High praise for festival organisers

A FIRST-TIME adjudicator at the 59th Caithness Music Festival yesterday paid a glowing tribute to the organisers who stage the annual showcase.

Mary Powney, from Kendal, one of the vocal and instrumental judges, has been impressed with the talent and enthusiasm from participants, singling out the secondary school violinists for special praise.

She said: "I go around all over the British Isles doing festivals and each has its own special feel, but because of where this one is, everyone works so well together. It’s quite remarkable."

Mrs Powney, who specialises in singing, piano and choral work, said many festivals this year have suffered from falling entries.

"It’s not as busy as I’d hoped," she said. "I don’t think it’s lack of interest, I think it’s mainly to do with

school budgets. They can’t afford it any more.

"It’s important to get children involved and hopefully it will settle down again, but I’m a bit worried that a gap might develop between the children who have had teaching and the ones who haven’t.

"It could lead to a break with tradition. Especially in the scattered communities, it’s so important for people to get together and play music."

Mrs Powney added: "It’s all about giving points for the future and praising what they’ve done and achieved already," she said. "It’s also important to support the teachers. If I was asked to come back I would be back like a shot."

Piping adjudicator John Macrae, from Thurso, believes it makes sense to get in different judges every year to get varying opinions.

"The piping has been great," he said. "I think it’s a big advantage to get in fresh judges and fresh ideas. Kids can get the views from all of the tutors up here in Caithness, but I think it’s great to get an outside opinion.

"We always have good numbers piping because in Caithness they still have the school instructors and we’ve also got the Wick and Thurso Pipe Bands too, with their junior bands.

"The only thing that we do notice is a drop in the drumming which is because there are no instructors as such in the schools and it would only really be taught in one of the pipe bands."

Mr Macrae said all of this year’s competitors had done a credit to themselves and to their teachers.

He said: "I think it’s important for the children to have written and verbal adjudication. It’s different from the Highland Games when you get a place, but have no idea or explanation as to why.

"It’s good to have a change of judges too as what one judge says is a fault, one judge will say is an advantage."

RESULTS:

Verse speaking: boys — P1 — 1 Bruin Gunn, Mount Pleasant. 2 Joshua Hughes, Hillhead. 3 equal Owen Bain, Pennyland and Calum Innes, Reay. 2 — 1 Taylor Manson, Castletown. 2 equal Ethan Kevill, Halkirk and Mackenzie Gordon, Lybster. 3 — 1 and Grover Clyne Centenary Bowl — Struan Mackay, Watten, 2 equal Liam Flavell, Reay and Robbie Levack, Halkirk. 4 — 1 Caleb James, Watten. 2 Janie Mackenzie, Watten. 3 Andrew Campbell, Halkirk.

Girls — P1 — 1 Isla Mackay, Watten. 2 equal Suzannah Gunn, Lybster, and Eve Miller, Wick. 2 — 1 and Maureen Allen Shield — Kirsty Henderson, Bower. 2 Hayley Eddlestone, Bower. 3 equal Sarah Henstridge, Wick North and Sophie Campbell, Halkirk. 3 — 1 Kirsty Grant, Dunbeath. 2 equal Nia James, Watten, and Ellie-Jo Kevill, Halkirk. P4 — 1 Alisha Johnson, Halkirk. 2 Kate Mackay, Watten. 3 equal Abby Budge, Pulteneytown, and Alice Dunnet, Canisbay

Girls — P2 — 1 and Maureen Allen Shield — Kirsty Henderson, Bower. 2 Hayley Eddlestone, Bower. 3 equal Sarah Henstridge, Wick North, and Sophie Campbell, Halkirk. P3 — 1 Kirsty Grant, Dunbeath. 2 equal Nia James, Watten, and Ellie-Jo Kevill, Halkirk. P4 — 1 Alisha Johnson, Halkirk. 2 Kate Mackay, Watten. 3 equal Abby Budge, Pulteneytown and Alice Dunnet, Canisbay

Vocal solo: boys — P3 — 1 Struan Mackay, Watten. P6 — 1 Andrew Harper, Castletown. 2 Aidan Urquhart, Thurso. 3 Leo Stevens, Thurso.

Girls — P1 — 1 Kate Costello, Thurso. 2 equal Isla Mackay, Watten, and Ellie Mackay, Bower. P2 — 1 Kirsty Henderson, Bower. 2 Hayley Eddleston, Bower. P3 — 1 Katie Sinclair, Lybster. 2 equal Hannah Sinclair, Lybster and Rhianna Mackay, Reay. P6 — 1 Heather Grant, Melvich. 2 Lauren Mowat, Melvich. 3 Rachel Lyall, Wick.

Primary school choirs: P1-3 — 1 and Flo Dixie Cup — Miller Academy. 2 Castletown. 3 Lybster P1-2. P4-5 — 1 and William Rankin Wilson Cup — Miller Academy. P5-7 — 1 and Aline C. Mowat Shield — Lybster. P6-7 — 1 and Steven Trophy — Miller Academy.

Rural school choirs: 1 and Henrietta Sinclair Shield — Castletown. 2 Lybster. 3 Canisbay.

Choirs: — 18 years and under — 1 and Johnston Memorial Trophy — Music Monsterlings, Wick. Boys’ unbroken voices — 1 and Fred Shearer Bowl — Castletown. 2 Miller Academy. Primary and/or Secondary — 1 and Miss Miller Cup — Music Monsterlings, Wick.

Group music making: Level 8+ and under — chamber music — 1 Thurso High School Quartet. Larger groups — orchestral — secondary — 1 and Leslie Sheppard Cup — Thurso High School Brave Combination. 2 equal Caithness Schools Wind Band and Caithness Schools Junior Wind Band. Primary — small groups — 1 and Wick Quatercentenary Trophy Iain Fishenden and Allan Ambler, Keiss. Secondary — Traditional Scottish Instrumental Music Group — 1 and Margaret Henderson Memorial Trophy — Thurso High School Scottish Group.

Primary music making: Larger groups — 13 plus — 1 and Ferguson Shield — Castletown Bell Ringers, 2 Mount Pleasant P7. 3 equal Castletown Recorder Group and Castletown Wind Band. Medium groups 12 maximum — 1 equal and Music Association Shield — Mount Pleasant Minstrels and Mount Pleasant Recorders.

Secondary music making: level 3 and under — 1 and Roseburn Cup — Flutes R Us, Thurso. 2 Musical Mayhem, Thurso. Level 6 and under — chamber music — 1 and Roseburn Shield — Thurso High School String Quintet.

Electronic keyboard: primary — 1 Molly Buchan, Thurso. 2 Isaac Potts, Scotscalder.

Woodwind solo: preliminary — 1 Laura Ferrier, Watten. 2 Bryony Munro, Papigoe. 3 equal Kirstin Saunders, Thurso High School and Katie Chambers. Grade 1 — 1 Stephanie Kozlowski, Castletown. 2 Isla Bain, Thurso High School. 3 Maree Malik, Thrumster. 2 — 1 Heather Bain, Thurso High School. 2 Jodie Black, Wick High School. 3 Lauren Hunter, Thurso High School. 3 — 1 Rosalind Hillhouse, Thurso. 2 Paul Stewart, Wick High School. 3 Katherine Kerr, Thurso High School. P4 — 1 Rhianna Urquhart, Thurso High School.

Descant recorder solo: level 1 — 1 Katie Chambers, Thurso. 2 — 1 Isla Costello, Thurso. 2 equal Niamh Fraser, and Leo Stevens, both Thurso. Level 3 – 1 Rhianna Urquhart, Thurso. 2 Stephanie Kozlowski, Castletown. 3 Saul Stevens, Thurso.

Treble recorder solo: level 2 — 1 and Edinburgh Shield — Stephanie Kozlowski, Castletown. 3 — 1 and Zelda Chaiken Linekar Cup — Rhianna Urquhart. 2 Saul Stevens, both Thurso.

Recorder: preliminary — 1 Liam Morrison, Thurso. 2 Scott Campbell, Castletown.

Chanter: 10 years and under — march — 1 and Practice Chanter Shield primary — Cara Mackenzie. 2 Anna Magee, Thurso. 3 Kaila Hay. 11 years and over — march — 1 and Practice Chanter Shield Secondary — Jack Manson. 2 Mari-Ann Ganson. 3 equal Heather Bain, Thurso and Rhianon Cormack.

Bagpipes: primary — march — 1 and Bagpipes Shield — Jack Gill. March (four part) — 1 and Piping Challenge Shield March — William Campbell, Halkirk. 2 Megan Malcolm. 3 Scott Sutherland. Strathspey and Reel (four part) — 1 and Bagpipes Shield Strathspey and Reel — Grant Anderson. 2 William Campbell. 3 Megan Malcolm.

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