Ely Cathedral Hosts School's Music Festival Final

Ely Cathedral hosts school’s Girls with vocal talent invited to Music Festival Final Chorister Taster Day King’s Ely’s annual Music Festival Girls with a passion for singing and a serious interest concluded with a climax after in music were offered an opportunity to join the Ely two weeks of keenly contested Cathedral Girls’ Choir (ECGC) for a Taster Day. competition. The event was organised by the school in conjunction with Ely Cathedral and was Parents, pupils, staff and members of the public open to girls who are currently in Years 5 to 10. were welcomed to the splendour of Ely Cathedral, where the King’s Ely orchestra performed upon ECGC Director, Sarah MacDonald, who is also Director of Music in Chapel at Selwyn College, Cambridge, commented: “The experience of a cathedral arrival, and later enjoyed a high standard of music Choristership is unparalleled in the training it offers. As well as the obvious musical benefits, by students from King’s Ely Senior. This year, there girls also master key transferable skills such as discipline, teamwork, commitment, authority, were 120 entries in total across 19 classes, including confidence, performance, self-presentation, all of which will be valued in their time at 49 vocal entries. That number was whittled down to university and by future employers, and will stay with them for the rest of their lives.” seven in the intermediate final (13-15 year olds) and to seven in the senior final (16-18 year olds).

The winners (pictured), including an intermediate instrumentalist, intermediate singer, senior Director of Music, Jonathan Kingston, expressed The adjudicator for the night was Mr Peter King, instrumentalist and senior singer, as well as his delight at the performances from the finalists: who is the Director of Music at Bath Abbey, and a recipients of the Walser Cup and Hunter Cup. The “The Music Festival Final was a truly spectacular event; well-known recitalist in Britain and abroad. Mr King Award-winning Walser Cup, awarded to Katie Diss, was donated in some 14 stunning performances given in the splendour of also commended the performers: “I was thrilled to be memory of David Walser, a former Chaplain of the Ely Cathedral from a total of 120 participants that had invited to judge this festival. The standard of singing and school who loved music. The Hunter Cup, donated been through the heats and semi-final. This was a real playing was very high indeed and I had some extremely Barbershop comes by Monica Hunter, a former piano teacher at the school, was awarded to Tom Scott. The Senior Young celebration of musical creativity at King’s Ely and the difficult decisions to make based upon what I had heard. Musician of the Year and the Walser Trophy was school community is immensely proud of all musicians Thank you for the warmth of your welcome and for some awarded to Yinni Hu. who took part.” superb performances.” to King’s Ely

Three championship Barbershop quartets visited King’s Senior student receives two world-class music offers Ely in the summer to work with the school’s own King’s Barbers and perform with them. A KES girl, earlier this year, was outstanding, as Jonathan Kingston, Director of Music at King’s Ely, explains: “Saskia has given a offered places at both the Guildhall Old Elean, former Chorister and ex-Barber Paul Hargest has been keen to get tremendous amount to music at King’s Ely during her School of Music and the Royal the groups across to Ely to show why they are regarded as some of the best in many years as a pupil. She is a true all-rounder and the country. Two of the quartets have been invited to America to compete in the College of Music. her contributions to school music have consistently Barbershop Convention and Collegiate contest in Nashville and members of the been at the highest level. The King’s Ely community is groups are all singers with the Great Western Chorus from Bristol, who are nine Saskia Porter-Thaw, an A Level student who studied immensely proud of Saskia and pleased for her as she times and current UK Barbershop Champions. Psychology, Textiles and Music, was offered a place continues to forge ahead as an exceptional saxophonist. at both conservatoires. Saskia also won a place in To have secured offers from two of the very finest the National Youth Wind Orchestra saxophone Paul, who lived in Ely for many years, said: “I’ve been looking forward to bringing my conservatoires represents a huge level of tenacity and chorus friends back home to Ely so that the boys who sing in the Barbers at the moment can ensemble. This ensemble is made up of mostly 1st dedication and to have been awarded a place at NYWO and 2nd year students. see where singing can take them. Singing as a chorister and then as a Barber was a superb in addition, only confirms our view that she is already preparation for the high standard of performance and entertainment that the Great Western an exceptionally fine musician.” All three of these achievements are quite Chorus requires.”