Shebbear College were delighted to host the Vocal and Instrumental Sections of the 32nd North Devon Performing Arts Festival last week

Great British Life:

Organised and administrated by Fiona Goode from the Junior School, the event took place with clockwork efficiency and performers, visitors and spectators from the wider North Devon community benefitted from the superb venue and facilities at the college. It was wonderful to see the depth of musical talent that exists in this part of the world, not least because many of the very best performers are from Shebbear College.

The Festival Adjudicator, Helen Deakin GRSM LRAM ARCM, who has considerable UK and International experience of solo and choral singing, and of instrumental playing and directing, ensured that all entrants who took part left with a sense of achievement and pride, with many having a mini-master class following their performance.

Amongst many prizes, the Junior School Choir won their class and were awarded the The Lyn Shield for an amazing tenth year running! The Senior School entered two choirs with over 60 voices and performed numbers that were ‘rhythmically driven and full of energy’ and ‘performed with effective dynamic contrast’. The pupils were very pleased to be highly commended and each chorister received a Festival Medal. Violinist Edward Tai was awarded Best Young Musician. He won this highly competitive event producing a sound which had captivated the audience and which had ‘tonal variety and beautiful sonority’. Cellist Henry Cornish was awarded The Lloyds Bank Trophy for The Most Promising Musician Under the Age of 18 after impressing the adjudicator with his ‘musically shaped phrasing, effective and wide dynamic contrasts and underlying harmonic colours’ when playing his Breval ‘concerto like’ sonata.