News Junior House Music Festival 2024 14.06.2024

This week, we have enjoyed a really wonderful Junior House Music Competition, culminating in a spectacular final last night.

On Wednesday, we heard no less than 117 entries (!) including a variety of solo categories in three classes (Class 1 = Grades 2-4, Class 2 = Grades 5-6, Class 3 = Grade 7+), as well as a number of duet and ensemble competitions. All duet and ensemble entries were organised, co-ordinated and rehearsed by the pupils themselves, and many soloists were expertly accompanied by pupils, too. The impossibly difficult task of adjudicating so many excellent performances fell to Steve Dummer (nationally renowned music educator, animateur, and performer) and Grace Chapman (whose West End credits include Wicked and Phantom of the Opera).

Last night’s final was a wonderfully celebratory occasion, featuring all of the category winners from Wednesday’s competition. We were delighted to welcome Ben Ferguson (one of the most renowned Musical Directors in the UK, who has conducted Les Miserables in the West End and is currently Musical Director of Cabaret, also in the West End) to adjudicate the final. All of our pupils performed superbly, and particularly warm congratulations to our category winners Jane, Meredith, Rachel, Honor and Sky, and Amabelle and Amaira.

Finally, bravo to Sheppard House, who won with 198.5 points (narrowly pipping Quinn Brown, who scored 198 points, just half a point behind!).