Outstanding performances at Young Musician Final

This year’s Final of Bolton School Boys’ Division’s Young Musician Competition, in its nineteenth year, provided an evening showcasing outstanding talent on 21st March in the Great Hall. Fourteen gifted solo performers, who were already winners in their individual instrumental categories, shared their passion for music with the appreciative and enthusiastic audience.

The adjudicator, Philip Dewhurst (former Director of Music at Cheadle Hulme School and long-standing examiner for Trinity College London) had the difficult job of choosing the ultimate winners. He was extremely complimentary about every single performance and gave detailed feedback to each musician.

Mr. Dewhurst went on to announce the Senior Young Musician of the Year as Laurence Britton on drum kit, and the Junior Young Musician as Mathew Yeung on violin. The Junior Young Composer of the Year Award was given to Charlie Feng and the Senior Young Composer of the Year to Rishi Narla. The Most Promising Performer Award went to clarinettist Freddie Audley.

The competitions began back in January with hundreds of boys performing in the Heats to members of the Music Department staff; 64 musicians were then selected as Semi-finalists (some in more than one category) to perform throughout the whole day to Mr. Dewhurst on 15th February. The winners of each instrumental category then proceeded to perform at the Final.

Mr. Forgrieve, Foundation Director of Instrumental Music, congratulated the pupils on their wonderful performances and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, who were in the audience, for their continuing annual contribution towards the prize money as the ‘Walker-Hilton Music Prizes’.

The Junior Finalists were:

Jenson Byrne (Year 8) - vocal

Jamie Chen (Year 8) - piano (via pre-recorded video)

Ike Edwards (Year 7) - bass guitar

Antoine Jodeau (Year 9) - cornet

Tejas Neelam (Year 7) - flute

Charlie Simpson (Year 8) - drum kit

Matthew Yeung (Year 9) - violin

The Senior Finalists were:

Harry Adams (Year 12) - violin

James Bland (Year 12) - oboe

Laurence Britton (Year 13) - drum kit

Dylan Lincoln (Year 12) - electric guitar

Arun Patel (Year 11) - trumpet

Nathan Pierson (Year 10) - vocal

Xuan Wang (Year 13) - piano