Festival success for West Leigh
On Friday, children from Years 3, 4 and 5 represented West Leigh Junior School in the recorder classes of the Leigh Music Festival. This annual event, along with the Southend Festival in November, provides us with the opportunity to share our music-making with the local community and receive feedback from a guest judge. On this occasion, the adjudicator was Lisa Nelsen who is a Professor at the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music.
Our Recorder Ensemble performed ‘Union Street Express’ and ‘A Viennese Whirl’, conducted by Mrs Forkin. The adjudicator awarded them the Festival Recorder Challenge Cup, commenting specifically on their high standard of delivery and ensemble playing: “very well presented… very well played together”.
Other entries included a new unaccompanied trio (Amelie Delaney, Cerys Freemantle and Caitlin Lynch-Wyatt) and a diverse collection of solos and duos from the more experienced players, accompanied on the piano by Miss Fisher.
We were very proud to hear everyone performing so well, however, on festival days someone has to win! The solo winners were Katie Ixer (Recorder Solo for any instrument of the recorder consort) and Cerys Freemantle (Descant Recorder Solo) who was also awarded the Doris Ridd Orpheus Cup. Thank you to everyone who came to support the children, especially on such a hot afternoon! Congratulations to all our young musicians for their commitment and wonderful performances.
