Taunton School held its annual Concerto Competition last week, showcasing some incredible talent to a packed audience and special guest adjudicator, Kevin Price, Director of Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Thirteen extraordinarily talented music scholars performed at the annual Concerto Competition in the beautiful Chapel at Taunton School. Pieces played ranged from Bach, Strauss and Mozart through to Ravel, Haydn and John Williams. Making the difficult decision on the final two winners was special guest adjudicator, Kevin Price, Director of Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD). Daniel Lloyd-Jones on Oboe (Year 13) and Daisy Hickson on Clarinet (Year 11) just pipped their fellow musicians to take the top two positions.
Taunton School’s Director of Music, Mark Cracknell said: “We are in the fortunate position of having a large number of high quality music scholars in the school, from all parts of the country. Our Concerto Competition gives our young musicians the opportunity to showcase their talent, having worked technically, intellectually and musically throughout the term. The power of music was there for all to see, combining the diligence of practice with the intelligence to understand the music and the nerve to perform in a moment to an audience. Each and every performer played to their best and all left feeling it was a positive experience, inspired to continue working to achieve even higher standards.”
Kevin Price, Director of Music, RWCMD commented: “It was a genuine pleasure to visit Taunton School and to hear so many performances of challenging music, all at an impressive standard. Competitions provide musicians with opportunities to listen to each other, learn together and to test skills in an environment of friendly pressure. This is only possible if students are in a healthy and nurturing learning environment, and it is clear that Mark Cracknell and his team have created an ethos of respect, enthusiasm and warmth which enables the musicians of Taunton School to thrive and excel.”
Winners Daniel and Daisy will have the honour of performing their concerto in the spring with a professional orchestra.
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