SEVEN of Staffordshire’s best young musicians have picked up awards at a Stafford event where they demonstrated their tuneful talents.
The celebration event was held last night (Thursday) at the Performing Arts Centre in Eastgate Street and hosted by The Friends of Staffordshire’s Young Musicians (FOSYM) who were making their annual Lavey Fund and Moran Fund Awards. The winners performed in front of the High Sheriff, Sarah Elsom, and a specially invited audience.
The Moran Fund Awards are given to youngsters working towards or who have already gained top marks in Grade 8 exams. This year’s winners are two cellists, Julie Winch, from Tamworth and Oliver Timmins from Lichfield, and Christopher Allen, a singer from Cannock who gained 96 per cent in his music theatre Grade 8 examination.
The Lavey Fund awards are given to talented young musicians who also make exemplary contributions to Staffordshire Performing Arts music centres and school ensembles.
This year the winners are Francesca Lawton, a clarinettist from Blythe Bridge High School, described by her teachers as a wonderful role model, Chris Hilton from Fair Oak Academy, Rugeley, a talented guitarist and all-round musician, Adam Hamer, a violinist who has made a great contribution to music making at Sir Graham Balfour High School in Stafford and to Staffordshire Performing Arts Ensembles, and to Edward Robinson, a singer who also plays the double bass and brass instruments. He attends John Taylor High School and took the top prize of £100.
Andrew Worrall, Chair of the Trustees of FOSYM said: “This has been a delightful evening of exceptional performances from dedicated and highly talented musicians.
“They are all 17 or 18 years old and whether or not they are intending to pursue music as a career their hard work to master a discipline and the strength of character to work as part of a team, to encourage others and lead by example shows just what outstanding young people they are.”
