Shrewsbury Strings Festival showcases exceptional talent and musicianship

Cossack dances, fiery Tangos, solo Gigues and gargantuan Concerto movements - this year’s Strings Festival had it all.  

On Sunday, February 2nd, the Music Department welcomed esteemed violinist and lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Fiona McLean, to lead our stringed and bowed musicians in a day of competitive classes and entertaining workshops alike. 

The event sprang into action with our Intermediate Section players who offered accomplished performances on the violin, cello and double bass respectively. There was quite the sonic buffet spread on offer from solo Bach movements to Robot Marches.  

Fiona had a very tough job indeed awarding prizes to students after giving words of wisdom and guidance to each of the performers. Kirsten L (M, IV) walked away victorious with her sensitive and mature rendition of a Bach Cello Suite movement arranged for violin. Con W (Ch, V) and Sherwyn S (SH, IV) were applauded for having come a close second and third. Jessica L (MSH, UVI) was highly commended for her beautiful Romance by Sibelius and a further commendation went to John L (R, UVI) who was praised for his commanding stage presence and panache. 

Whilst the Intermediate category was taking place the Junior Strings had been rehearsing in a neighbouring room with Mr Joyce. They made their way to the auditorium following the intermediate prizes to have a workshop with Fiona on their newly rehearsed offering. The subject of this workshop was a brilliant arrangement of Coldplay’s ‘Viva la Vida’ by Graduate Music Fellow extraordinaire, Miss Almaz Razif. Such was the genius of the arrangement that Miss Razif was negotiating a price for her score with Fiona by the end of the day. The workshop allowed an opportunity for some of the exciting new talent in the lower years to showcase their considerable potential. Along the way they learnt essential chamber music skills to take into their future rehearsals at school. 

By 3pm the current Titans of the Shrewsbury string scene had emerged from their practice rooms, warmed up and ready to deliver some breathtaking performances. The range and musical integrity of the performing on display was quite humbling for any of the adults in the room to behold. A reminder of just how talented our young musicians are and a further indication of the seriousness with which they approach their music making.  

All of the performers were congratulated on their playing but, alas, only the lucky few emerged with prizes. Charlotte vB (MSH, UVI) was commended for her heartfelt performance of the first movement of Lalo’s Concerto in D minor and Chit S (R, IV) highly commended for his thoughtful rendition of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke. On the podium in third place came Lydia C (QEH, IV) for her highly virtuosic playing of the 1st movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, full of vitality and flair. Don W (Rt, IV) gave an exceptional performance of the first movement of Elgar’s Cello Concerto which was brimming with intensity and understanding. He was duly awarded second place for a performance that was beyond his years. This left Peer I (O, LVI) to collect the winning trophy for 2025. The adjudicator announced that Peer’s victory was not only down to the technical command with which he had performed the opening movement of Haydn’s Concerto no.1 for Cello but also for the boundless joy and energy with which he had played. ‘Intus Si Recte Ne Labora’ his bow seemed to sing as it graced the strings of his instrument. The way with which Peer threw himself, body and soul, into his playing won him gold on this occasion and deservedly so. A huge word of congratulation was given to all participants, however, as everyone who had stood up on this veritable celebration of String music had given a moment of themselves that they could be very proud of indeed. 

A final word of thanks goes to the Music Department’s Graduate Music Fellow, Miss Razif, Chef D’Entreprise of the Strings Festival 2025. We offer our thanks to Miss Razif for her seamless organisation of the day’s events, for her musical ingenuity with the arrangement for the Junior Strings and for the grace with which she hosted the day.

Christopher Potts  

Deputy Director of Music 

Prize winners:  

Intermediate class: 

• 1st - Kirsten L 

• 2nd - Con W 

• 3rd - Sherwyn S 

• Highly Commended - Jessica L 

• Commended - John L 

Senior class: 

• 1st - Peer I 

• 2nd - Don W 

• 3rd  - Lydia C 

• Highly Commended - Chit S 

• Commended - Charlotte vB