Music at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival
RGS Worcester hosts the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival (WCAF) over two weekends in March, attracting hundreds of competitors and their families to the School. The Music Room, Perrins Hall, and Main Hall were transformed into performance spaces for this year’s event. Founded in 1951, the long-standing Worcester Competitive Arts Festival aims to give amateur performers of all ages the opportunity to compete and perform in a friendly and supportive environment. Cups, medals and trophies are awarded to the winners of competitive classes and winners may also be invited to perform at the festival concert.
RGS musicians were prominent during the first day of competition, with Lexie Small, Year Seven, competing in a solo string class, and Arthur Hasling, Year Eight, winning the Advanced Orchestral String Solo class and taking home a cup. Ben Brierley, Year Ten, gave an outstanding performance of Debussy’s piano piece to secure 2nd place in the Advanced Piano Solo class, while Nicole Penlington played a fifteen-minute recital in the William Lewis Recital Class.
In addition to these solo acts, three RGS ensembles participated and won their respective classes. The Upper Voices Vocal Ensemble triumphed in the ‘Choirs, 19 Years and Under’ category by singing Eric Whitacre’s ‘Sing Gently’ and Lorde’s ‘Royals.’ The Wymsical Theatre choir, which included Upper Sixth student Isaac McManus, also competed in this category.
The Junior String Trio, comprised of Nicole Penlington, Finlay Hilton, and Arthur Hasling, emerged victorious in the ‘Orchestral String Ensemble – 12 Years and Under’ category, while the Intermediate String Ensemble won the ‘Large Ensemble – 16 Years and Under’ cup by performing Peter Wilson’s ‘Carnival’ and music from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ All three RGS ensembles earned a ‘Distinction’ for their playing. Thankfully the RGS Worcester catering team were on hand throughout the day with much needed refreshments to provide sustenance to all of the attendees.
On Sunday 19 March, the Rock and Pop classes took place at The Marrs Bar music venue in Worcester. Elsie-Rose Lyons won Gold in the ‘Rock/Pop 12-14 Years’ category performing ‘Love in the Dark’ by Adele, with Eloise Austin Ginger achieving a Silver Medal for a cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘No Time to Die’, accompanying herself on the piano, and winning a Gold Medal for her interpretation of AC/DC’s ‘Long Way To The Top’, sung to a backing track. A band of Year 10 and 11 students (Kieran Lilley on vocals, Arun Mungur on guitar, Thomas Newman on bass guitar and Ivan Innocent on drums) won the Silver medal with a performance of ‘Paint It Black’.
We congratulate all our musicians who won cups, medals and performed so well in such an array of musical styles.
Mr Jonathan Soman, Director of Music