Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th November 2021

Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th November 2021

Saffron Walden

County High School

Entry forms available at www.swchs.net

http://www.swchs.net/

SAFFRON WALDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2021

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It has been a tough year for music but we’re back! This will be the ninth Saffron Walden Music

Festival and we are very grateful to the Saffron Walden Rotary Club for their continued sponsorship

of this event. After so long, having this wonderful platform for our talented young people to play and

perform makes the Festival more important than ever. The timing of this year’s Festival means that

the overall instrumental winner, plus the winner from the Vocal Section, should have the

opportunity to go forward into the Rotary Club Young Musician competition in 2022, which is

extremely exciting! We look forward to two days of amazing music, culminating in our Finale Concert

in the magnificent Saffron Hall.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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The Festival will take place over two days – Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th November – and will

comprise six Sections with an adjudicator for each one. Our adjudicators are all professional

musicians who will listen to the performances and give feedback to the young musicians. All the

young musicians taking part will be given written feedback and a certificate: there will also be

medals awarded for exceptional or very promising performances. There are six Sections – Vocal,

Guitar and Brass will take place on Sunday 14th and Piano, Woodwind and Strings on Saturday 20th.

Each Section has various classes from Pre-Grade 1 to advanced level and the winner of the Challenge

Cup Class in each section (Grades 7 to 8) will receive an individual trophy. The adjudicators will select

an overall winner from each Section to go through to the Finale Concert. To celebrate the

importance of playing together, there are ensemble classes in all Sections and the adjudicators will

give feedback on these.

THE FINALE CONCERT

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The Festival culminates in the celebratory Finale Concert, which will be held in Saffron Hall on

Saturday, 20th November at 6pm. The six Section finalists will perform in a Young Musician of the

Year style concert to decide the overall Festival winner. Our concert adjudicators will be Jane

Patterson, Philip Sunderland and Sue Dorey. This year, while the adjudicators retire to make their

decision, we hope to showcase some of the most promising performances from the Junior sections.

SAFFRON WALDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

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Saffron Walden County High School is hugely excited once again to be hosting the Saffron Walden

Music Festival. SWCHS has a well-deserved reputation for musical excellence. Over 300 students

receive instrumental tuition and there are many different ensembles. Students are given numerous

opportunities to perform in termly concerts or as part of a more informal programme of lunchtime

recitals. We are also extremely proud of our successful Music Academy Programme, which continues

to draw in high numbers of the most talented local musicians from Essex, Cambridgeshire,

Hertfordshire and Suffolk. In recent years, the school’s musical reputation has also been enhanced

by the addition of Saffron Hall. The Hall and its programme have allowed our pupils not only to

perform in a world class concert venue but also to work together with professional musicians of the

highest standard. It is in collaboration with Saffron Hall that we have greatly enhanced singing and

string playing in the school over the last few years. In addition to this, we are proud to work in

partnership with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Saffron Hall and the Essex Music Hub to

host the Saffron Centre for Young Musicians (SCYM), a specialist Saturday school offering high

quality musical training to students aged 5 to 18.

Music is at the heart of Saffron Walden County High School and the Music Festival chimes perfectly

with the ethos of the school. Not only does it provide young people with the opportunity to compete

with each other in a friendly atmosphere but it also gives them the opportunity to learn more about

themselves as performers and how to communicate successfully with an audience. We look forward

to hearing what this year’s young musicians can achieve.

Caroline Derbyshire Polly Lankester

Executive Head Teacher Headteacher

SAFFRON WALDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

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Hilary Curtis

Jacquie Lucas

Ellie Morrow

Karen Semken

Amanda Shaw

We would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this event possible. Some have helped by

giving their time, some have helped financially.

Thanks go to all our young musicians who take part in the Saffron Walden Music Festival. It is your

hard work and enthusiasm that make it happen. We wish you all the best of luck and hope that you

thoroughly enjoy your experience. Thank you, too, to the parents and teachers who support and

encourage the young people in their musical journeys.

Finally, particular thanks to Saffron Walden County High School for their continued support in

hosting the Saffron Walden Music Festival and to Saffron Hall for allowing us to use their wonderful

venue.

If you are interested in being involved with the development and running of the Festival, either as a

member of the committee or just helping out, please do get in touch.

Karen Semken (Chair) [email protected]

Hilary Curtis (Treasurer) [email protected]

Keep updated with news about the Saffron Walden Music Festival on our Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/saffronwaldenmusicfestival

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/saffronwaldenmusicfestival

SUNDAY 14th NOVEMBER - morning

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VOCAL SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : PHILIP SUNDERLAND

Philip Sunderland was born in Norwich and attended

the Cathedral School. He studied at the Royal

Academy of Music as an undergraduate and

postgraduate and it was here that he caught the opera

bug which took him to the National Opera Studio upon

graduation form the Academy.

Philip began professional work as a repetiteur and

worked extensively for English National Opera, Opera

North and Glyndebourne. His first professional

engagement was with English Touring Opera who took

him under their wing and encouraged him to conduct

– The Marriage of Figaro was his conducting debut and he continued to conduct several

more operas for the company.

Philip then moved to Leeds, appointed as Chorus Master to Opera North where, as well as

training and managing 36 choristers, he conducted and organised concerts with the chorus

and orchestra – most notably the Duruflé Requiem in Leeds Parish Church and the Brahms

Requiem in York Minster. He also conducted Sweeney Todd and La Traviata during his time

with the company.

Philip now lives in Saffron Walden and continues a busy freelance career. Most notably, he

recently conducted Paul Bunyan for English Touring Opera and won an Olivier Award for

outstanding Achievement in Opera. He returned to the company recently with Offenbach’s

Tales of Hoffman.

Philip’s second opera, The Glass Knight, with a libretto by Gareth Prior, was performed in

Saffron Hall in 2016 with a cast of over 300 students and professionals. It was designed by

Neil Irish.

Philip is currently Head of Vocal Faculty and Preparatory Opera at the Royal Academy of

Music.

VOCAL SECTION

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Class Description

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Classical Song To perform any one classical song

Age 11 and under Time limit 2 minutes

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Songs from the Shows To perform one song from any musical

Age 11 and under Time limit 2 minutes

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Age 12 – 14 Time limit 2 minutes

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Age 17 - 18 Time limit 6 minutes

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Challenge Cup To perform one song from any current Grade 7 – 8 exam syllabus

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Duo To perform one duet of any style

Time limit 6 minutes

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SUNDAY 14th NOVEMBER - afternoon

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GUITAR SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : VINCENT LINDSEY-CLARK

English guitarist Vincent Lindsey-Clark is well known for

his compositions for the instrument. He writes music for

both students and professionals, much of which has been

used extensively by the major exam boards and

performed all round the world. He has also written two

guitar concertos and gave the first performance of both

works himself. He is published by Montague Music

Publishing in the UK and Les Productions d’Oz in Canada.

In 2003, he was asked to compose a piece for 100 young

guitarists for a Gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2009 he was

commissioned to write the set pieces for the Beatty Guitar Competition in Washington DC

and his very popular ‘Five Pictures of Sark’ were recorded by one of the world’s leading

guitarists, Berta Rojas from Paraguay. Other distinguished performers that have played his

music include The English Guitar Quartet, David Russell, Craig Ogden, Amanda Cook, Detlev

Bork, Davis Owen Norris and The Agostino Duo.

As a performer he made his London debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1983 and has travelled

extensively since then, including a tour of Venezuela as a member of the Segovia Guitar Trio.

He is a regular visitor to the Hong Kong Guitar Festival where he gives concert and master

classes. He also performs with The Modern Guitar Trio and had recorded several CDs. For a

period of ten years he regularly appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as an

on-stage musician playing for the Royal Ballet and Darcy Bussell.

Vincent Lindsey-Clark’s teaching positions include Southampton University, London’s Centre

for Young Musicians and Eton College.

GUITAR SECTION

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Classical Guitar, Lute

Class Description

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Pre-Grade 1 To perform any one piece that is pre-Grade 1 standard

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Grade 1 – 2 To perform one piece from any current exam syllabus for this grade

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Challenge Cup To perform one piece from any current Grade 7 – 8 exam syllabus

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Baroque and Classical To perform one piece from the Baroque or Classical period


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Romantic and Modern To perform one piece from the Romantic or Modern period


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Ensemble To perform in a group of up to 5 players an ensemble piece of any style


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SUNDAY 14TH NOVEMBER - evening

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BRASS SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : JAMES DAVISON

Winner of the Smith-Watkins Trumpet Award (2016) at the Royal Academy of Music, James

Davison is now pursuing a busy and varied freelance career based in London.

He was lead trumpet in the National

Youth Jazz Orchestra (2014 – 2017) and is

currently lead trumpet with the Scottish

National Jazz Orchestra and second

trumpet in the London Jazz Orchestra. He

has performed with The BBC Big Band,

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Pete Long’s

Echoes of Ellington Orchestra and Ronnie

Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.

Since graduating with an MA in Jazz

Performance at the Royal Academy of

Music, James has become a regular

trumpet deputy in West End Shows

including Aladdin, 42nd Street, Book of

Mormon, Beautiful, An American in Paris

and Guys and Dolls. He has performed

with the London Symphony Orchestra

and as guest Principal with the Royal

Philharmonic Orchestra and the Halle

Orchestra. James is also a member of the

award-winning Misha Mullov-Abaddo

Group, Jonny Mansfield’s Elftet, The

Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, The Sam Watts

Band and Joe Hill’s North Ark as well as his own band co-led with Callum Au, playing the

music of Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer.

In 2018, James was awarded the Musicians Company Young Jazz Musician of the Year

Award.

BRASS SECTION

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Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn, Trombone, Tenor Horn, French Horn, Euphonium, Tuba

Class Description

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SATURDAY 20th NOVEMBER - morning

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SENIOR PIANO SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : JOHN YORK

Following studies in London, Paris (where he won the

International Debussy prize) and Vienna, John York’s career

has taken him all round the world, the majority of his work

being with cellist Raphael Wallfisch and York 2 piano duo.

His most recent recordings are all on Nimbus. York 2 were

recently released in their unique four-hands repertoire of

20th century ‘orchestral’ blockbusters including Le Sacre du

Printemps and The Planets.

With Raphael the catalogue grows exponentially from the

complete Beethoven cycle to the works of Schnittke and

James NacMillan, including world premieres, rarely heard

19th century works and major cello and piano masterpieces.

Before these duos became established, some 25 years ago, he had played concertos with

such orchestras as the London Mozart Players and the LPO, founded the successful York

Piano Trio and Quartet and accompanied a list of illustrious performers. He was Senior

Music Head at St Paul’s Girls’ School, a position from which he retired in 2014.

He is a composer, festival adjudicator and lecturer and has no intention of letting up on any

of these activities, even though his commitment to St Paul’s Girls’ School has come to an

end. He fully intends to develop these aspects and enjoy his grandchildren, now that he has

a little more time.

JUNIOR PIANO SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : PHILIP SUNDERLAND (see Vocal Section)

PIANO SECTION

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Class Description

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Duo To perform one duet of any style


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SATURDAY 20th NOVEMBER - afternoon

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WOODWIND SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : EMMA HALNAN

In demand flautist Emma Halnan first came to

prominence as the woodwind category winner of BBC

Young Musician 2010. She has since appeared at

major venues worldwide and has performed

concertos with orchestras including the London

Mozart Players, the European Union Chamber

Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Other

competition successes include first prize in the Sir Karl

Jenkins/Arts Club Classical Music Award 2016, in

association with Classic FM. As a result, she recorded

and broadcast on Classic FM a piece specially

composed for her by Sir Karl Jenkins. Emma has also been selected as a “Making Music”

Philip & Dorothy Green Young Artist 2018-20.

Emma is principal flute of the European Union Youth Orchestra 2014-16. She has also

performed as guest principal of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and guest principal of

English National Opera. In recital, Emma has worked with pianist Daniel King since 2008.

Together, they have performed at venues including St David’s Hall (Cardiff), Gower Festival,

St Martin-in-the-Fields and the “La Côte” International Flute Festival 2016 (Switzerland).

Emma also works regularly with harpist Heather Wrighton and violist Jordan Sian (the

Aurora Trio); they held a prestigious Chamber Music Fellowship at the Royal Academy of

Music for 2014-16.

Emma is also a highly reputed and very dedicated teacher, her pupils having gained places in

the National Children’s Orchestra, National Children’s Wind Orchestra and at Junior Trinity.

Emma has taught students at Cambridge University and King’s College London, and given

numerous masterclasses, most recently at Trinity Laban Conservatoire.

Emma studied at the Royal Academy of Music with William Bennett and Kate Hill, and

afterwards with Robert Winn. She has been generously supported by the Hattori Foundation

and the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. Emma also won the 2014 Kenneth Loveland Gift

and is a City Music Foundation Artist.

(Photograph with kind permission from Ian Dingle)

WOODWIND SECTION

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Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone

Class Description

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SATURDAY 20th NOVEMBER - afternoon

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STRING SECTION

ADJUDICATOR : SUE DOREY

Cellist Sue Dorey studied at the Menuhin School with

Maurice Gendron, and on Scholarship at the Royal

Academy of Music with David Strange. She completed

her studies with Jacqueline du Pré in London and

Wolfgang Mehlhorn in Hamburg. Sue’s career has

embraced chamber music, orchestras and teaching,

and she is now also curating the music programme at

Omnibus Theatre in Clapham.

She was a founder member of piano trio, Trio Zingara,

which won the Munich International Competition, and

spent many years touring and broadcasting in the UK

and abroad. Performances included Beethoven Triple Concerto in Berlin, Buxton and London

and numerous broadcasts for the BBC. She was the cellist of Ambache Chamber Ensemble,

recorded for BBC Music Magazine and Oboe Classics, and was a member of the cello octet

of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

For many years, Sue was a member of two of London’s busiest Chamber Orchestras. She

was Principal cello of City of London Sinfonia for 17 years, with whom she made numerous

recordings and toured the UK and abroad. And for over twenty years she was a member of

the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, collaborating with Murray Perahia, Iona Brown and

many other distinguished musicians. Her career as a freelance cellist has included Principal

Cello of Kent Opera and Ambache Chamber Orchestra and numerous engagements with the

major London orchestras.

STRING SECTION

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Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

Class Description

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SAFFRON WALDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL RULES 2021

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2021

General Rules

i. You must perform by yourself and not in a group unless you are taking part in an ensemble class.

ii. You can enter any number of classes but only one entry per class.

iii. You are responsible for your instruments and belongings on the day of the competition. Saffron

Walden Music Festival and Saffron Walden County High School cannot accept any liability for

them in any way before, during or after the competition.

iv. To enter, you must be attending a school in Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk or Cambridgeshire or

attend SCYM.

v. By entering the competition, you agree that should you win your section, you will be available to

take part in the Finale Concert on the Saturday, 20th November 2021 at 6pm.

vi. You agree that any official photography taken will be allowed to be used for publicity purposes.

Accompanying and Photocopies

vii. You may bring your own accompanist, or you can use our official accompanist.

viii. If you use our accompanist, the relevant fees must be received with your entry form by the

closing date.

ix. Backing tracks will not be permitted.

x. You must bring an original, purchased copy of your music on the day of your performance plus

a photocopy for the adjudicator, otherwise you will not be allowed to perform.

Application Forms & Fees

xi. All applications must be on an official entry form, or a copy of the official entry form, duly signed

by your parent/guardian.

xii. To be accepted, your application, music and fee must be received by the closing date on the

application form. You will be contacted regarding all relevant dates and times.

xiii. The fee for each class entered is £6.00

xiv. The fees for our official accompanist are an additional £10.00 per class for Grades 1 – 4

(Instrumental) or under Age 14 (Vocal). Grades 5 – 8 and all other classes are an additional £20

per class. This fee includes one rehearsal prior to the festival.

xv. All payments should be made by bank transfer to the account shown on the application form.

Entry fees are non-refundable unless the Festival is cancelled.

xvi. Applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Classes may be amalgamated or

split depending on the number of applications received.

Class Rules

xvii. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the time of your class.

xviii. The adjudicators’ decision is final, they reserve the right to cut short a performance if they feel

that they have heard enough to make a valid adjudication. This will only occur should time be

running short.

xix. Ensemble classes will not be put forward to compete in the Finale Concert.

xx. We welcome audiences to all classes and sections. Please feel free to bring friends and family to

come and listen.

Certificates, Cups & Medals

xxi. Each participant will receive written feedback and a certificate at the end of their class.

xxii. Medals will be awarded to those candidates whom the adjudicator feels are most deserving, for

example, for a particularly expressive or promising performance.

xxiii. Challenge Cup class winners will receive a small cup. The winner of this cup is not necessarily the

section winner.

xxiv. Medals and cups will be presented at the Finale Concert.

All musicians taking part in the Festival, their families and friends are invited to the free Finale Concert, which

is also open to the public. We will collect any donations at the door and all proceeds will go towards funding

the next Festival.

Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th November 2021

Documents

Transcript of Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th November 2021