14 June 2017
The third and final phase of the Solo Competition, the junior category, presented 12 performances in front of our visiting adjudicator, Debbie Rose, the Director of Music at Abingdon Preparatory School.
There were some really impressive performances from a range of instruments, including woodwind, brass, strings and piano. The age range of performers was from 1st to 4th Year and included both seasoned players and new boys, such as First Year, Oliver Northwood, who has been with us since September.
The performers included Luc Tucker (bassoon), Jimmy Strainge (saxophone), Oliver Glover (cello), James Daly (double bass), Nicholas Raptakis (piano), Dashiell Hathaway (violin), Lawrence Putt (piano), Ben Crofts (flute), Ollie Northwood (clarinet), Hugo Payton (cello), Ben Shaw (violin) and Jake de Jongh (trumpet).
The final decision was very close. Nicholas Raptakis (CPE Bach’s Solfeggietto) and Jake de Jongh (Hanson’s Trumpet Concerto) came joint 3rd, Oliver Glover, 2nd, with Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata and Oliver Northwood, 1st, with Mendelssohn’s Romance No 3.
Our thanks to all the teachers who helped prepare the boys, to our accompanists and of course to the boys, themselves, for a lovely programme for this competition, which, now in its second year has maintained the excellent standard of last year.