Prizewinners hit high notes to close Southend Music Festival

4:40pm Wednesday 3rd December 2008

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Southend Music Festival has drawn to a close with a prizewinners’ concert.

Winners received their awards at the Christian Centre, in Crowstone Road, Westcliff.

Performers from schools across the borough gave some outstanding performances. The chamber choir from St Bernard’s High School, Westcliff, took the Freda Parry Presentation Bowl for the most outstanding all-round choral performance in the festival.

A notable 13 medals, cups and cash prizes were presented to speech and drama students from St Hilda’s School, Westcliff.

Among the winners were Lucia Prinsloo and Sophie Kinerman who picked up gold medals and £10 cash prizes in the Prayer Book Society’s Thomas Cranmer Schools’ Prize Class. Lucia also won a gold medal in the Prepared Bible Reading.

Eunice Eke was presented with a gold medal and a £40 cash prize for her reading from Oliver Twist in the Dickens’ Class, for 12 to 16 years. She also won the Derek Lowe Memorial Cup and a gold medal for the Original Poetry for 15 years and over.

Eight girls won gold medals in three mime classes. Joanna Rix, Scarlett Harvey and Philippa Coates were also presented with Les Voix Perdues Challenge Cup in the Group Mime for ten to 12 -year-olds Joanna Barton was awarded a gold medal in the Prepared Prose Reading, for six years and under. Headmistress Susan O’Riordan said: “I am delighted.”

Thorpe Hall School, in Thorpe Bay, is also celebrating. Talia Lieberman was awarded a gold medal for verse speaking and the Gresham Cup for highest mark in seven years.

The junior choir won the Charles Waller Shield and the senior choir picked up the Samuel Riley Memorial Cup.

Among many other winners was Tiffany Redman who won the Freda Parry Scholarship Award for Young Singers.

Festival organiser Annette Forkin said: “It has been a brilliant festival from beginning to end.”

Next year’s festival is from November 14 to November 28.