Annual String Festival Day sees memorable performances

On Sunday 4th December, we held the annual String Festival Day – a day of workshops, competitive prize classes and a concert at the end.  

Violinist, Richard Howarth, ex-leader of many professional orchestras throughout the UK and well-known string coach, came to take the students through a workshop on string pieces, adjudicate the prize classes and conduct in the concert at the end. The pupils looked at a variety of styles in the workshop and Richard trained the orchestra with excellent advice and instruction.  

The ‘debut’ prize was won by Joy H (M, III) playing River Song on the cello. The intermediate class was hotly contested with Evans S (Ch, IV) coming in as runner up and John L (R, V) winning with his excellent violin tango – El choclo.  

The senior prize was full of sparkling high-standard performances and typically difficult to judge. Lincoln L (S, V) produced a lively Czadas (Hi! Katie, by Hubay) to get the highly commended spot and Ethan P (I, UVI) won with the second section of the famous Aus der Heimat (From my homeland) by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.

Special mention to Angie K (EDH, III) and Mia H (G, IV) for memorable double bass and cello pieces as well.  

The event was greatly enjoyed by all, and we look forward to another successful day next year. 

David Joyce  

Head of Strings