RGS Pupils Hit All the Right Notes at the Competitive Arts Festival

A number of RGS soloists, ensembles and bands achieved considerable success this year at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival.

RGS Worcester hosts the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival (WCAF) over two weekends in March every year, 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.

The musical classes of the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival took place both at RGS Worcester and at the Marrs Bar Club in Worcester. Four RGS ensembles won their classes:

• The Upper Voices Vocal Ensemble won the Under 19 Choir Category
• Theo Mason, Ivan Innocent and Lucas Reid’s Jazz Trio won the Under 16 Jazz Ensemble Category
• Our amazing Years Eight and Nine String Quartet won the Under 16 String Ensemble Category
• Our Year Eleven and Lower Sixth ‘Rock Band’. ‘Akt-II’ won the Originals Open Band Class at the Marrs Bar, beating other local bands.

Last weekend the WCAF’s Pop and Rock classes took place at The Marrs Bar, the results are as follows:

• Eloise Austin Ginger won the Under 14 Rock and Pop ‘Covers’ category for accompanying singers, singing ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Girl on Fire’.
• Eloise also won the Under 14 Rock and Pop ‘Covers’ category performing with the Marrs Bar House Band, singing ‘Black Velvet’ and ‘Zombie’. Katie Williams and Daisy Jenkinson from RGS also competed.
• Eloise and Audrey Hargreaves’ out-of-school band Insomnia were Highly Commended in the Group ‘covers’ section and our own Rock Band ‘Akt-II’ (Ivan, Kieran, Lucas Reid, Thomas Newman, Arun Mungur) achieved a Distinction in the same class. There were no winners in this class.
• Ivan Innocent received Honours (which is the highest grading) for his drumming Rock cover (no winners)
• Kieran Lilley received Honours for his two solo Rock and Pop covers (no winners)
• Perhaps most excitingly, Akt-II has been selected for one of the four coveted slots to perform at the Sunshine Festival in Upton-upon-Severn on the August Bank Holiday weekend. This is a very significant achievement as all performers, including adult bands, were competing for this opportunity.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival for your achievements.