GEORGE NEWS - Friday night saw friends and relations flock into the Arts Theatre to listen to the finalists of the annual George Music Society’s Young Musicians Competition perform their items that they had worked so hard on.
The concert opened with a blast of sound from the St Mary’s Koperblaas Ensemble who marched onto the stage, their instruments shining brightly, and opened the proceedings with a marching medley.
This was followed by the Holy Cross Instrumental ensemble of xylophones and a bass marimba playing a tango by Gerard van Geer. Watching their conductor carefully, these youngsters kept up the steady rhythm of a tango and finished with a flourish.
Thereafter followed a fairly long and varied programme, although, sad to say, there were not enough ‘classical’ items. Perhaps this is symptomatic of ‘popular’ music that we hear today. But there was a gentle rendering of Gabriel Faure’s Après un Rève by Jade Smales.
The first half ended with the Holy Cross Vocal Ensemble’s polished version of the Bill Withers song Lean on Me.
The winners of the 2023 Young Musicians Competition, from left, front: Henco Bester, Nina Katz, Kristin Swart, Eugenie Engelbrecht, Mignon Naude, Suzanne Meiring and Jevan Swart. Back: Hendrik Lochner and Heinrich Goedhals.
The second half of the programme started with Andrew Brink who received the George South Primary trophy for Best Junior Flautist. This nimble-fingered flautist gave a neat performance of Marin Marais’ La Basque.
The rest of the programme consisted mostly of jazz and blues items. The highlight of these was Henco Bester who won the First Senior Trophy and cash prize. He also received the Martha Avierinos Trophy for Music Excellence and the Lorraine Morgan Trophy for Best Senior Vocalist.
This young man has a very easy, light tenor voice especially when singing the One Note Samba along with the Jumbo Jazz Trio consisting of Henco Bester, Logan Jantjies and Ryan Munro who won the trophy for the Best Senior Instrumental Ensemble.
This group would not be out of place at a Rave party. It was also heartening to hear Bester give a performance of a saxophone piece, South Cape Sunrise, composed by a previous Young Musicians prizewinner, Kerwin Albertus.
The Outeniqua Hoërskool’s Jazz Band and Vocal Ensembles sent us home with very disciplined performances of African Marketplace, Java Jive and a Billy Joel Lullabye.
I would like to offer thanks to the George Music Society for continuing to support our young musicians over many years; to Sandra Tillbrook and her helpers for organising it; the teachers and parents; and finally the musicians who put in a lot of hard work to get to this final concert. Well done to all of you.
Participants on the Arts Theatre stage on Friday night for the handing over of trophies and prizes.
George Music Society congratulates musicians
The George Music Society congratulated and thanked all the participants of the 2023 Young Musicians Competition.
"This annual event is always a glamorous highlight of the year bringing together the beautiful, talented young musicians of the Garden Route. A exciting rewarding time for the hardworking learners that put in so much time and effort into their music," said one of the organisers, Sandra Tillbrook.
"The adjudicators had a very difficult task to decide on the winners and made an appeal for more trophies to be donated as this competition is spreading its wings to embrace more genres. Difficult decisions had to be made but everyone was positive about the outcome."
The winners
Henco Bester was awarded the First Senior Trophy and cash prize. He also received the Martha Avierinos Trophy for Music Excellence. The Lorraine Morgan Trophy for Best Senior Vocalist was also awarded to Henco Bester.
The Jumbo Jazz Trio consisting of Henco Bester, Logan Jantjies and Ryan Munro received the George Music Society Trophy for best Senior Ensemble.
Logan Jantjies received the Anna du Toit Trophy for Most Versatile Participant.
The second senior prize was awarded to Maia Leonard. She also received the Kalene Roux Trophy for best Flautist.
The First Junior Trophy and cash prize was awarded to Cuemi Tsai for her beautiful rendering of O mio babino caro by Puccini.
The second junior award and cash prize went to Andrew Brink who also received the George-Suid Laerskool Trophy for Best Junior Flautist.
The Amelia van der Merwe Trophy for Best Junior Pianist went to Jake Pheiffer.
The Suan Steyn Trophy for best classical vocalist was awarded to Jade Smales and the George Music Society Trophy for Best Junior Vocalist went to Brooklyn MacDonald.
The Bushakevitz Trophy for Best String Instrumentalist went to Karl Conradie. The Paul Richard Trophy for Best Saxophonist was awarded to Matth Domingo.
The new Kerwin Albertus Trophy for Best Blues performance went to Eugenie Engelbrecht and Nadia Meintjes received the Baslyn Steyn Trophy for Best Junior Recorder.
The Ronell van Aswegen Trophy for Best Senior Pianist was awarded to Jesse van Heerden and Fred Sharp received the new Ludolph Pedro Piano Trophy for Best Romantic Interpretation.
Nina and Jean du Plessis received the Andrea Joubert Trophy for Best Duet.
St Mary's Primary Brass Band won the new Tip Top Jewellers Trophy for Best Woodwind and Brass Instruments.
Holy Cross Instrumental Ensemble and the Holy Cross Vocal Ensemble share the Anna du Toit Trophy for Best Junior Ensemble and the George Music Society Trophy for Best Vocal Ensemble was received by Outeniqua Vocal Ensemble.
At the end of the night everyone went home excited and inspired to work even harder for next year's Young Musicians Competition.
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