Musicians celebrate outstanding Music and Arts Festival results
Musicians across the Prep and Senior School are celebrating an extraordinary set of results from a number of Music and Arts Festivals.
As ever, Wells had a high level of representation at the Mid-Somerset Festival, which was met with success in a multitude of classes.
Particular congratulations must go to Teagan (Lower Sixth) on receipt of the Thelma King Instrumental Award and Harry (Lower Sixth) for the Premier Award Concerto Class for all instruments.
On top of Harry’s major award, he was also the winner of the String Concerto Class and the Advanced Repertoire Class. The Strings Department had further cause to celebrate with Hannah (Year 8) winning the Violin Solo Advanced class, and Tui (Year 10) the Advanced Harp Solo class.
Cole (Year 9) decorated the Brass Department with wins in the Brass Concerto class – Robin Ledbury Cup and the Brass Solo Repertoire Advanced class – Weston-Super-Mare Challenge Cup.
The School’s pianists succeeded in a number of classes, with Melvin (Year 10) winning the Open Romantic Piano Solo, Kamil (Upper Sixth) the Open Piano Recital, Cameron (Year 8) the Open Baroque Piano Solo and Post 1900 Piano Solo, and Hannah and Michael (Year 8) the Advanced Piano Duet.
The 2023 BBC Young Chorister of the Year (Junior category), Belinda (Year 8), led the charge for the Vocal Department, winning four classes: Show Song from Musical/Film (12 Years), Vocal Recital (15 Years and Under), Unaccompanied Folk Song (12 & 13 Years) and Show Song from Musical/Film (15 Years), as well as the Joan Love Trophy for her performance in the Recital class. Tom (Lower Sixth) won the Opera class (16-19 Years) and the Oratorio class (16-19 years), and Beth (Year 11) the Senior Vocal Recital class (16-19 Years). Celebrations continued when Belinda won the Taunton Junior Young Singer 2024 competition!
At the Bristol Music, Speech and Drama Festival, Hannah (Year 8) topped the Advanced String Solo class, the Diploma String Solo class and the Concerto class (8 Years and Under). Michael (Year 8) won the Composition class (17 Years and Under) and the Harp Repertoire class (14 Years and Under), while Lucas (Year 7) was the winner of the Unaccompanied Solo (18 Years and Under). Furthermore, Cole (Year 9) won first prize and the Jefferson Horsley Trophy at the Taunton Junior Young Musician competition as part of the Taunton Festival of the Arts, and in the senior section Bibi (piano, Upper Sixth) won first place with Lucille (piano, Year 10) coming in second and Teagan (violin, Lower Sixth) in third. As well as winning £300, Bibi’s success has also resulted in the chance to perform the Haydn D Major Concerto on December 1st with the Taunton Sinfonietta.
Our younger musicians in the Prep School also put on exceedingly impressive performances. Soho (Year 5) took home a major award at the Mid-Somerset Festival, the Piano Shop Bath Salver for the most outstanding young pianist, on top of winning the Piano Repertoire 13 and Under, Open Classical Piano Solo and Piano Concerto Classes. Charlotte (Year 4) was successful on both the harp and the piano, winning the Intermediate Harp Solo class, the Piano Repertoire 11 and Under and Piano Solo Grade 6, receiving scores of 92 and 93 for two of the classes. At the Devon Performing Arts Festival, Annabel (Year 6) won her classes in Song in a Language Other than English 12 Years and Under, Folk Song (Unaccompanied) 10 Years and Under, Sacred Song 10 Years and Under, and Pop Ballad 12 Years and Under. Charlotte (Year 5), competing in the String section at the Basingstoke Music and Art Festival, won the Grade 4 and Junior Recital classes with outstanding scores of 90, while Soho competed in the Bristol Music Speech and Drama Festival, winning the Repertoire Class (15 Years and Under), Grade 8 (Open Age) and Music Composed Before 1900 (17 Years and Under) – a spectacular achievement for a pianist in Year 5!
Clare Rowntree, Head of Music and Performing Arts in the Prep School, writes: “It has been terrific to celebrate the many successes of our wonderfully talented young musicians in the Prep School in recent weeks. These superb achievements are the result of dedication and commitment and it is truly inspiring to see their musical skills developing so well at such a young age. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Alex Laing, Director of Music, comments, “It is fantastic to support our local Festivals, and, as ever, it is a great tribute to our musicians here at Wells that there are so many successes. It’s also lovely to note the extra “overall” prizes awarded. Congratulations to all who took part!”
As ever, Wells had a high level of representation at the Mid-Somerset Festival, which was met with success in a multitude of classes.
Particular congratulations must go to Teagan (Lower Sixth) on receipt of the Thelma King Instrumental Award and Harry (Lower Sixth) for the Premier Award Concerto Class for all instruments.
On top of Harry’s major award, he was also the winner of the String Concerto Class and the Advanced Repertoire Class. The Strings Department had further cause to celebrate with Hannah (Year 8) winning the Violin Solo Advanced class, and Tui (Year 10) the Advanced Harp Solo class.
Cole (Year 9) decorated the Brass Department with wins in the Brass Concerto class – Robin Ledbury Cup and the Brass Solo Repertoire Advanced class – Weston-Super-Mare Challenge Cup.
The School’s pianists succeeded in a number of classes, with Melvin (Year 10) winning the Open Romantic Piano Solo, Kamil (Upper Sixth) the Open Piano Recital, Cameron (Year 8) the Open Baroque Piano Solo and Post 1900 Piano Solo, and Hannah and Michael (Year 8) the Advanced Piano Duet.
The 2023 BBC Young Chorister of the Year (Junior category), Belinda (Year 8), led the charge for the Vocal Department, winning four classes: Show Song from Musical/Film (12 Years), Vocal Recital (15 Years and Under), Unaccompanied Folk Song (12 & 13 Years) and Show Song from Musical/Film (15 Years), as well as the Joan Love Trophy for her performance in the Recital class. Tom (Lower Sixth) won the Opera class (16-19 Years) and the Oratorio class (16-19 years), and Beth (Year 11) the Senior Vocal Recital class (16-19 Years). Celebrations continued when Belinda won the Taunton Junior Young Singer 2024 competition!
At the Bristol Music, Speech and Drama Festival, Hannah (Year 8) topped the Advanced String Solo class, the Diploma String Solo class and the Concerto class (8 Years and Under). Michael (Year 8) won the Composition class (17 Years and Under) and the Harp Repertoire class (14 Years and Under), while Lucas (Year 7) was the winner of the Unaccompanied Solo (18 Years and Under). Furthermore, Cole (Year 9) won first prize and the Jefferson Horsley Trophy at the Taunton Junior Young Musician competition as part of the Taunton Festival of the Arts, and in the senior section Bibi (piano, Upper Sixth) won first place with Lucille (piano, Year 10) coming in second and Teagan (violin, Lower Sixth) in third. As well as winning £300, Bibi’s success has also resulted in the chance to perform the Haydn D Major Concerto on December 1st with the Taunton Sinfonietta.
Our younger musicians in the Prep School also put on exceedingly impressive performances. Soho (Year 5) took home a major award at the Mid-Somerset Festival, the Piano Shop Bath Salver for the most outstanding young pianist, on top of winning the Piano Repertoire 13 and Under, Open Classical Piano Solo and Piano Concerto Classes. Charlotte (Year 4) was successful on both the harp and the piano, winning the Intermediate Harp Solo class, the Piano Repertoire 11 and Under and Piano Solo Grade 6, receiving scores of 92 and 93 for two of the classes. At the Devon Performing Arts Festival, Annabel (Year 6) won her classes in Song in a Language Other than English 12 Years and Under, Folk Song (Unaccompanied) 10 Years and Under, Sacred Song 10 Years and Under, and Pop Ballad 12 Years and Under. Charlotte (Year 5), competing in the String section at the Basingstoke Music and Art Festival, won the Grade 4 and Junior Recital classes with outstanding scores of 90, while Soho competed in the Bristol Music Speech and Drama Festival, winning the Repertoire Class (15 Years and Under), Grade 8 (Open Age) and Music Composed Before 1900 (17 Years and Under) – a spectacular achievement for a pianist in Year 5!
Clare Rowntree, Head of Music and Performing Arts in the Prep School, writes: “It has been terrific to celebrate the many successes of our wonderfully talented young musicians in the Prep School in recent weeks. These superb achievements are the result of dedication and commitment and it is truly inspiring to see their musical skills developing so well at such a young age. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Alex Laing, Director of Music, comments, “It is fantastic to support our local Festivals, and, as ever, it is a great tribute to our musicians here at Wells that there are so many successes. It’s also lovely to note the extra “overall” prizes awarded. Congratulations to all who took part!”
