularly well with Ola Gjelio's 'The Rose'. Such a tight competition here between these groups, so much so Nancy couldn't split them, and decided to award both groups a Distinction, and a shared trophy. Next up we had the Violin Under 14s. Nancy made clear with this class that she was marking the performers on the way they have performed their piece, relevant to the level they are at. Particularly at this age, everyone can be at very different stages of development, with some players having performed for years, and others just starting out. I do think this is important for people to consider, that adjudicators ARE given an indication as to a competitors level, particularly in the younger classes, and that a more complicated and harder piece of a higher level doesn't necessarily mean this will be a better piece or performance. Some really fine playing in this class, as well as some lovely choices of repertoire, with the class winner being Sam Cole with Distinction for his performance of 'Baal Shem ll Nigun' by Ernest Bloch. 

- Closing the afternoon we had the Chamber Music; Secondary Age, which feature three sets of duets - we had Jacob Wright & Sam Cole performing the Double Violin Concerto by Bach, Joseph Stoller & Matthew Moody performing the other Double Violin Concerto by Vivaldi, and Evie Hart & Jacob Wright performing Passacaglia by Handel. An exceptionally high standard of playing here in this class with both the Violin Concerto's taking Outstandings, but the overall winner today was Joseph & Matthew. Well done everyone! 

The evening session, well what can I say? It was electric in the theatre this evening! We started with the Choirs; Male Voice Under 18, which featured the Elizabeth College Close Harmony Group. I thought these lads did well to tackle the material they chose, particularly ‘Africa’ by Toto, which as a pop song has a huge vocal range which they managed to throw around through all the parts. Their performance of 'Bobby Shaftoe' was really quite effective, and Nancy awarded them an Outstanding for their efforts and the Seren Trophy. Next up, the Violin Open Class, which featured a wide variety of styles of violin, from classical style, to more traditional fiddle-style playing. I always love seeing performers push the boundaries of what we expect in a class - the Open Violin has traditionally been only classical in nature, but there is in fact nothing in the rules that says this must be so…. it’s just called ‘Violin Open’, so to my mind that is Open age, AND Open genre! So, I applaud Emma Lancaster for bringing something different to this class for us, and I hope this inspires people to try new things themselves. Some exceptional playing from the young lads in this class. I must commend Sam Cole for performing his piece (which must have been 10minutes long), entirely from memory, which is truly exceptional. Joseph Stoller's performance of 'Ciaccona in G Minor' by Tomaso Vitali was an incredible performance from such a young player; there is real maturity in Joseph's playing. A tough feat to pick a winner, with such exceptional playing, and we soared to knew heights with Sam receiving 95, and Joseph won the class with an unprecedented 96. What a class! 

And then we moved on to the big class that perhaps most of the audience were waiting for… the Songs from the Shows Over 18. Always a stellar class this, but there was something about this years class that just seemed to raise the bar from previous years. Nancy herself said this was an “exceptional evening” which felt reminiscent of a West End Review. The variety of music presented was fabulous, with everything from old favourites like Les Miserables, Evita and Oliver! to new productions like Frozen, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Next to Normal. This class always manages to take everyone on an emotional roller-coaster as well, moving us from power-house show-stoppers like ‘Stars’ through emotional heart-wrenchers like ‘He’s not Here’, and out the other side of insanity and Hilarity with the likes of ‘I’m Breaking Down’ and ‘Otto Titsling’. My personal highlights in this class included Dominique Ogier’s spectacular ability to deliver ‘Let it Go’ with incredible high belt technique (take that Idina Menzel!), Darren Alderton & Alison Castles fabulous ‘Dramatical Cats’ (with a superb array of cat puns on display), Michael Sullivan, Laura Simpson and Scott Dorrity’s moving and beautifully acted ‘He’s not Here’, and Lindsey Veillards insane performance of ‘Les Poissons’ from the Little Mermaid. I was equally pleased with my performance of ‘When I Look at You’ from Scarlet Pimpernel. 

Comedy Gold! Class joint winners
Lindsey Veillard, and Julie Tostevin-Hobbs

- Now, when we get into the marks… hold onto your hats, because this is going to go stratospherically high! On 90 marks in 7th (yes, 7th!!) place, we had Louisa Mace who performed ‘Could I Leave You?’ from Follies, who I thought delivered this with class and perhaps the best vocal performance I’ve heard from her. In equal 6th place we had Darren Alderton performing ‘Someone to Fall Back on’, Darren & Alison performing ‘Dramatical Cats’, and Laura Simpson performing ‘The Flagmaker’ from Songs from a New World. Laura gave a suitably powerful performance of this song, delivered with such sincerity. In 5th place on 92 was the side-splitting performance of ‘Otto Titsling’ delivered by Lindsey Davies, Sam Nichols & Kirstin Radford, and with Steve Rouxel providing the character of Otto. This is what I do love about our Eisteddfod, the madness it draws out! In 4th place on 93, was Dominique Ogier for her most impressive (and in my opinion, better than the original) version of ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen. The flinging off of the fur stole was also a highlight! In equal 3rd place with 94 marks, we had myself (yay!), Julie Tostevin-Hobbes & Kim Reece-Sheerin performing a beautiful rendition of ‘My Love, My Life’ from Mamma Mia 2, and Michael Sullivan, Laura Simpson & Scott Dorrity for ‘Here’s Not Here’ from Next to Normal. Equally her Pop song mark and somehow only coming in 2nd if you can believe it, with 95 marks was Jo Marsh with ‘Maybe this Dream’ from Crazy Ex-girlfriend. I must say, I played piano for this, and I really struggled to not laugh my head off - Jo struck such an incredible balance of crazy personality and beautiful soprano singing technique in this! And finally… soaring to the heights of 96 marks, would you believe we had TWO winners, in Lindsey Veillard for what can only be described as a hilarious and psychotic interpretation of a chef in ‘Les Poissons’, and Julie Tostevin-Hobbs performing ‘I’m Breaking Down’ from Falsettos, which I said to Julie “accurately reflected the emotional roller-coaster I seem to go through every Eisteddfod!” - An incredible end to this class, which saw a flood of emotions from Lindsey, who I am incredibly pleased for for having won this trophy after so many years of competing, I honestly don’t think she really thought she had a chance of winning! Lindsey has always said to me that she enters because she enjoys it, and I’m so pleased that someone like her, who is a committed performer year in and year out be rewarded like this. Bravo Lindsey, and also many congratulations to Julie on another stellar performance. 

What a truly incredible day this was - I’m pretty sure everyone who was there is on cloud nine! 

We're all mad here don't you know?...

What an Outstanding Day!

Past the half way point now, and I feel it's going only keep getting better with more show-stopping performances to come.

We started our morning session with the Choirs; Unison Singing - Infant School Age class. Always a delightful class this, although we did have a bit of a problem with seating this year. Seems some keen audience members made their way further forward in the theatre, which meant we had a few problems fitting in the children. It is SO important that the children get to hear their peers sing at this age, so just a suggestion to parents and supporters to try and fill the theatre from the back, and try not to venture past the adjudicators table unless one of the volunteers (or Barbara Minta) says that you can. This just helps all the organisers out immensely, and means all the participants get the best experience they can. Four lovely choirs in this class including Forest Primary School Infant Choir, who delivered some very sweet singing in their first piece 'Sing a Rainbow', and Blanchelande College Infant Singers whose piece 'Music Making', as a Nancy stated, 'had the children fully engaged in music; singing, acting, and dancing!' ECJS (Acorn House) made great use of as we've come to expect from them over the years - I loved the penguin hats! And finally Melrose Infant Choir sang with great focus for such a young choir, and produced a lovely unified sound (particularly for this class which is all about singing in unison!) - A wonderful display of singing from these youngsters, and such engaging teaching from the staff as well, which was fabulous to see. The winners of this lovely class were Melrose, with a Distinction.

Next up, we had the Piano Film/TV/Shows; Under 18s class. Two solid performances here from Sam Cole performing 'In Dreams' from Lord of the Rings', and Archie Purdue performing 'For the Love of the Prince' from Braveheart. It is clear that both of these pianists display an understanding of the cinematic genre, and both produced some lovely warm tones from the piano. In my opinion, I think both of these boys could learn well from each other, as I found that each of them possessed a skill that the other was needing a little more of; Sam had a delicate touch of the lighter and flowing parts of the music, whilst I felt Archie was more successful in creating a ringing tone from the piano in the broader passages of his piece. A close one to call in my book, but on the day, Archie received a Highly Commended, and Sam just pipped him to take the win with a Distinction. Following on we had the Orchestral Woodwind Ensemble; Secondary Age class, featuring the Guernsey Music Centre Flute Choir, which included alto and bass flutes, as well as standard flutes (although personally, gutted there wasn't also a piccolo!) A large and impressive ensemble, performing highlights from 'The Sound of Music', a style of piece which I thought was particularly suited to the sound of flutes. I did think they could have found more dynamic contrasts throughout the piece though, just to really get all the nuances of the music, and all the tonal colours from the ensemble. But some fine flute playing, as they won the class with a Highly Commended.

Winner of the U9 Violin, Paul Friedrich 

Before the interval we had the Electric Guitar, for which guitarists compete for the suitably named 'Rock God' award. This was a brilliant class, if perhaps a little empty. I know there are many, many, MANY fine guitarists out there who should have a crack at this class, and then we could have an amazing event on our hands! The lack of competitors didn't detract from Sam Cole's fine performance of the classic rock song 'Johnny B Goode'. Sam is proving himself to be quite the all round talent as a musician, as Nancy stated, "Is there no end to this boys talent?" - I think Sam's at the stage with his guitar playing where he can afford to loosen up now, and really get into the passion and enjoyment of making this music. If you ever watch any of the great legends of guitar, they don't exactly stand perfectly still do they? A superb performance from Sam, earning himself an Outstanding mark of 90, and the Rock God Award. After the interval, one of my favourite classes, which was the Choirs; Special Needs Junior School Age class, featuring Le Rondin Singers. Every year, I am suitably impressed by the level of commitment from this school, from their singers, and from their conductor Juanita Byrne (who I say every year doesn't get enough credit for her ability to conduct, play piano, sign and sing at the same time!) - I do think it's important to point out, that although Nancy said they had fine 'actions', the children were in fact signing along with their singing, which is hugely difference. I don't know if this is something in further worth checking with adjudicators before the class that they know this, but I think it's an important distinction to make. Within this school's presentation today, I thought the wonderfully dressed 'puppet', which was in fact one of the students dressed as Pinocchio, and a teacher dressed as Gepetto made for a wonderful humourous addition to their song 'Gepetto Made a Puppet', and was brilliantly delivered. I thought 'The Dolphin Song' was sung beautifully by the entire ensemble, and I really enjoyed the use of a small group of singers against a larger group, which worked brilliantly. I also would like to make special mention of the percussionist, Dylan, who provided such precise woodblock playing, and beautifully atmospheric ocean-drum - superb playing young man! Overall, a wonderful performance from this school, as I come to expect, and they took home the Liz Darling trophy. Well done Le Rondin!
- Closing the morning session we had the Violin Under 9s class. Again, it was clear to see that there is excellent string teaching here in the island, and each player showed a good understanding of their instrument, and some lovely musicianship developing. I personally thought that Renee Mitchell showed remarkable skill for a young violinist, she's one to watch for sure. Paul Friedrich played with such presence, and with excellent intonation, and I also thought that Thomas Hugo had excellent intonation also. The overall winner with Distinction was Paul Friedrich, playing 'In the Groove' by Blackwell.

Young Jazz Singers - L-R: Elliott Hearne,
Emmelie Wright, Grace Davison, (below) Imogen
Hayman, and Oscar Armenta-Jeffreys

We started the afternoon session with the Piano Under 14. There was some fine playing in this class, to a great standard, with some really nice choices of repertoire as well, one of my personal favourite's being Debussy's 'Cakewalk'. Such a close call in this class.... so close in fact that Nancy couldn't separate them, so she decided to jointly award 1st place to George Walker and Harry Childs, giving them both Distinction. The next class, Violin Under 16 showcased some truly amazing playing. Joseph Stoller's unaccompanied performance of 'Sakura' was sensational. Such vibrant colours he found from his violin, and the ability to continuing playing the bowed melody and perform a second tune pizzacato at the same time was hugely impressive, pulled off brilliantly. He won the class with an equally sensational Outstanding. Bravo! Following the under 16s, the Violin Under 18s, featuring three fine players in Jacob Wright, Seb Gardiner, and Niloufer Khankashi. Each of these players performed with real skill, and showed great capability with the demanding repertoire. On this occassion Jacob Wright won the trophy with Distinction. Closing the afternoon we had another of my favourite classes, the Vocal Jazz/Blues/Swing Under 18s. This class was superb, with some super choices from the Jazz repertoire, and right from the start Nancy said that everyone was in the Highly Commended bracket or higher, which was fantastic to hear! My personal highlights include Oscar Armenia-Jeffreys who I think shows real promise for such a young man, and he's getting some fine coaching from his teacher Jo Marsh - He is Guernsey's answer to Michael Buble in the making. I thought Lilli Meakin showed a promising voice developing, with a lovely tone, and I hope to see more of her in the future. Two Outstanding, with Isabelle Lees strong performance of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good', and Elliott Hearne's sultry and relaxed presentation of 'Almost is Never Enough' - Elliott took the win, with an Outstanding mark of 92. Well done everyone, a super class all round!

The evening session started with real panache, as we were treated to two great choirs in the Choirs; Folk & Traditional Secondary School Age class. Opening the night was Elizabeth College Choir, which features singers from across the entire school, ages 11 to 18. This is no mean feat for an all-boys school, and I think musical director Casey-Joe Rumens is doing a great job in not only finding repertoire for this wide range of singers (which includes unbroken voices as well as those in transition and those just past transition), but in also being engaging and understanding with them, which is amazing to see. They gave a theatrical performance, starting their set off stage and trickling on, and likewise ending their song 'South Australia' with the choir meandering off into the distance, leaving two boys 'scrubbing the decks' as the curtains closed. Such fun to see! I also thought this last song was their most effective, and showed their abilities off brilliantly. Lots of good things to come from this choir I feel! Following them, we had the Music Centre Youth Choir. I am always impressed to see how much this choir have grown since I was in it - when I was there (some... 17 years ago...) it was very much a chamber choir, with about 18 singers. Now, they are an army! Some beautiful singing coming from this group, with clear dedication and impressive accuracy. I just wish these guys would look a little more enthused when they perform! You make such a great sound, please let your faces know! I also wonder if perhaps the male singers could be put in the middle of the choir formation, rather than lining the back. This is a trick I've done with my Guernsey Glee Singers, because the women do out number the men, and if they are in the middle I find I get a better blend from them. Just a thought! Excellent singing all round from everyone, with Guernsey Music Centre taking home the trophy with a Distinction, and Elizabeth College receiving a Highly Commended.

Next up, the Vocal Duets 15 & Under 18. Perhaps an unusual scheduling for this class, as it would most often be seen in the afternoons, but it was lovely that it was right after the choir class, as this meant these singers got a good audience to perform to. There was some beautiful singing from these two duets; Mae Ingrouille & Lucy Whiteman performed 'Down by the Sally Gardens', and Julia & Louise Madden, who were the winners in this class, performed 'Laudamus Te' by Vivaldi. In particular I thought Louise and Julia had gorgeous blend in their duet singing, and they earned themselves Distinction. Following on from the singing, we moved to piano with the Piano Sonata Over 18, which featured an entire class of Beethoven! Nancy spoke about the importance of understanding a particular composers style, and getting across the nuances of the composers' intentions. For his vivacious performance of Sonata Op. 2, John Morris won the class with an Outstanding mark of 91. No rest for the wicked, as after the interval Martin Hassall and John Morris were back in action in the Piano Sight-Reading Open. Even more scary than the Quickstudy class, where performers has 48hrs to look at a piece, these guys put themselves under immense pressure, and have 60 seconds to look at a piece... live... in-front of an audience! Both of these players rose to the challenge brilliantly. It was interesting to hear how two players interpreted the same piece; Martin played it slower, and perhaps more accurately, but John performed it with real flair and musicality, but with more errors. In the end, Nancy couldn't separate them, and so jointly awarded 1st place to both John and Martin with Distinction marks of 89.

The Final class of the night proved to be truly spectacular - the Pop Song Over 18 is always well contested, and it was great to see it was well attended by the audience as well, as I think you all got a bit of a treat tonight! There was a fabulous array of music on show, from the Beatles, David Bowie, Adele, Jamie Cullum, and was proved to be a very popular choice of artist, Queen. I also had the great joy of, not only performing in this class, but playing for almost every other person in it as well! Personal highlights for me in this class (from what I could hear from the piano!) included; Getting to play ALL the notes in 'Don't Stop Me Now' performed by Stephen Glencross, Michael Sullivan's awesome use of extended vocal techniques (grit and distortion) in his performance of 'Sound of Silence', Darren Alderton's hilarious use of an inflatable guitar mid-song, Dominique Ogier's insanely good high Belt in 'The Show Must Go On', and Tracey Robilliard's relaxed presence in 'These are the Days'. Another word about Tracey from me... Tracey's been on an amazing journey of finding her voice again, after going through throat cancer and needing vocal rehabilitation, and this was her first time back on stage in 14 years, and she absolutely smashed it, earning herself a Distinction mark of 88. I'm immensely proud of her, and hope this is the start of something for her now she's found her voice. This really was a truly remarkable class.... so much so, that the 5th place marks started at 91!! At 5th place we had equal Laura Simpson ('No-one but You') and Dominique Ogier ('The Show Must Go On') - both of these ladies performed with immense acting ability, and incredible use of High Belting techniques. In 4th place with 92 was Michael Sullivan for his powerful rendition of 'The Sound of Silence', based on the version performed by the band Disturbed. In 3rd place with a 93 was myself, performing Bill Wither's classic 'Ain't No Sunshine'. Nancy praised my ability to self-accompany with balance, and enjoyed my jazzy interpretation of the song. In second place with 94 marks was Julie-Tostevin, whom Nancy said gave a truly professional performance of 'Bless this Broken Road'. She also praised her gorgeous vocal tone. And finally, with an exceptional mark of 95 was Jo Marsh performing David Bowie's 'Life on Mars'. For me, Jo delivered a real masterclass in Pop singing here; it was a lesson in how to pick a song that suits you, but also knowing how to put it in a key that works for you too! Never be afraid to change the key folks - the song should suit the singer, not the other way around! Jo's performance of this was truly mesmerising, delivered with emotion, power, grace, an effortless belt range but also incredible control of dynamics. A truly Outstanding performance that was well deserved of the win. Congratulations Jo!     
- I also thought it worth mentioning, that the camaraderie in this class was what I loved more than anything. Everyone supported everyone in this class - everyone got a cheer, everyone was praised by their fellow competitors, and I think this added to the joy for the audience, and the electric atmosphere in the theatre.

Music making is amazing.... making music with your friends is even better!

Top 3 in the O18 Pop - L-R: Julie Tostevin, Jo Marsh, and me! 

'Such confident children produced here in Guernsey!'

Half way through the Eisteddfod 2020, and we are rattling along quite nicely! We started this morning mid-way point session with a new class to this eisteddfod, the Chamber Music; Teacher & Pupil Class, which I believe was the brain-child of Violin teacher Nicole Perrio. What a lovely idea for a class this is - most often at the eisteddfod, there's students being accompanied by their teacher, rather than performing with their teacher. There are a few classes we it can happen, such as Open Duets, BUT, the word Open tends to imply a certain standard of an adult nature, and it can be very scary for the younger student (duets in the Open class tend to be teenage students and adults). This class ensures that a student of any age can perform with their teacher, which is brilliant. Nicole was certainly busy in this class, performing with most of them. What this class does for students then, is increase their confidence and their musicianship skills. Although the majority of this class was violinists, it was Alexandra, performing with her mum and teacher Anne Dorey that took the win of the class, with a Distinction mark of 87. Well done all involved! What I will say, is I hope that perhaps this class can be extended out to other combinations of teas her pupil, not just 'chamber' (by which I mean Classical music in genre) - I know I have a few pianists who would love to play while I sing (as we often do in lessons), or even some of singers would like to do duets with me, but there's no class for that. Something perhaps for the committee to consider off the back of the success of this class. We followed on with the Chamber Duo/Trio/Quartet - Junior School Age, the Chamber Ensemble - Junior School Age, and the Orchestra/Band/Instrumental Ensemble - Junior School Age. Three good classes here, seemingly ever increasing in size and number of performers! In particularly I thought that Bellissima Melrose, their lovely handbells ensemble, performed beautifully, with presicion and a really understanding of this unusual instrument - they won the Chamber ensemble class with a Distinction. the winners of the Chamber Duo/Trio Quartet were Mia Guilbert & Susie Costley for their performance of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious', and the Melrose String Ensemble won the Orchestra Class - both received Highly Commendeds.

Closing the morning, we had the two choir classes, the Choir; Folk and Traditional - Junior School Age featuring Guernsey Music Centre Primary Choir, and the hotly contested Choirs; Unison Singing - Junior School Age. In the first class, Music Centre presented a lovely set of two folk pieces, and performed with good ensemble singing, and commitment to their sound, earning themselves a Highlight Commended and taking home the G & C Sarre Cup. In the following class, we had four lovely choirs, each with a lovely programme of music I thought Forest Primary's 'Right Said Fred' was suitably humourous and very well delivered, ECJS gave a suitably energetic performance of
Rockstar', Blanchelande College Junior Singers made a beautiful sound for their piece 'The First Snow', and St Martin's Primary Choir provided a rousing message of 'Teamwork' with their final song with a lovely unified sound. Unfortunately during St Martin's Primary Choir Performance, there was a child in the audience that just seemed very upset about something, but I thought that they did really well to cope with that, and kept their poise and focus superbly. I think if you can avoid bringing such young children to events like this I would say that's perhaps fairer to the performers on stage, especially if they are children themselves, they all deserve for their hard work to be showcased without distraction. Of course, this isn't always possible, understandly, so my advice is, if you must bring a younger child with you, ask to sit on the end of a row, so you can at least dash out should there be any problem. A really good standard of class here, with 3 of the choirs receiving Highly Commended, but on this day, the winner of the class was Forest Primary School Junior Choir who received a Distinction.

We started the afternoon session with two vocal folk song classes; Folk Song 12 & under 15, and the Folk Song Under 18. Some lovely singing in this class, with fine voices developing all around. There was also some good story-telling on display, as is very much required for this type of singing, as I would expect from this group of singers, knowing they all have strong back-grounds in musical theatre. A high standard of class here as well, as winner of the Under 18s class, Simone Ashplant received a Distinction, and Freya Mitchell  won the Under 15s class with an Outstanding (U15).

Winner's of the U12 Songs from the shows;
Millie Ogier & Beatrice Glynn-Riley

The final class of the afternoon was the marathon that is the Songs from the Shows Under 12. Twenty-seven competitors in this class (yes you read that right!), one of the biggest of the festival, which was a real treat for the audience, showcasing the talented youngsters we have in this island. "Your amateur dramatics here in Guernsey music be of such high quality" Nancy said (which of course we know, they are!) Some real highlights in this class, my personal favourites being Eliza Webster well-presented and delightful rendition of 'Party Dress', Ruby-Jane Gill's sincere and beautifully paced performance of 'Quiet' from Matilda, and a suitably funny and punchy performance of 'Roses of Success' by Ben Davidson, Rory Burke and Finley Patterson. Mia Larebalestier also provided a gusty performance of 'If Only You Would Listen' from School of Rock, complete with storming on and off the stage. The class winners were Millie Ogier & Beatrice Glynn-Riley with a lovely duet called 'Friendship', from DuBarry was a Lady (a musical I am not familiar with). Nancy said their voices were well matched, and their ensemble performance was of a very high standard, which is great to achieve, particularly at such a young age. They earned an Outstanding, taking home the Valerie Bowles Trophy. Well done everyone, a really super class!

The evening session for the Tuesday of the Eisteddfod always 'goes big', and this is because it's what's become affectionately known as 'Orchestra Night'. This is the night where all the big ensembles our islands youngsters take part in come to perform at the eisteddfod. It's no mean feast to organise I can assure you, so before I talk about the class, let me praise the movers and the shifters who make the whole evening run smoothly! First up, we had the Music Making, Secondary Age class, featuring St Sampsons High School Orchestra, who presented a very polished performance, and
Guernsey Grammar School & 6th Form Centre Training Orchestra, who also played very well. Some fab music choices in this class too with my personal favourites being 'Wallace and Gromit' (played by The Grammar School), and 'The Final Countdown' (St Sampsons). Great playing here, with St Sampsons winning the class with a Distinction.

Following on we had a class full of fine brass playing in the Brass Ensemble Under 18, featuring a Trombone Quintet, and the Music Centre Brass Band. I thought the Brass bands piece, written by their conductor James Hatton was particularly effective, a great piece, which Nancy complimented as well as their playing, awarding Music Centre the trophy with a Distinction.
- Next we had the Orchestra/Band/Instrumental Ensemble Open with sole competitors the Guernsey Grammar School & 6th Form Centre Orchestra. Other fine performance from this school, and a lovely programme of music. I particularly liked their performance of 'Seventeen Come Sunday' by Vaughan Williams. They were awarded a Distinction, winning their class.   Last up for the evening, the big class, the Orchestra/Band/Instrumental Ensemble Secondary School Age, fielding 4 competitors; Elizabeth College Junior Windband, The Ladies College Senior Strings, the Guernsey Grammar School & 6th Form Centre Senior Windband, and the Guernsey Music Centre Chamber Orchestra. All hugely commendable playing here in this class - I thought in particular that Elizabeth College showcased a promising young leader amongst them, as they were directed by a Year 11 student, very successfully. I didn't catch his name, but well done! The Grammar School presented a lovely programme, superbly directed by Janine Nichols. Music Centre were a real highlight of the evening, with amazing playing - their self-conducted piece (lead by Louise Madden) was particularly effective, showcasing their excellent ensemble playing and commitment. Their performance of the Brandenburg Conerto was particularly spectacular, and they won the class with an Outstanding.

All in all, a huge day of fabulous music making here at the Guernsey Eisteddfod. I think there is a lot for everyone involved, performers, teacher, parents and supporters to all be incredibly proud of.

Such confident children!

'So Much Talent Here'

The first Monday of the Eisteddfod tends has a little bit of a slowing down feel - not because the music is any less-than, not at all, but there isn't a morning session, and there tends to be less what I call 'power-house' classes this day (like musical theatre or pop) - however, I think this Monday bucked the trend somewhat.

We started the afternoon session with an unusual class for most to get their head round; the Quick Study Under 18. Essentially, the musicians who participate in this class are given the music at the weekend, and have approximately 48 hours to look at, practice, and polish the music they have been given. I did this class a few times back in the day, as a way of challenging myself, and always somehow enjoyed it! However, when I used to do this class, I was always up agains another pianist, and we were always about the same standard of playing, so we'd get given the same piece. This class proved to be really interesting, as we had two completely different instruments; Naomi Miller on flute, and Joseph Stoller on violin. Two good musicians here, who had clearly put the time in over their short rehearsal period to play their absolutely best. Naomi played very accurately, and with musicality, and Joseph played with real finesse, almost to the point where you wouldn't have realised he had only had the music for such a short time. He won the class with an Outstanding.

Next up, we had the Under 18s Pop Song, a personal favourite of mine at the Guernsey Eisteddfod. I love watching this class as popular music is my speciality (as is adolescent singing in fact), and I thought the standard was remarkably high - perhaps a lot higher than the marks reflected, as I thought there were several Outstanding performances here. So many magic moments in fact, that I feel the need to mention something about everyone! I thought Ivy Botzenhardt's almost liquid like voice was stunning; her ability to riff, as well as her vocal tone, is sensational. Elliott Hearne's stage craft was wonderful - Elliott is someone who is never afraid to just be himself on stage, which I think is always to his credit. Erin Vaudin showed a sense of style and full understanding of the pop genre, and Ellie Evan's high belt range is just flawless. Dominic Coyde shows real promise with his lovely Baritone tone (I'd love to hear him sing some Elvis or Jim Morrison!), and likewise I think Ivy Paris-Smith has a beautiful contralto range developing. Bella Lee and Samantha Paines both sang with a sense of sincerity and story telling, and Imogen Hayman drew us all in with a beautiful and powerful performance of 'The Power of Love'. Likewise, Emmelie Wright's emotional performance of Jessie J's 'Who you Are' was quite moving, and Oscar Armenta-Jeffreys delivered a stylish and rhythmic performance of 'Big Shot' worthy of Billy Joel himself. The winner for this class with a Distinction was Simone Ashplant for her performance of 'Listen'. I felt that Simone has really developed her voice over the last year; her higher notes are seemingly effortless, there's a lovely blend happening between her vocal registers, and she always delivers a song with emotional connection and understanding. Well done Simone, and everyone in this class, it was spectacular - as Nancy said, 'There is so much talent here', and it really shows.

Next up we had the Choirs, Secondary School Age Years 7-11, part 2! If you remember Alderney School Choir performed for this class on Saturday, so today we had the remaining competitors, consisting of The Ladies College Junior Motet Choir, and the Guernsey Music Centre Intermediate Choir. Two lovely choirs, with a nice choice of repertoire, however, I think there was perhaps some balance issues, or problems in hearing each other, especially for Music Centre - they didn't seem as settled on the stage as they usually do, but such is the life of the performer, somethings things don't go as you expect they will. Both these choirs received Commended for their performances, and it was announced that the winners of the class were in fact Alderney School Choir, who won with a Highly Commended. I'm so very pleased that they were able to come all the way over from the northern island (which is not actually all that easy, so much have taken tremendous preparation), and have been rewarded for their efforts. Congratulations Alderney on a stellar win, I look forward to seeing you again next year! Closing the afternoon we had Choirs, Secondary School Age (class 1203) - Two completely different groups here, performing to a remarkably high standard. Ladies College Senior Motet performed with, I thought, finesse and a lovely unified sound, and St Sampsons High, although perhaps a simpler programme, performed with real cohesion and a true sense of ensemble, making a beautiful choral sound - I also thought that they looked so happy to be performing, which makes a big impact. In the end, Nancy simply couldn't separate them, and so awarded them both equal 1st with Distinctions, stating that maybe they could split the trophy - I'd advise against that, maybe they could share it instead!

We started off the evening sessions with the Composition Under 18 - not as hugely contested as it has been in past, but composition is like that I find; there are waves of many creations, and then waves of nothing! The sole competitor, Sarah Raines delievered a composition for Ukulele and Voice. A lovely little pop song I thought here, and I thought Sarah shows a good understand as to how pop songs work, in structure and formula. I thought perhaps she could explore variety in the melodic line a little bit more, especially once it got to the end (as is typical of pop songs), and I agree with Nancy's comment that ending the piece on the dominant chord rather than resolving it to end on the tonic (the starting key) would have left it open ended, reflecting the question she posed in her lyrics for the final line. Good composition skills from this young lady, who earned a Highly Commended and the John Longmire Trophy. The Composition Over 18 was a remarkably high standard of class, with amazing compositions all round. Steve Ritcher's beautiful piece 'Birthmother' for SATB, piano, saxophone and percussion had somewhat Whitacre-esque harmony, with beautiful lyrical lines and idiomatic accompaniment, particularly from the sax. I definitely would love for The Accidentals to have a go at performing this (and I think I said the exact same think to Steve last year about his winning piece, so clearly we need to talk purchasing of scores Steve!) Elizabeth Beacom, who is currently studying a music college in Cardiff, produced two technically masterful compositions, one for Symphonic Winds, and one for Brass Ensemble. I thought in particular the piece for Symphonic Winds, entitled 'Journeys' has elements reminiscent of John Adams' 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine' (which Nancy herself would later mention in her critiques), and what I always hear in Elizabeth's writing a clear understanding of rhythmic texture and precision, which clearly comes from her background of being an excellent percussionist. Nancy described Elizabeth's work as "masterful writing and would grace the repertoire of any professional wind band”. My pieces in this class included 'Love is Enough', a male voice choir setting of William Morris' poem, and 'Winter', which is an SATB setting of a poem by Margaret Widdemer. Nancy said of my writing that it was "skilful and heart-warming", and she particularly liked the "delicious clashes" between voice and piano in 'Winter' (which I hope to get performed properly soon!). A really high standard of class, with each composer receiving Outstandings, and Elizabeth receiving a 95 for her piece 'Journeys'. An amazing class of new music being produced by local composers. 

Next up we had the Instrumental Jazz Open, with two performers; Cara Fitzpatrick on Saxophone, and Alexandra Dorey on Double Bass. A great class, with both musicians clearly understanding the jazz style. I thought Alexandra created a wonderfully mellow sound with her pizzacato bass playing, and Cara managed to find a huge variety of colours and dynamic contrast from her saxophone, and played with incredible control. Cara came away with the trophy, winning the class with a Distinction.
After the piano Piano Duet O18 class, in which Felicity Millard & Alison Bourgaize won with a Highly Commended mark of 85, we followed on with the Choirs; Madrigals O18, contested by States of Harmony. Again, it's clear that this choir have really developed their sound since last festival, and it's great to see them tackling challenging material like madrigals. I did think that perhaps their second piece, 'Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day' wasn't quite in the the true madrigal style, but this didn't detract from their performance. They earned themselves a Highly Commended mark of 86, and the trophy.

With possibly the best named group in the festival thus far, Seigneur Hedge Veg performed a delightful set in the Folk Groups Over 18 class. A nice band set up, with Dave Herschel on guitar and vocals, Emma Lancaster on vocals and violin (although, technically, I guess Emma's instrument is a Violin-Viola, as it has 5 strings!), and Andy Mason on harmonica,  which I absolutely love, I think Andy is great on the harmonica. Not only did this group perform with a great sense of ensemble, I'm told their music is entirely original, which for me is even more impressive. I did think (as Nancy would point out), that the balance was a bit off - I'm sure this group are used to performing with microphones for the vocalists, and without them, the harmonica in particular just had a tendency to swallow the vocals, being similar in pitch and timbre. That said, that didn't stop this group winning their class with 85 Marks (Highly Commended), and taking home the trophy. Next up, we had the Old Familiar O18. For those unsure what is meant by this class, the 'Old Familiar' needs to be a song from around the early 20th century, the kind of thing that would have been popular on the early days of the radio. This makes for a really lovely class, which was won by Lindsey Veillard, performing 'Love's Old Sweet Song' by Molloy, with an Outstanding mark of 92. Lindsey really is having a stellar festival this year! The final class of the evening Folk Song Solo O18. Always a lovely class, this particular style of singing always seems to evoke a relaxed atmosphere, and there was fine singing all around. Big congratulations to Emma Lancaster for winning the class with a Distinction mark of 87 in her first ever solo performance at the Eisteddfod! Beautiful singing, and well deserved.

Folk Groups winner, 'Seigneur Hedge Veg'

I'll Make Music....

The Sunday session at the Guernsey Eisteddfod is always a special one - the festival moves to St James Concert Hall, where we hear all the sacred music classes from vocalists, choirs, and church organ. The Hall itself was looking a little worse for wear today, with lots of scaffolding in place for repairs, as well as a huge arch in the way on the stage (which also meant the beautiful pictures in the arch couldn't be seen). A shame, but thankfully this didn't detract from the wonderful music on display.

We opened the afternoon session with the Church Organ Under 18 featuring Archie Purdue performing 'Prelude no. 8' by Bach. A suitable start to the Sunday session, I always feel the Church organ class kicks things off with the grandeur these sessions deserve, and I thought Archie handled this piece and the instrument well. Organ is not easy - I've had many people over the years assume that, if I can play the piano, I must be able to play the organ, and that's just not the case! For a start, organ music reads three (yes, three) staves of music... bear in mind that piano only reads two, and most instruments only have to deal with one! Theres also several rows of piano keyboards, AND you have to play a set with your feet.... not exactly easy, but Archie seems to be taking to this quite well. A lovely performance, earning himself a Commended result

Next up, we had the Choirs; Church/Chapel/Religious/Community Class. An increasingly popular class this, which I think is great to see, and I encourage more and more community choirs to enter it - I would love to see this class as big as the Mixed Voice choir class! Alderney Voices were back in there final class of the Eisteddfod this year - I personally thought that they sang the best they have all weekend, so I was disheartened for them to only receive 83 Marks again, I thought they deserved more than that. Festiva presented their usual wall of sound we come to expect from such a big choir, which sounded great. However, I do feel that their program was rather samey, there didn't seem to be must contrast between their songs, and I would love to hear them do something with more attack and more up-tempo next time. A deserved Highly Commended mark of 86 though. The winners of the class were States of Harmony, with an impressive Distinction mark of 88. This choir seem to be consistently working on their sound, and producing good results year on year, which is lovely to see.

Next up we had two choir classes - Choirs; Sacred Junior School Age, and Choirs; Sacred Secondary School Age. In the Junior School Age class, we had sole competitor Melrose Canto. This choir were super - they sang beautiful with a lovely blend, they looked smart, and they delivered a perfectly charming performance, which was superbly conducted by Jean Owen. A well deserved Distinction and the trophy, well done girls! The Secondary School Age class featured three choirs, the Combined College Cantorum (a group comprised of singers from both Ladies and Elizabeth College, Rhapsodie from Grammar School, and St Sampsons High School Chamber Choir. Some lovely singing from all the groups here. I did feel that perhaps Rhapsodie had been a bit ambitious with choosing to sing Ola Gjelio's 'Northern Lights' - we sing this piece in The Accidentals, and I can tell you it is a hugely challenging piece. I also think they were perhaps down in numbers due to the recent imposed isolations due to Corona Virus. But I applaude them for challenging themselves, and turning out to perform, as their first piece was wonderful. St Sampson's High School were very impressive to me, especially given that they were unconducted, and they had very good stage presence and stage craft. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves! The winner's of the class were the Combined College Cantorum, who took the win with a Distinction.

Winner of the Sacred Solo U18, Ellie Evans

Following the choirs we had the Sacred Solo Under 18, which I felt was a really amazing class of beautiful and fabulous singing, from all who performed. In my opinion, the marks were perhaps on the low side, as I really thought the singing in this classes was exceptional from everyone, and I would have had everyone given Highly Commended and higher for sure. Some magic moments happened in this class; Kiriana Hutchinson's 'Gethsemane' was beautifully placed, with a lovely pure and sincere tone - I feel there is much more to come from this young singer, who was the youngest in this class (aged 11), and really held her own against the older singers. I also thought that Oscar Armenta-Jeffreys showed amazing promise with his voice, and has incredible tone for a singer so young, definitely one to watch out for! A really close call here, but in the end the class was won by Ellie Evans, for an incredible performance of 'I Look to You', for which she received and Outstanding. We finished off the afternoon with the Operatic Solo, which I feel really has a home at the St James session, despite it not being a sacred class. I would love to see all the classical vocal solos held at St James, I feel it's the right venue for that these genres of singing. The class was won by Leonie Pike with a Distinction mark of 87.

Starting off the evening session was the Sacred Solo Over 18 - a little thinned out than it was intended, due to a few drop outs, but a stellar class of wonderful singing none-the-less. I'd like to make special mention of Bev Herve, for this was her first time performing at the Eisteddfod, which is no mean feat in St James! Well done Bev, I hope to see you again next year! I particularly thought that Dominique Ogier's performance of 'God Help the Outcasts' was especially poignant, showcased with exceptional technique, and I felt very moved by Darren Alderton's sincere performance of 'Lord, I need You'. There was a four-way tie for 2nd place in this class, which included Dominique and Darren, as well as Lee-Ann Hawkes and myself, all on a Distinction mark of 89, but it was Lindsey Veillard who won this class with an Outstanding mark of 90. I always love hearing Lindsey perform in this class, because I always feel her honesty and absolute commitment in this genre. These songs really mean something to her, and it shows in her performances; a well deserved win indeed!
- Now... there's something I feel I need to talk about, which has come about based on a few remarks I have overheard which have frankly upset me, and that is, just what qualifies as a sacred solo. It seems there are a some out there that seem to think that 'sacred' means only 'classical' singing, which, I'm sorry, it's complete nonsense. SACRED means that the piece is religious in nature; it's text, it's meaning, it's spirit. The rules are very clear; a song that is sacred in nature. There is NO mention of this needing to be a classical piece in any way shape or form, just as there is actually no rules that state the piece needs to even be Christian in nature! Religious expression, whatever your views, takes many forms, and in music can be felt and expressed in every genre. We only needed to look at the Under 18 class which was won by Ellie Evans; her piece was clearly in the Popular idiom, verging on Gospel, and her expression and performance sold the meaning of the sacred text. Likewise, class winner of the Over 18 Lindsey Veillard did the same thing; she expressed the meaning of the text in a sincere and heartfelt manner, but she just happened to perform in a Classical style. Both performances were exceptional, the genre they were performed in is irrelevant. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion on what they like and enjoy musically, but you can't tell someone that their medium of expressing themselves isn't valid! There is room for everyone in art, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's meant to be room for everyone's expression of their faith, whatever that might be, as well. Right, rant over, moving on....

The next class was sadly pulled due to illness, which meant moving on to the Oratorio Solos - for those that perhaps don't understand why there appear to be two classes with the same title, Class 1143 is for those that have never won and Oratorio Class, and Class 1144 is for those that have. We saw Leonie Pike, who is proving to be having a great eisteddfod thus far, who won class 1143 with 89 Marks, and Lindsey Veillard who won with Class 1144 with an Outstanding mark of 90 - again, another singer who is having a really great festival, fantastic job ladies! Closing out the evening, we had a class of wonderful Sacred Choral Music, in the Sacred Choirs Over 18. Two superb choirs here, in Bel Canto, and The Accidentals. Bel Canto performed first, with three intricate pieces, all a cappella, which I thought they pulled off very well - I especially enjoyed 'Even When He is Silent', some amazing chord progressions in this! I did personally think that there could have been a little bit more facial expression from them, particularly in the Latin text pieces, which would have sold the meaning of the texts even more than the beautiful harmony. But overall, some impressive singing from Bel Canto, as always. The Accidentals followed, with three contrasting pieces, with 'Lord of All Hopefulness' (arranged by myself), a lilting hymnal, Bobby McFerrin's 'Psalm 23', which unusually changes the expressions of He and Him to She and Her (as a dedication to his mother), and closed with Karl Jenkins 'I'll Make Music'. Nancy said of this choir that the unity of their sound was impressive, as well as their shaping of phrases and expression of words. In my mind, this was a closely run competition, so I was surprised that Bel Canto was only awarded a Highly Commended of 86 for their efforts, I would have given them much more than that. On this occasion, The Accidentals were awarded the trophy and an Outstanding mark of 90.

Overall, an wonderful day of music making, and of beautiful expression. I hope that anyone who attended either of these two sessions today took something meaningful home from them, be that a feeling of joy, reflection, or perhaps in hearing something you didn't think would move you actually move you. Always remember;

Art is work, Art is love, and Music is for Everyone.

"You had us by the short and curlies!"

As always, the first Saturday of the Eisteddfod proves to kick everything up into 3rd gear, and really starts to get the ball rolling. I feel our adjudicator has settled in, and found her stride with us, and everyone is really putting their all into everything they are delivering thus far.

Starting off the morning, two delightful little classes in the Piano Under 8s, and the Under 9s, which saw Lara Pimlott win the Under 8s for 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo' with a Distinction, and Renee Mitchell win the Under 9s with an Outstanding for her lovely performance of 'The Reef' by Carroll.  Following the pianists, the next two classes we had featured young vocalists, in the Vocal Solos Under 10 & Under 12 classes. Some promising singing here, although perhaps a few nerves here and there. Honestly, as a voice teacher I know that this is a delicate age, particularly around 11-12, for various reasons; new school situations, becoming a teenager, and if you sing, this is often when vocal transition starts to happen, which can leave singers somewhat confused, or even feeling betrayed by their voice! Trust me, this time will pass, and and vocal issues that exist now are merely temporary, especially if you have a good singing teacher! So the important thing is to learn how to interpret nerves. Fun fact for you all; your body does not know the difference physically between nervousness and excitement. It is your mind that decides which emotion you feel. So, if you can interpret those butterflies for what they are (surging adrenaline), and tell yourself that you are excited to perform, you'll find those 'nerves' start to disappear, and you can truly enjoy your music making!
- Some fine singing in this group, with Luella Gilligan taking the Under 10 class, and Florence Glynn-Riley taking the under 12s, both with Distinction. I did also think that Ruby-Jane Gill's laid back performance of 'Fly me to the Moon' showed real promise (a budding 'jazz singer' Nancy described her as), and I also thought that Eleanor Hopkins's voice has some real potential, as her top notes were beautiful!

L-R: Elliott Hearne, Imogen Hayman, Rachel Dawson (below), Ivy Paris-Smith

After the interval, we had in quick succession, several woodwind classes; the Orchestral Woodwind Duos/Trios/Quartets Junior School Age, and the Under 18 class, followed by the Orchestral Woodwind Open, as well as the Under 18. What was really lovely in this little section, was seeing students performing with their teachers, in a duet capacity, not just with the teacher as an accompanist. It's something I like to do as a teacher, perform duets with my students, as I feel it really helps the student understand their own musicianship better - also, it's really fun! Nice playing here which saw each winner receive Highly Commended for their efforts. Finishing the morning session, we had a really lovely class, in the Self-accompanied Under 18. Four superb singers in this class, each choosing to perform with guitar, which I felt really showcased each of their voices brilliantly. Some magical performances from all; Ivy Paris-Smith delivered a sincere performance of 'Writings on the Wall' with a gorgeous depths of tone to her voice, and Elliott Hearne's rendition of 'Autumn Leaves' had real understanding of the Jazz style, and was full of soul. Rachel Dawson delivered a spell-binding rendition of 'The Power of Love' - you could have heard a pin drop throughout her singing, although perhaps on this occasion, the finger-picking style of the guitar was just a little too delicate for the beau sejour stage. The Class winner was Imogen Hayman with a suitably laid-back performance of Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud'. I thought Imogen captured the feel of this song, and managed to find a great balance between delivering a well-known piece by a well-known artist, but injecting her own personality into it. Imogen took home the 'Tears in Heaven Award' with an Outstanding.

Starting off the afternoon, a slightly unusual class set of classes, as we had St Anne's School Alderney performing in the Choirs Secondary Age, and the Choirs Secondary 7-11 classes. BUT, the rest of the classes will actually take place later in the week. This has been organised in order to actually enable Alderney to perform without too much disruption for them with travel etc. I do think it's lovely that provisions have been made to make sure they can be included, however, it is shame they couldn't hear (and be heard by) the other choirs in the class - that's half the fun (and benefit!) of doing classes like this. However, a lovely performance from this school, but as the results will happen later in the week, I'll need to give those out later in the blog too! So, to be continued....

Following on we had Double Bass Under 16, and Under 18, both of which featured Alexandra Dorey. It has seemed in recent years like she's the only Double Bass player out there, which I'm sure isn't true! Lovely though her playing is, I'm sure it's a bit lonely always being the only person in the same classes year on year. So I hope there are some budding Double Bass players on their way up. Some lovely playing by Alexandra in both of these classes, for which she received a Distinction, and a Commended respectively. After two Orchestral Woodwind classes, the Under 14 which was won by Clementine Clynn-Riley for her performance of 'Lazy Sunday' by Cafolla, with Distinction, and the Under 16 which was won by Naomi Miller, performing 'City Life 3', receiving a Highly Commended, we continued the afternoon with the Cello Under 18, featured three fine cellists in Noah Purdue, Evie Hart, and Elisha Horsepool. I'm always a fan of well played cello, and if I'm honest, I felt that that marks didn't always reflect what the players deserved in this case. Just my opinion, but they felt a little low for what I heard as wonderful playing. But that's how the eisteddfod works, it's one persons opinion only, and you're never going to agree with everything! On the day, Noah Purdue was the winner, for his performance of Rondo in G Minor by Dvorak, for which he received a Distinction. The next class, the slightly unusual Voice & Instrument Open class. The only real rule surrounding this class is that the accompanying instrument cannot be piano (as there are separate voice & piano classes), which makes for some really interesting choices of ensemble, as we saw today with Rachel Dawson (on voice), and Alexandra Dorey on Double Bass, performing 'Memories' by Maroon 5 (A busy day for Alexandra!) A really interesting performance, for which they won the class with a Highly Commended Mark of 86. We rounded off the afternoon with two piano duet classes; the Piano Duet Under 15 class, which was won by Benjamin and Harry Childs, who performed and Outstanding rendition of 'Les Entretiens de la Belle et la Bete' by Ravel, and the Piano Duet Open class, which had a double win - Hannah Bourgaize & Martin Hassall as one pair, and Robyn Surcombe & James Henderson were the other, and both earned a Highly Commended result of 86. Luckily with duet piano classes, there are two trophies, so each pair gets a trophy this time!

The evening session proved to be rather amazing all round. We started off with the Folk Choirs Class, which featured four vastly different groups. It was great to see the Alderney Voices Community Choir again (and as Nancy Litten stated, it was great they had managed to 'make the hop' from Alderney to Guernsey, especially in the wild weather!). I thought perhaps they could had done with loosening up physically a little more, just so that their sound could be produced a little easier, but it was a lovely choice of music they performed, especially their second piece that featured an unusual choir with flute accompaniment arrangement. States of Harmony gave a typically energetic performance that we have come to expect from them, and I particularly enjoyed their piece 'Saint Patrick' which as Nancy said, had a real 'Irish' feel to it. Next up, something completely different, in The Crowband - Mark Le Gallez is a staple of the Guernsey music scene, so it was fabulous to see him with his band really performance something truly folk in style, and also Nancy praised them for this, as well as some wonderful duet singing. I would say, being picky, that technically this class is for choirs (which I believe in the rules is stated as 8 singers or more), and this band only had three. There is in fact a class that is for Folk Groups of up to 11 singers, and I think that perhaps this band would have been better placed there - or perhaps they were meant to be but something went wrong with the entries, or they got the classes mixed up, who knows! That's not to say I didn't love what they did, because I really did, BUT, a different adjudicator might have been far more stringent with the rules, and (as would be their right) could have disqualified them, which I never want for anyone. Happily, this did not happen, and the Crowband received great praise for their authentic style, and received a Highly Commended. Rounding off this class were The Accidentals, fresh from a trip away performing at the Mrs Sunderland Festival in Huddersfield. Delivering two completely contrasting pieces, the first a Welsh ballad 'Ar Hyd Nos', followed by a suitably rousing and intense rendition of 'Drunken Sailor', Nancy Litten praised them for exquisite singing, and technical skill which 'really had us all by the short and curlies!' They took the class win with an Outstanding mark of 90.

Sometimes you really do surprise yourselves!

Next up, the Pop Duet Over 18, fielding only one competitor in myself and Jo Marsh. This particular piece came about quite by accident, as my fiancé bought me a Bass Ukelele for my birthday, and after a glass or two of wine, Jo and I jammed out a jazzy version of 'Seven Nation Army' on said bass and with Jo on Ukulele. After the jam-session we decided that that was what we would do in the Eisteddfod this year, and that was that! Clearly, this is a good method of song selection for us, as we shocked ourselves by winning the class with an Outstanding Mark of 92, as well as being described  as 'classy cabaret' - I'll take that! Following on we had the Piano Film Solo Over 18. I do enjoy this class, as it's a chance to hear some of the amazing film music that gets written. I also enjoy this class because of the ever explosive performance we always get from John Morris. I've heard him perform 'Teddy Bear's Picnic' many times over the years, but there was something about it tonight that was magic - I feel like he let loose a little bit, and delivered, perhaps not the most technically accurate performance, but boy did that not matter because it was so joyous to listen to. He won the class with an Outstanding mark of 94, the highest mark so far!

Taking up the second half of the evening session, we had a truly fabulous class in the Mixed Voice Choirs O18 class. Four choirs on show, four completely different performances. First up, were The Accidentals, who by Nancy's words had 'really warmed up now', as they delivered what she described as 'some of the best singing she has ever heard.' I was also happy that she sort to praise my original piece of music, 'February' as well. Next up, no rest for me as I hopped off stage from The Accidentals, and stepped up in front of the Guernsey Glee Singers as their conductor. Honestly, I think this is the best they have ever sung, and I'm very proud of them - even more proud that they were praised for things that I've been working really hard to pull out of them; dynamic faces, good pitch and emphasis of words. Take note singers in a choir; your musical directors nag you because they know what you can do when you put your mind to it! So, listen to them and reap the rewards! Following the Glees, we had another performance from Alderney Voices Community Choir, who found the more open and relaxed sound I was wishing for them in the folk class. They seemed much more at ease, and I think they enjoyed their singing more this time too! Their performance of 'Alderney Anthem' in particular I think was really moving, and it's the best I have heard them performing it. Bravo! Closing out the evening, something completely different, The Liberate Rainbow Choir. What an amazing group this is! Fully colourful, fully engaging, and full of energy and commitment. I felt some of the audience didn't find MD Darren Alderton's little speech about the lack of equality in the island necessary, but I heartily disagree. The fact is, we don't have full equality yet, for gender, sexuality, disability... we have a long way to go. Music is the universal truth that says things that words simply cannot express, and I challenge anyone to see and hear this choir perform and not be moved and inspired. Their first outing at the Eisteddfod, they joyously received an Outstanding mark of 90, but were pipped to the win by The Accidentals who won with 94 marks, equalling the highest mark of the festival thus far.

I have come away from this evening on a complete high - incredible music making happening this year, and some truly magical moments.

The Rainbow Chorus