Super Saturday At the Eisteddfod

Starting the first Saturday of the Eisteddfod, we had three piano classes, the Piano Under 8, Under 9, and Under 10. Some fine work being displayed here by these young pianists, and a good level of confidence. The Eisteddfod stage is big, and can by daunting for anyone, and the pianists have to contend with also playing an instrument that is not what they are used to, so it was lovely to see them all taking command of the instrument we Eisteddfod veteran's lovingly call 'The Beast'. Winners of the classes were Thomas Boscher for the Under 8 with Highly Commended, Sienna Battaglia for the Under 9 with a Distinction, and Sofie Le Marquand in the Under 10 with a Highly Commended. 

Carrying on the morning session was the Instrumental Solo Under 18, which was won by Ezra Gist with a Distinction for his performance of 'Cool Drift', and following that the Folk Solo Under 12. Folk singing is a wonderful traditional style of music, and so very accessible to all, singers, musicians, all abilities and ages. I'd love to see more exploration of other countries folk songs, just in general (we tend to stick to the home counties I've noticed), which would be a real treat for musical development in general. Some fine singing in this class, with lots of great story-telling and character on display. The class was won by Bea Wilson, who I must say I have noticed some wonderful development in her vocal abilities and presence since I last saw her perform, so I hope she continues on this path. She won the class with a Distinction for her performance of 'The Tailor and The Mouse'. Next we had the Piano Under 12, where, like their younger counterparts these pianists took good command of their instrument and the stage. Some more adventurous repertoire choices being explored in this class such as Bela Bartok, which is lovely to see, and some fine playing abilities on display. The winner of the class was Clemence Howe with a Distinction

Rounding off the morning we had another of my favourite classes, the Special Needs Choir Open, featuring Gateway Club Choir, performing two wonderfully fun pieces, 'Take me Home (Country Roads)' and 'I Wanna Be Like You'. It has been well documented how beneficial singing is for health and wellbeing, and this was displayed so clearly by this group from the fun and joy they had with their performance. Thank you Gateway, a wonderful way to end the morning! 

The Saturday Afternoon session was, let's just say, a big one! We started with two Pop songs classes, the Pop Song Duo/Trio/Quartet Under 15, and the Under 18. It was a shame these classes were not more heavily contested, having seen the large numbers of young singers in the Under 12 pop class (and knowing how many are to come later in the week), so I'd personally like to encourage more of our young pop singers to take on the challenge of singing in small groups together, there's some great repertoire to explore, and part singing is such an invaluable tool in the contemporary singers toolbox. Some great work from those who did take part together though, with Clarie Elston and Eliza Webster winning the Under 15 class with a Highly Commended, and Poppy Cochrane and Freya Tardif winning the Under 18 with a rousing rendition of 'River Deep, Mountain High' with Distinction. 

For the rest of the afternoon, we were treated to the first of the musical theatre classes, the Songs from the Shows Under 15 & Under 18. Some great work here from everyone, which Ben Costello reflected on when he stated that everyone had received a Highly Commended or higher. My personal highlights of the class were Lea Phillips heroic performance of 'Ring Them Bells', not an easy number and I thought she delivered it with poise, grace and very clear diction, and Lily Becker's amazing mix-belt hight notes at the end of her performance of 'Astonishing'. Ben talked to all the competitors about some general points to further develop their work, such as listening (and reading) what the composer wrote, and not just listening to the soundtrack and copying a particular artist. Use the music to make informed choices. He praised the performers on their bold repertoire choices, superb acting through song, and genuinely authentic deliveries. A tough one to call I felt as there was such great work on display, but today we had Kathleen Truelove and Amelia Garn in 3rd for their duet 'What is this Feeling?', Amelia placed again in 2nd for her heartfelt and committed performance of 'Journey to the Past', and todays winner was Isabelle Lees, who received and Outstanding for her emotional and powerful performance of 'Burn' from Hamilton. Well done to everyone in this class, and keep up the great work! 

L-R: Isabelle Lees, Kathleen Truelove and Amelia Garn from the Under 18 Songs from the Shows

Kicking off the evening session we say Marilyn Pugh return to the stage to perform in the Piano Classe Superieure Over 18. Continuing her theme of female composers this year, she performed two pieces by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, and a small work collection of pieces from 'Petite Suite' written by Lydia Jane Pugh (yes, that's me!). Ben praised Marilyn for her sensitive and evocative playing, and from my own perspective I thought my mum played my suite very well - a lot of the pieces sound easy, but there is a lot of detail and challenging techniques in there which she tackled brilliantly. She was awarded the trophy and a Highly Commended mark of 86. Next up we had two string-based classes, the Violin Open, and the Chamber Music Open. Some absolutely amazing playing on display here, particularly that of Sam Cole in the Violin Open, who's performance of Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice by Fritz Kreisler was absolutely mesmerising, earning him an Outstanding mark of 91, the highest of the festival so far. We were also treated to some equally wonderful playing in the Chamber Music class with Vivace! performing a spell-binding rendition of 'She's Like the Swallow', receiving another Outstanding mark with a 90.  

Closing out the evening, a class which in recent years has become a festival favourite, the Choirs Mixed Voices Over 18. Six choirs took to the stage, which was amazing to see so many different choirs (and therefore so many people!), such variety in repertoire AND a choir from across the pond in Jersey! Each choir offered something unique to them, my personal highlights from each choir: 
- The Guernsey Singers (for which I conducted), performed my piece (yes, had another one performed today) 'Celebration of Song' with such vibrancy and gusto
- MTG's Vocally Unlocked's rendition of 'Hide and Seek' by Imogen Heap was touching, heartfelt, and full of gentleness
- Les Conteurs Singers gave a suitably rhythmic performance of 'Feeling Groovy'
- MTG's La Rocque Choir's performance of 'My Blue Sky' was driving, toe-tapping and full of fun and feeling 
- The Accidentals (for whom I sing with) performed an epic version of 'True Colours' (which features an incredible key change, it's a stunning arrangement) 
- The Wright Notes? gave a wonderful performance of 'Africa', complete with opening soundscape and gentle choreography.  
A truly special class this one, with so much to enjoy, for everyone on stage and off. On this occassion, Vocally Unlocked took the win with 89 Marks (Distinction) 

Another great day at the Eisteddfod, with so much talent and hard work on display. The festival feels up and running now, and here's to another full week of music-making. 

Winners of the Mixed Choirs Class O18, MTG's Vocally Unlocked

Remember.... Be Batman!

The first Friday morning session started with, an ever delightful presentation in the Infant School Age Music Making Class, contested by Acorn House from ECJS, who produced a wonderful performance called 'Soundscapes', creating wonderful sounds and conjuring imagary, and having fun while doing it. They won their class with a Distinction. Continuing the morning, we had the Violin Under 9, followed by the Brass Solo Under 12. In each of these instances, I always feel this is a wonderful display of young music making, but also shows the wonderful care and guidance these musicians are getting from the teachers of the island. Ben Costello's feedback for the violinists was focused on watching their intonation and rhythmic control, but also praising them for the confidence they were displaying. The winner on this occasion was Florence Torode, playing 'The Two Roses' for the Under 9 Violins, and for the Under 12 Brass it was Emily Le Page with 'If I were a Rich Man' - both received Highly Commended. Before the interval, we were treated to a lovely arrangement of our local anthem, 'Sarnia Cherie, arranged by Nicole Wyatt for the Melrose String Ensemble for the Orchestra, Band, Ensemble Junior School Age class. Ben continued his positive feedback for the young musicians, speaking about the fundamental technique of posture, including feet position and well as the hands (we often lose track of what our feet are doing!). He also spoke about producing different articulations and dynamics, and spoke highly of how well the players are using the full length of the bow. Melrose were awarded Highly Commended for their performance. 

Continuing the morning, we had a beautiful performance by Le Rondin School in the Choirs Special Needs: Junior School Age. Every year, this is one of the most wonderful classes to witness - the joy expressed on stage, the commitment, the incredibleness that is Juanita Bryne playing, singing, signing and engaging the children, and most tellingly for me, the communication - some of these performers are non-verbal, except for when they sing, and it just reiterates the absolute power that music has for everyone. Well done to all the staff at Le Rondin for putting together this beautiful performance. Rounding off the morning session we had the Pop Song Under 12 - always a popular class, both in participant and audience attendance, we had a lovely mix of repertoire on display from our young singers. Ben gave constructive feedback to these singers, particularly noting 'cursive singing', which for those of you who don't know is essentially when a singer chooses to pull/distort/morph the vowel sounds produced (Adele and Selena Gomez are notorious for using it). Whilst it is an effective tool for the contemporary singer, it's very easy to overuse it, so this is something for all developing singers to consider. From my own personal feedback, for singer reading this, I am spotting a lot of what I call negative tension, particularly in the form of a lot of explosive breath at the end of phrases, which isn't really necessary - breathing is easy, you've been doing it your whole life, relax and sing with energy, not effort. Particular highlights from this class for me included Lara Pimlott's expressive connection with her song, Bea Wilson's beautifully developing vocal tone and control, and Harriet Lord's amazing confidence for such a young performer. A tough one to call it seemed for Ben this morning, and I'm sure everyone in the audience had their own favourite, but on this occasion he decided to award the trophy jointly to Lottie Colmer, and Jacob Morgan. Well done to them, and to everyone in this class.  

The afternoon session began with the Viola Under 14 & Under 16 classes, and yet more fine string playing from our older Violists. Some bold choices of music being made here, including the likes of Libestraum by Liszt, and lots of strong Bach pieces. Winners for these classes were Lily Hurrell for the Under 14, and Eva Hurrell for the Under 16. Next up, the Orchestral Woodwind Under 18 class, again with yet more impressive repertoire choices, particularly the Flute Concerto No. 2 by Mozart. The class was won by Deanna Mahy with a Distinction. Next up, we had the Vocal Solo; Alto & Soprano Voices 15-18 - a change in the class title some may have noticed, one I feel for the positive, taking the classification for these ages away from gender and focused on the vocal type (which is not always determined by sex or gender), and which is much more inclusive and segues much better into the adult classifications. This gives young developing singers a better understanding of their voices, and the types of repertoire to choose and explore. Some very strong singing in this class, again with wonderful choices of repertoire. Genevieve Evans won the class with a Distinction performance of Handel's 'O Sleep Why Dost Thou Leave Me?' Closing the afternoon, we had the Choirs Secondary Age; Years 7-11 - important to note, that one choir performed the day before, but were adjudicated with the rest of the class. A wonderful class of choral singing here, with great direction for all the choir conductors. Group singing really is a special event, and I encourage everyone to get involved with it, which is why it is so pleasing to so many young singers involved in choral singing. A tough one to call, but on this occasion Guernsey Music Centre Intermediate Choir were victorious with a Distinction. 

Starting off the evening, we had a wonderful class, the Piano Film Over 18. Film music, I feel is such a wonderful area of the music world, and this was a lovely cross section of a few memorable themes, and the imagery and emotions they can invoke. John Morris showcased his usual flair for fireworks with his rendition of the Theme from Dallas, but for me the highlight of the class was Marilyn Pugh's performance of 'Chocolat' by Rachel Portman (another wonderful female composer, adding to her theme from last night's piano repertoire class). Marilyn played the theme with a wonderful lilting air, and a sense of playfulness and mystery, and won the class with a Distinction mark of 88.

Next up, the Barbershop Ensemble Open, featuring States of Harmony. In previous years we've seen them as a full scale mixed voice choir, but on this occasion, a we had a barbershop sextet, performing 'Aura Lee' and 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart'. A strong performance from this ensemble, and so lovely to hear the barbershop style - they won their class with 86 marks (Highly Commended). Continuing the evening, a string of vocal classes which sadly only featured one performer each, the Gilbert & Sullivan Open, and the Old Familiar Solo. I'd love to see more younger singers interested in musical theatre having a go at the Gilbert & Sullivan class, as there's so much to learn about musical theatre from this genre, which was the spring board for modern day MT. We had two..... very different performances here! First up we had Darren Alderton and Alison Castle... as 'Three Little Maids'.... but there's two of them.... and they were nuns.... anyone who knows these two that drama and comedy is what they are known for, and they earned themselves a Distinction. For the Old Familiar Solo class, Lindsey Veillard performed a touching rendition of 'Love's Old Sweet Song', which she endearingly dedicated to her late mother before her performance. A gentle coaxing of the audience to join her in the final refrain made for a warm and heartfelt delivery, and she was rightly awarded the trophy and a Distinction of 87 marks. 

Next up, Darren and Alison were back with another performance in the Vocal Duet Over 18, performing Schubert's 'Ave Maria', with Alison as Baritone, and Darren singing the Soprano part as a CounterTenor. A clever inversion of the typical vocal parts, although my honest opinion, knowing what these two can do, I think they could develop the vocal qualities more and find more balance between the two voices, which would actually make their comical delivery even funnier. They were awarded 86 Marks (Highly Commended), and awarded the trophies. Finishing off the evening, and set of classical vocal solo classes; The Operatic Solo Over 18 and The Classe Superieure, which were both won by Joan Le Flem with 85 and 86 Marks respectively, and the French Solo O18, in which Kirsty Dempster stood out once more in the French class for her excellent and accurate pronunciation, receiving a Distinction mark of 87 for her performance of 'Villanelle' by Hector Berlioz. 

Overall, another fine day at the Guernsey Music Eisteddfod. If there's a takeaway to be had from today's session, I think it would be the performances from our young musicians, particularly from Le Rondin, and Harriet Lord in the Under 12 Pop song, who's commitment and confidence in their wish to express themsevles really shone through. If you want to succeed, you just have to commit to things with confidence, even if it's just an act to begin with. Remember: 

Whatever you do today, do it with the confidence 

of a four year-old in a Batman outfit

Joint winners of the U12 Pop (L-R); Jacob Morgan & Lottie Colmer

It's Great to Be Back!

Music Eisteddfod is here for 2023! I personally have felt like it has been an ice age waiting to get back into this, as my last blog was in fact for 2020, mere weeks before the pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown. In 2021 we were hit with another lockdown and so the festival was cancelled, and in 2022, although it went ahead, COVID was still wreaking havoc with participation and scheduling - I myself was out of action with the dreaded vid for 12 days (and only had the energy to participate in the last 3 days, predominantly to play for students). I am delighted that 2023 is up and running, and I'm raring to go! 

Kicking off the music section for 2023 we had the Piano Sonata U18. I have many memories of being the age of these young performers and starting my music eisteddfod with this very class (back in the day...), and I've always enjoyed the rich quality of music that is presented in piano sonata form. Some choice pieces being presented today by our young pianists, a particular highlight being class winner Archie Purdue performing the class 'Pathetique' by Beethoven. Next up we had three brass themed classes: The Brass Solo U14 where the winner was James Stafford-Bell, the U18 class with the winner being Helena Duguid, and the Brass Duo/Trio/Quartet U18, which featured the delightfully pun-tasticly named 'Coldslide' playing the Coldplay classic 'Paradise'.

After a short interval we continued the afternoon session with the Percussion Solo U18, which saw Zaheer Anees perform a spectacular rendition of 'Blues for Gilbert', earning himself the first Outstanding of our festival (usually a rarity to get one on the first day, so well done Zaheer!).
The Piano Junior Classe Superieure U18 followed, again with only one competitor, which was George Walker, who received a Highly Commended for his performance of Sonata in A Major, and Jingo (Rock Preludes 1). Next up we had the Concerto Open. Usually, a concerto features a soloist being accompanied by an orchestra, but for this type of presentation, the accompaniment is reduced down to just the piano, which is no mean feat for the accompanists! Concerto's are a wonderful way for instrumentalists to showcase, not only their abilities, but their style and personality through the music. Some lovely work on display here from all three performers, which the class winner being Alexandra Dorey on Double Bass, receiving a Highly Commended for her performance of Concerto No. 2 Adagio by Dittersdorf. 

It's worth noting at this point, that a perhaps slightly unusual thing from our adjudicator Ben Costello is his lack of using the bell to signal performers they can begin. I'll be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about it at present! On the one hand I know the bell often fills some performers with a sense of fear and dread, but I personally feel the bell is a very clear signal to, not just the performers but the audience as well that the performance is about to begin. We shall see how this unfolds in the larger classes and with full capacity audiences... and I'd be interested to know others opinions, so do comment! From an adjudication style point of view, Ben is very good and what I call 'compliment bread', by which I mean giving positive critique, followed by things to work on, but finishing with yet more positive critique. It's a great skill when giving feedback to anyone in general!

Rounding off the afternoon was the Country & Western Under 18 A lovely introduction to the more contemporary styles of music that also feature at the Guernsey Eisteddfod, this was a well contested class with a wonderful variety of song styles within the genre on display, and some promising vocals developing with these young singers. I thought in particular that class winner showcased some wonderful vocals developing, with a good knowledge and command of her vocal registers, and the vocal tone she was wanting to display. Ben talked to the singer's a lot about commanding the stage, presence of character, and finding the objective of the lyrics, by which we mean the subtext of the lyrics. The one thing that sets singing apart from other instruments (most of the time), is that songs have lyrics, and it gives the singer a whole other world of choices to explore when it comes to expression. It's good to see many of these singers really delving deeper into lyrical meaning with their songs. Well done everyone in this class! 

Starting off the first evening session was the Folk Song Groups O18, with Guernsey's ever popular sea-shanty singers GU10 performing a lovely little set of folk songs. I always love the style and presence this group give, although I did get a bit of tentative performance from them this time, not sure why. None the less, they gave a solid performed, taking home the trophy with a Highly Commended mark of 86. Next up, a class that's not always a regular at this festival, we had the 6 or More Hands at One Piano, which featured a hilarious presentation by Six Guys Named Moe of 'I Want You Back' - I don't think any words I can write will do justice of the carnage and hysterics we witnessed, but a thoroughly enjoyable performance, and a well deserved Highly Commended mark of 85.

Continuing this evening's piano section we had the Piano Repertoire O18. A popular class with Guernsey's seasoned pianists, and always showcasing a wide range of repertoire, and from lesser-known composers than 'the big guns' we usually think of (Mozart, Beethoven, etc), and it gives the audience a chance to listen to a more diverse cross-section of the piano repertoire. I particularly enjoyed my mother Marilyn Pugh's repertoire for the evening, which for me had a wonderful balance and diversity, and her choice to feature all female composers was a lovely idea. The winner of the class was the ever competent and stylish John Morris with a Distinction mark of 87. The last of the three piano classes, perhaps one of the most terrifying to even think about was the Piano Sight-Reading Open. The competitors are given 30 seconds to look at a piece chosen by the adjudicator, and then they have to play it! Utterly mesmerising to observe how each perform chooses to digest the piece in front of them, and how best to tackle it. Hats off to young George Walker for taking on the big lads and making a fine go of this piece! On this occasion, once again John Morris was victorious and took home the trophy and Distinction mark of 87.

After the interval we had the run of Classical Vocal Classes O18. Wonderful this year to have each voice type represented (there have been years we have been missing tenors and baritones in particular). I think something more singers of this repertoire should consider is their true voice type, which is not entirely about range - vocal tone, colour and timbre are equally as important as the vocal range when deciding, not just what songs to choose, but which class to put oneself in. Particular highlights across these 6 classes for me were Lindsey Veillard's charming rendition of 'Christopher Robin is Saying his Prayers', Alison Castle's humorous performance of 'Matron Cat Song', and Kirsty Dempster's beautiful performance of 'I'm Called Lazuli', for which she received a Distinction mark of 87. I must say it was lovely to hear Kirsty sing again after having been away to university. Any Eisteddfod regulars may remember Kirsty performing just a few years ago in the Under 18 classes, and this was a lovely showcase of how voices develop over time with care and training. 

All in all, a lovely start to the Guernsey Eisteddfod 2023. I must say it is great to be back, not only participating and writing about it all again, but just for the festival to be up and running at full steam like it use to before the pandemic. These last few years have been hard on everyone, and very much so on the arts and live performance, so I hope everyone is cherishing having our wonderful festival back in full force. 

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!