Talented youngsters celebrated at Young Musicians of the Year competition, sponsored by The Rotary Club of Newark
Talented young people have competed to be named young musician of the year.
The Young Musicians of the Year contest, which has been sponsored by The Rotary Club of Newark for twenty seven years, sees young musicians of Newark-area junior schools perform in piano, brass, woodwind, and strings categories.
74 entrants took part in heats held at Barnby Road Academy, performing to an audience of family, friends and fellow competitors.
Rotary President Ivor Walker said: “All the children did amazingly well, both in the heats, and in the final. I am glad I wasn’t trying to judge them. The competing schools this year were Coddington Primary School, Barnby Road Academy, and Highfields School with excellent performances from all the competitors.
“We would love to see more Newark area schools compete as playing music gives confidence and adds joy throughout life.”
20 musicians were selected to go forward to the final at Hope Community Methodist Church, which began with a performance of a joint orchestra of Highfields and Barnby Road schools conducted by Libby Wyatt.
There the winners were named as Barnby Road’s Jacky Cai on piano, Highfields’ Frankie Roehricht on cornet, Coddington’s Robin Overbury playing clarinet, and Barnby Road’s Hollie Cox on violin.
The overall Young Musician of the Year was pianist Jacky Cai.
RAF College Cranwell has, for the past few years, provided the judge for the competition and this year it was Cpl Thomas Maddison who played at the Festival of Remembrance with the RAF Squadronaires accompanying Sir Tom Jones.
Cpl Maddison also played at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and at King Charles III’s coronation.
At the end of the evening, the organiser and master of ceremonies, rotarian David Shannon, thanked all the children, parents, the teachers who had coached the performers, and Tom Cartledge of Benoy Architects who had sponsored the hire of Hope Community Church for the final.
