Just Keep Singing!

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Winner of the U18 Songs from the Shows;
Luella Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

"No Post Mortems - Move on!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Courage comes from Encouragement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you know what a Foxtrot is?....

Ah, the weekend - a time to unwind from the rigours of the working week and recharge the batteries....Yeah, not if you're involved in the Eisteddfod it's not! This first Saturday of the Music Eisteddfod was crammed with amazing musical performances, and I'm not quite sure how I made it to the other side alive!

Kiriana Hutchins, winner of the Under 8 Vocal Solo

A morning of many small classes, we opened the morning session with two Harp classes (the Open
and the Under 18), both contested by the same singular competitor; Marie-Claire Benoist. A well-known face in Guernsey as an excellent Harpist, Marie-Claire once again showcased her beautiful and stylish playing in both classes. A few little pitch issues as a couple of the strings went a bit sharp, but such is the burden of being a Harpist. I heard a phrase once that, "Harpists spend half their life tuning.... and the other half playing out of tune." None the less, a wonderful performance, earning herself a Highly Commended and a Distinction respectively. Following on was the Vocal Boys Under 18. This is a very interesting time for young singers, particularly male singers. Whilst girls of this age are starting to settle into an adult tone, the male voice, having just gone through somewhat of an armaggedon in vocal change is still very much tender and unsettled at that point, which Adrian Goss was sure to point out. To follow came another 'mini-master-class' in the realms of vocal production, which I really hope these young competitors absorb and relish. The class was won be Benjamin Fletcher, but I also want to mention Harvey Falla, in whom I heard great promise for the future. Well done lads.

Continuing the morning we had several junior piano classes: the Under 14 Solo, the Junior Classe Superieure Under 18, and finally the Piano Duet Under 18. The underlying theme of adjudication for these classes was understanding of the music; not just in a technical sense (the dynamics, the articulations, the key etc etc), but also knowing what the title means! With songs, it's a little easier to grasp what the song is about - there are words to read! But with instrumental music, often we just have a title - and sometimes that title is not that helpful (Opus No. 3...... what?!!). A good chunk of musical learning is about knowing as much as you can about what it is you are performing! This can come from listening to many versions of the same piece, or finding original composer notes on the piece, to give yourself the best possible chance at connecting with the music on a deep level. A particularly useful technical concept was the idea of a bouncing ball to represent the rhythm in a piece or song. The ball may only bounce at certain times (the beat), but the music (and the rhythm) continue when the ball is in the air! Something for all to think about!

After the interval, we had another set of small (but perfectly formed) classes: the Vocal Boys & Girls Under 8, and the Cello Under 9. Although different disciplines, the overlying message was the same - learning to 'sing' through the line (not chopping phrases short), and working with the imagery conveyed in the piece. Some fine young performers in these classes, with Kiriana Hutchins winning the Vocal Class, and Lucy Appleton winning the Cello Class, both with Commended. Well done girls, fine work indeed. The final class of the morning sessions was something rather wonderful: the Special Needs Choirs & Groups Open. The Gateway Club performed two songs, 'Molly Malone' followed by 'This Little Light of Mine' - a wonderful show of team spirit, with everyone involved contributing in their own way to make this a lovely and memorable performance: even the audience joined in with singing and clapping! What fun!

Unlike it's morning counterpart, the Saturday afternoon session featured only two classes - but both jam-packed with talent and entertainment! Kicking off the afternoon was the Under 18's Piano Solo, a class marked by it's hugely impressive young performers, tackling some of the classic and epic piano repertoire, including Rachmaninov's 'Bells of Moscow' C#minor Prelude (performed by Charlie Brewin), and Chopin's C#minor Nocturne (performed by Jude Wegerer). A particular highlight of this class for me was Benjamin Fletcher's performance of 'Three Moods' by Aaron Copland. An incredible amount of panache and élan from this young lad, who was described by the adjudicator as "A rebel who relishes in destructive behaviour." Benjamin also has a very dry sense of wit, as when asked by Adrian, '"Do you know what a Foxtrot is?", Benjamin replied, "There aren't any foxes on Guernsey... so no....." - A class of superb skill, which was ultimately won with Distinction by Charlie Brewin, who shows amazing command and control of 'the beast' (aka, the eisteddfod piano, for those of you who've never played it!).

And then we were onto one of the festival favourites: The Songs from the Shows, this time for the 12 and Under 15s. It is incredibly clear (as it always is) that we have some great talent in our young performers here on Guernsey. But I am a firm believer that talent is grown, and that it takes a LOT of hard work to excel in anything, but especially singing! And this is one of the reasons I am so very pleased we have Adrian Goss as our adjudicator this year. As a singing teacher myself, I can vouch that everything he says about singing, and to the singers on this Island is 100% accurate and extremely valuable to their development. Adrian stated in his adjudication that he was going to be critical, but was clear to add that his criticisms were coming from a place of 'love', and that his aim was to educate, not to put down. The major vocal issues that came up in this group were that of vocal range, and this is primarily to do with the age group of the singers in this class. 12-15yr old voices are vulnerable: there is (or has just been) a massive vocal transition, and many voices will be unsettled, or will have developed a 'vocal break', or in the case of boys, will have shifted dramatically in range, or soon will. And, in complete honesty, this will (and should) limit singers at this stage in what they choose to sing. The major problem we face is that, a lot of the really awesome repertoire for Musical Theatre is intended to be sung by adult voices (and adult voices who have trained for years, I might add!), but in the case of shows like 'Grease' for example, the actual character ages are that of teenagers, so the subject matter is aimed at them. #majordilemma!! Below I've listed some of the amazing tips that Adrian gave out to these youngsters, as it really is so important for their developing vocal health:

• Sing in your Range: this may mean limiting the range of songs you pick for a while - but only a while! Seriously, a couple years at most, and then you can start developing your range safely knowing you have a healthy voice. 

• Bigger isn't always Better: This relates to the ever popular technique of 'belt singing', which contrary to popular belief is not all about singing in the heavy 'speech like' voice quality (also known as 'chest register'), and certainly not in the higher parts of the vocal range! True belting requires a thorough understanding of vocal register, managing register transitions (or passagios as they are also called), and knowing how to apply the right vocal techniques to create the illusion of a heavier sound.
• I have much, much more to say on this topic, far more than I can possibly say in this blog - if any of you reading are interested comment below (or contact me!) about learning more about vocal technique. 

• Reducing the Twang: 'Twang' is technique by which the singer narrows the vocal tract, which creates a brighter and louder volume in a healthy way. Now.... twang is actually incredibly useful, and the right amount of necessary twang is required for a focused and clear sound..... but it is very easy to over do it. Twang is another vocal colour to be added to the singers toolbox, to be used appropriately. In the case of young singers, it's often over used, so it's something to really look out for. 

All that technical stuff (phew!) out the way, I have to say that this class was wonderful to watch, with some truly special moments. Highlights for me included Rachel Dawson's rendition of 'Quiet' from Matilda, in which you could have heard a pin drop at the end of the song, and Reece Kilminster & Samantha Paines performance of 'Mooning' from Grease, which was delightfully comedic and well sung by both singers. Adrian Goss also stated about how the emphasis for this class should be 'Songs': although Musical Theatre numbers often involve a lot of choreography and acting, the song should take precedent, and that was his reasoning for his choice of winner: Reece Kilminster with his performance of 'Mister Cellophane'. Adrian stated that there were moments of true vulnerability in his performance, in which we (the audience) caught a glimpse of Reece amongst the character, and that that is what made this truly special.

Jazz winners, five years running! Chris Taylor and myself
after perfuming our rendition of 'Sway'

No rest for the wicked, the evening session opened with more 'social' piano playing in the Open Piano Duet, and Open 6-hands (or more) Piano Classes, followed by another festival favourite, the Vocal Jazz Over 18s, in which I was participating. A super class, which, as Adrian put it, really got everyone in the mood for a great night. The class covered a fair few sub-genres of Jazz, which is impressive considering there were only four of us in it! I want to really commend Mike Pepperell for his singing in this class, as his crooner-style approach was really charming, and suited him down to the ground. On this occasion, I'm happy to say that I was the winner of this class with an Outstanding mark of 90. Adrian said of my performance that it was a 'master-class in Jazz singing' - well, I'll take that kind of praise any day, thank you very much Adrian!


Next was the Choirs Folk & Traditional Over 18 featuring the Alderney Voices, and how lovely it is to have performers from a neighbouring island participating! Competitors from Jersey used to compete in this festival quite often in the past, but that doesn't seem to happen anymore, and I do wish that this was not the case, because it was clear to see how happy the Alderney Voices were to be taking part. From their first eisteddfod a few years ago, this choir have shown a strong sense of community, a love of singing, and are developing a real warmth to their sound, which was highlighted by their class win with 84 Marks. Directly after this was the Gilbert & Sullivan Class, in which the 'Cheshire Cats Choir' performed a condensed version of The HMS Pinafore in 10 minutes! Another highlight for the audience, which featured a re-working of Sir Joseph Porter's patter song with Guernsey-themed lyrics - hysterically performed by Michael Sproule, amongst some fine local soloists. A well earned 86 Marks and the trophy - Hurrah!
- Vocal Classe Superieure Over 18, much like the Piano version I wrote about in a previous post, requires the singer to perform two contrasting pieces in terms of style, composer and date of composition. A 'high-brow' class, the two performers really pulled out the meaty repertoire, which I know for some (aka, my dad) will have been a bit heavy. But that's music really - everyone has a taste, and you are obliged to have an opinion on everything! Despite the heaviness of the repertoire, it is clear to hear the skill from both Fiona Malley and Joan Le Flem, with the latter scooping the trophy with a Distinction mark of 89.

What do you think... should we form a Super-group?!

The final two classes of this loooooong day of music were the Folk Solo Over 18, followed by the Country & Western Over 18. A much lighter approach in musical tastes from the class before, and covering a vast variety of genres within genres, there was some really fine singing taking place, and also, a chance for some well-placed humour. Lindsey Veillard's performance of 'Gulls of Inverdale' (complete with Scottish Accent and a 5-litre bottle of Whiskey!) was a sure favourite with the audience,  and earned her a Distinction mark of 87 and the trophy. The final class, of which I was one of two competitors could not have shown more contrast if we had tried! I performed a soulful country ballad, with finger-picking guitar and accompanying cellist, whilst Jules Tostevin performance a skiffle-style rocking comedic song with two plaid-shirt blokes on guitars and a funky geezer on the kit. Both so far apart in style, but not in execution! Adrian decided that he simply couldn't choose between us, and awarded us both marks of 88 and the trophy to share. A brilliant way to round off the night!

A HUGE amount of music-making this Saturday, and a huge amount of information to absorb! This Eisteddfod is proving to be somewhat of an educational overload - but, you know what?.... I'm loving every second of it!

Striving for Excellence...

One of the best things about this festival is how active the youngsters of the Island are, either through their own want or gentle encouragement from their teachers. The opening class of Friday morning really showcased this, with the Infant Music Making Class, featuring 'Recycled Rhythms' performed by Acorn House. An impressive and colourful array of musical instruments they had made from recycled materials around their school: Boxes filled with bits and bobs to make shakers, up-turned saucepans, a wall of home-made tam-tams and even makeshift tubular bells made out of plastic guttering! I must say I particularly liked the rainbow coloured tuned glass bottles: a home-made 'Crystallophone', to use the correct word! Hats off to the incredibly energetic tam-tam player, whom our adjudicator Adrian Goss also mentioned for his wonderfully 'bonkers' playing. What made this performance special was the excellent team-work. This group of youngsters really showed their respect for each other, waiting patiently for their turn, listening to their fellow musicians, and playing beautifully well together. Superb work Acorn House!

Continuing the morning, we were delighted by some young pianists in the Piano Under 8, and Under 9 classes respectfully. Some promising work from these young players who are in the very early days of their musical education, with each of the performers showing their musical understanding and musicality. Adrian made a good point about pianists (and all instrumentalist in fact) singing along internally with the melody of a piece, as it really helps to cement the importance of the melody, and gives the performer another physical connecting to the piece. I'd like to make special mention to the winner of the Under 9 class, Heather Jones, who I felt had a great sense of placement with her playing, and a lovely sensitivity to the harmonic language in her piece. Her final 'tierce de picardie' (a major resolution to a minor piece for those of you unfamiliar with the phrase) was placed wonderfully, and showed a great sense of style developing. Well done Heather.

Following on from the pianists we had a super group of young Cellists in the Under 11 class. Every year I am always impressed with the cellists on this island - it's a real testament to the excellent tuition they are receiving. In particular, Archie Purdue's performance of the Bourrees 1 & 2, from Bach's Cello Suite No. 3 was excellently performed. I have fond memories of playing these pieces myself: although, I might add, I was much older than Archie, and I don't think I ever played it as well as he did! A promising talent developing here! We continued with another super group, this time of young singers in the Vocal Girls Under 10. Once again, what is clear amongst this group, is the superb teaching there are receiving. Beautifully performed songs by each and every singer in this group, but it was Eleanor Hopkins who scooped the trophy with her delightful rendition of Seagull by Lin Marsh.

The next set of classes were the Special Needs Choirs: Junior School Age Class, featuring students from Le Rondin School, followed by the Secondary School Class featuring students from Le Murier School. There is some wonderful work being done with these two choirs, and I have to say, conductor Juanita Byrne never ceases to amaze me year in and year out. Not only does she conduct the young singers, but she does it from the piano.... whilst singing.... and signing.... and as if that wasn't enough, this year she decided to involve the audience and direct them as well! The highlight of the Junior choir for me was the wonderful solo performer (sadly I did not catch their name) - a promising voice there, delivered clearly and effectively, Bravo!

L-R: Aindre Reece-Sheerin, Freya Mitchell
and Kim Reece-Sheerin with the new trophy
for Pop Song Under 12

The final class of the morning was a class new to the festival: The Pop Song Under 12, complete with a new trophy to be presented by Kim and Aindre Reece-Sheerin. Again, it is clear that there is some wonderful work being done with the young singers, highlighted by the well chosen songs, both in their appropriateness for the age group, and correct use of range (nothing too high or too low!). In my own opinion, I think that with this style of music, it is worth young singers learning to sing the melodies in a more basic way first, before attempting to develop the style with pop-tricks/riffs. It's far too easy to try and imitate the original singer who will be much older and with many more years of vocal training behind them. Something to consider for any young budding pop-stars out there. That said, the girls in this class all performed excellently. My personal highlights were Isabelle Lees for her beautifully emotive singing and expression, and Rebecca Philp for her wonderful sense of style. On this occasion however, it was Freya Mitchell who won this new class for her strong rendition of 'Make you Feel my Love' by Bob Dylan. Well done girls, a super way to round off the morning.

The afternoon session kicked off with a suitable amount of pizzazz as we were treated to four excellent concerto performances in the Open Concerto Class. This is the type of class that would usually separate the men from the boys, but in actual fact, the wasn't much between them! Some truly remarkable playing coming from the younger entrants in the class, in particular Jack Tostevin-Hall on the Oboe. It never ceases to amaze me how much warmth of tone Jack achieves with this instrument, and he is still in GCSE year! The potential to excel for him is amazing. On this occasion, it was James Hatton on trumpet who won the class, and quite deservedly. Again, the beautiful tone he achieves with his instrument is magic, and he quite rightly earned himself the first Oustanding Mark of the Festival, 90 Marks.

The next two classes had a familial trend, with Benjamin Childs performing in the Piano Jazz Under 12, followed shortly by performing in the Piano Duet Under 12 with his younger brother Harry. It is clear that these two young brothers have a budding love of Jazz, and a natural grasp of it's style. For his solo, I agree with the adjudicator that it was just a shade too fast to be 'Cool' (as suggested by the title of the piece). Learning to 'sit on it' as I always say, when it comes to Jazz is a hard skill, but it really is worth it in order to give yourself the space to create a little atmosphere. The duet on the other hand, was much more laid back and suitably charming. The brothers work very well together, and Adrian encouraged them to continue playing together. As pianists, he stated, it can get a little lonely, so it is truly beneficial to find ways to play with other musicians; be it accompanying, duets, or even 8-hands at two pianos! Another vocal class to follow, this time the Folk Song Under 18. Only two competitors in this class, but two lovely voices here, both showing a good command of their voice. One thing worth noting is 'modern interpretation' of more traditional styles. It's not to say you can't! Absolutely not! But it's worth considering what is most effective for the song at hand, and whether a subtler approach would fair better. That said, a lovely display of singing, with the class being won by Luella Taylor.
- Closing out the afternoon were three classes of chamber Music Making, as well as a solo instrumental class: the Orchestral Woodwind Duos, Trios and Quartets Under 14, and then for Under 18; the Chamber Duos, Trios and Quartets Secondary School Age; finally rounded off by the Cello Under 14. In reference to the chamber Music Making, the highlight of this section was a performance by Jacob Wright, Francois Cloete and Noah Purdue. Adrian Goss was understandably shocked to learn how young they were, given the high standard and professional quality of the pieces they were performing. A well-earned Distinction for these performers.

The evening session saw the first of my performances, as I took to the Two Pianos with my mother Marilyn. My mum and I have been playing two pianos together for 10 years, having made our way through the entire Planet Suite by Holst (which was originally written for two pianos, I'll have you know), we are now working through a Suite by Richard Rodney-Bennet, and, as per usual, not in order! Last year, Movement four, this year, Movement two! And I have to say, this year's choice seemed to be the most 'pleasant experience' for us - minimal 'heated discussions', and a lot less flapping about how complicated the piece is! Adrian was very complimentary about our musicality and abilities to produce colour from the piano, as well as our synchronicity. Our competitors, 'The Munchkins' showed us what fun 8-hands at two pianos can be, with a quirky arrangement of 'Over the Rainbow', followed by the 80s epic 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey. Adrian commented on how delightful it would have been for the young brothers Benjamin and Harry Childs to see such a fun display of 'social piano.' On this occasion it was my mother and I who won the class with a Highly Commended 86.
- More piano to follow with another of the 'big-gun' classes, the Piano Classe Superieure. This class requires the pianist to perform two pieces: one written before 1900, and other written after 1900, in order to showcase a versatility in style and technique. Now.... this might just be me, but I would read that as perform two pieces. You can understand my confusion (and I'm sure some of the audiences as well) when performers come on stage to perform 5 pieces! I can understand the logic - say for example the piece you want to perform as the post-1900 piece is a little bit short, but is in fact part of a suite, you could (and my mother has done this) perform another movement just to enhance the first piece. But it does seem a little excessive to perform the whole suite! In many ways, this will only work against you in terms of time to prepare! I am most definitely a believer in 'less is more' in circumstances like this. None the less, a superb class of excellent pianistic skills, admirably won by Bob Perkins with 86 Marks.

To Finish off the instrumental portion of the evenings entertainment we had a Chamber Music Open class, contested only by Madison Devaney and Tim Feak, performing on the Alto Flute and Treble recorder respectfully. The recorder is an instrument most remember with dread from badly played squeaks in primary, but this was certainly not the case with Tim: his recorder playing is warm and vibrant, and he knows how to showcase the instrument's true potential as a serious instrument. Adrian was full of praise for this duo's balance, and he even made a point of thanking their accompanist, Dan Madden, for his sensitive and effective playing. Accompanying is much harder than it often gets credit for - it is all too easy for the pianist to lead the soloist rather than support, or drown them out with volume. Certainly not the case for this performance. A beautifully well-rounded performance, earning a well-deserved Distinction mark of 87.

Now onto more singing! Folk Song Groups class limits the number in the group to 11 performers. Tonight The Accidentals Choir (of which I am part of) performed in a reduced capacity to our usual chamber size. Adrian was incredibly impressed by this choir, beginning his adjudication with the phrase, "Well, obviously you're an auditioned choir, correct?" - to which all of us said, "No". Rather taken aback, he went on to say how he thought the sound was incredibly professional, even more so now he knew we're just a bunch of singers who like to sing together! A highlight for him was the very opening of our first piece, Loch Lomond, which he described as 'awesome', and he also highly praised our soloist Scott Dorritty. Just when we thought it couldn't get better, he awarded us an Outstanding mark of 91, which according to Adrian is a complete rarity for him. Amazing!

Happy Birthday lovely lady Lucy!
Many congrats on your well deserved win!

Rounding off the evening was the string of Classical Vocal Solo Classes, one for each individual voice type: Bass, Baritone, Tenor, Alto, Mezzo-Soprano, Soprano. Interestingly, in previous years these classes always ran from highest voice (Soprano) to lowest (Bass) - a little change of pace this year as we reversed the order, just to keep everyone on their toes! Some wonderful singing in these classes, showcasing some of the wonderful classical repertoire available to singers. We were also once again treated to some wonderful 'mini-master class' style feedback, which tonight was primarily focused on getting everyone to loosen their tongues! An excellent set of classes, but the highlight for me had to be Lucy Cave winning the Soprano Solo Class with her rendition of 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. Lucy's performance was charming, witty, and showcased her wonderful ability to portray characters. An added bonus for her as well, that it was in fact her birthday, and this is her first ever win at the Eisteddfod - what a way to celebrate!

The first full day of music-making, and it was certainly jam-packed, with content and skill. I'll leave you with the completion of the sentence that makes up the title of this post. Perfection is something that many people are constantly trying to achieve, and in truth, it's not attainable - excellence on the other hand is. This is a phrase which our adjudicator has brought up time and time again, and it is one that I hope everyone, regardless of whether they are musicians or not, takes heed of:

Strive for Excellence, not Perfection

A New Bell for a New Year

We are off and running for the Guernsey Music Eisteddfod 2017! My word, doesn't it feel like it's come round quickly this year?! And with this new year comes some change, as the executive officer role of the festival has been handed over the Katherine Wegerer. And with this new officer, has come a new bell! Those of you who have ever performed at the Eisteddfod know you have to 'wait for the bell', which has very much changed pitch this year. So, do not be alarmed! I know it's the little things that can throw you in a performance!

The afternoon session (and start of the festival) kicked off with the Under 18 Piano Sonata class, with only one competitor, Sapphire Brewer-Marchant. It's an incredibly nerve-wracking thing to do, open a festival, let alone as the solo competitor of the class, and I think Sapphire managed any nervous energy very well. There's a lot of promising control about her playing (as expressed by our adjudicator, Adrian Goss), and I highly commend her for playing from memory as well. Next we had the Vocal Solo, Boys and Girls Under 15. This is a difficult age bracket to be singing in, it must be said, as the adolescent voice is going through tremendous changes, something which Adrian touched on in his feedback to these young singers. My personal thoughts on this class was that there is a lot of great potential here. In particular, I thought class winner Louise Madden showed excellent promise with her voice. It is worth mentioning at this point, that Adrian Goss has exceptional knowledge as a vocalist and singing teacher (amongst his many skills and qualifications), and I feel the singers of the Island are in for a real treat when it comes to feedback. During the Vocal Solo class we, the audience as well as the performers, were treated to a mini-master class on posture, support, and vocal fold adduction (aka; how to get rid of breathiness for any of you who are not singers). It was a joy for me, as a singing teacher to hear someone with many years more experience and much more professional clout than me re-iterating things I say and teach frequently in my own studio: my favourite of which is how 'Twang' and 'Nasality' are very much not the same thing! Adrian made an excellent point, in that a festival like the Guernsey Eisteddfod is an excellent platform for performers, and especially young performers, to explore and develop their skills, and that it is also a chance for a music professional to give back advice that everyone can take away from the experience.

The Self-Accompanied Class (under 18) is certainly a show of multi-tasking skill, which the three performers in this class achieved very well. All guitarists, I think it's worth mentioning (from my point of view) that perhaps a little more care needs to be spent on tuning the guitar 100% accurately, or making sure that a capo, when used, is correctly placed. That said, each performer showed great command of both of their instruments (guitar and voice), and there was no issue of balance between them, which can so often be the major problem with self-accompaniment. Rachel Dawson, who won the class with a Highly Commended showed-off her excellent ability to emote within a song, and was certainly the highlight of the class for me. The afternoon was rounded off by a vast array of young violinists int he Under 14 Violin class, followed by an impressive selection of Guernsey's Secondary School Choirs

Onto the Evening Session, which opened with the Over 18's Male Voice Choirs Class, singularly contested by the Guernsey Welsh Male Voice Choir. This choir have gone through some changes recently, most apparently a sudden change in conductor, which meant the choir decided to perform, but not be 'marked' - essentially, a non-competitive entry. Adrian was very complimentary of the choir, citing their team spirit and excellent potential. Amongst some small criticisms regarding ends of words and overall blend of voices, Adrian made an excellent 'tongue-in-cheek' remark about how 'Highly Re-Commended' they were!

Next we were onto one of the 'big-gun' classes of the festival, the Over 18 Piano Repertoire Class. Featuring some suitably well-known 'big gun' performers from the Island, this was a meaty class of piano skill and showmanship. What was very apparent in this class was how different each of the four performers are. There is somewhat of a spectrum which relates to musical skill which, I find, is much more apparent in pianists, and that spectrum ranges from the 'Mechanical Wizard' of technical excellence, but without musical soul, to the passionate and emotional performer who is lacking in the technical skill. Happy to say, that no-one in this class falls into either of the extremes on this spectrum, but it's worth mentioning because, what decides what is the best performance? Is it the absolute accuracy at the expense of musicality? Or is it the musicality at the expense of the accuracy? Personally, I prefer the latter, and I believe our adjudicator this year is very much in that camp as well. Happy to say, my mother Marilyn Pugh, who will admit that her performance was not technically perfect, showcased her musical understanding to the best degree to win the class.

Jo Marsh and Charlotte Harwick with their trophies
from the Vocal Duet Over 18's Class

We were then treated to two very different vocal classes; The Old Familiar Class, followed by the Vocal Duet Over 18s. Again, it was clear in both of these classes that musicality, passion and emotion were the overriding factor to excellence. I am very pleased for Stephen Keenan in his triumph in the Old Familiar Class, with his fabulously spirited rendition of 'The Floral Dance' (a wonderful tribute to the late Terry Wogan). Stephen's voice has developed wonderfully these last few years, and I very much look forward to hearing him develop further. The Vocal Duet Class was contested by only one pair; Charlotte Hardwick and Jo Marsh. This was a lovely class, particularly for me, as I teach Charlotte, and Jo is my nearest and dearest friend. I have always felt that Charlotte's voice reminds me of Jo's when Jo and I were much younger, and it was a joy to finally hear them working together as a pair. The balance was wonderful, and they really showcased their ability to express the music of the well-known 'Flower Duet', earning themselves the trophies and a Highly Commended 85.

Following on from the vocal classes, we had an amazing Brass Solo from James Hatton, followed by the Over 18's Voice and Piano Class, before moving on to the rather epic final class of the night, the Operatic Solo Over 18s. A class contested entirely of 'Diva's (aka: Sopranos), this certainly was an amazing showcase of vocal ability. I think praise needs to go to Charlotte Hardwick for her first venture into the Operatic Class, having only recently become old enough to move up from the under 18's section. In a class of well established Soprano singers, she held her own and was praised by the adjudicator for her fine developing voice. It was Jo Marsh who excelled in this class, earning herself a Distinction mark of 89 for 'Magda's Aria' by Menotti. Jo really immersed herself into the character and performance of this piece, and, although not technically perfect, it was so well performed that it really did not matter. Many congratulations Jo.

Overall, an excellent start to what I hope will be an excellent Music Festival. It's clear that we have an adjudicator who is very passionate about music, and who very much wants to impart help and wisdom to all, not just to those who are performing. Although, if I had one critique thus far, it is that perhaps he needs to get his time-keeping in check, as I'm not sure I (or he!) can stay at the theatre past 11pm every night this week! That said, the feedback given is really valuable and interesting. So, to everyone performing, and those of you attending only to watch: we have a lot of knowledge on offer, so soak in as much as you can!