Hannah wins £2,000 scholarship
REPIANO cornet player with the Cory Band Hannah Plumridge has won the final of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe ( YMFE) 2019 Scholarship.
This year the award is for trumpet students.
The YMFE is a European organisation dedicated to music popularisation and education.
It is a non-profit making charity registered with the Charity Commission.
The scholarship scheme was set up in 1990 to assist talented young musicians under the age of 25 with the costs of musical education at conservatoire or university level.
The foundation has awarded scholarships worth well over a million euros to more than 900 outstanding young musicians across Europe.
Hannah overcame some stiff opposition to successfully win the £2,000 prize. WALES will be represented at the European Brass Band Championships by the world’s ranked number one band – the Cory Band – who will be competing this year for the 17th year in succession.
The drawback of representing Wales is that getting to Montreux, Switzerland is costing the band more than £20,000 so it is a rather expensive honour.
Raising money is an ongoing problem and musical director Philip Harper is getting sposorship for cycling the 86 miles from his home in Gloucester to the Cory bandroom in Treorchy, Rhondda on April 23.
After which Band Presi- dent Morgan Jones and three supporters will cycle 200 miles up the Rhone Valley, crossing the Sonchaux Pass with its 21 switchbacks up to 5,000 feet and then circumnavigating Lake Geneva to arrive at Montreux in time for the European Championship.
Cory were European Champions in 2016, 3rd in 2017 and 2nd in 2018.
The band were in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on Sunday, March 3, with Only Men Aloud and will be back in Cardiff with them on May 25 and in Birmingham on May 26.
Meanwhile, the Young Brass Musician of the Year – previously organised by Radio 2 – is now being run by BrassPass.tv and is called Young Brass Award.
The eight semi-finalists for the Young Brass Award 2019 were Holly Clark (cor- net), Peter Mcdonough (euphonium), Siobhan Bates (tenor horn), Frank Coughlan (trumpet), Felix Rockhill (trombone), Tobias Reifer (euphonium), Sebastian Williman (cornet/flugel) and Angus Butt (trombone).
Young Brass is open to players between 16 and 21 on Finals Day on March 31.
Martin Gernon, of BrassPass.tv, said: “A huge thankyou to everone who took part in the final stage of the competition.
“The standard of playing was amazingly high.
“After some difficult decisions eight players were selected for the semi-final.”
The semi-final was held on January 13 at the Stoller Hall, Manchester and four players selected for the final which takes place on March 31.
The four finalists are Holly Clark (trumpet), Angus Butt (bass trombone), Peter McDonough (euphonium) and Tobias Reifer (euphonium).
John Stirzaker, who reviewed the event for British Bandsman, commented: “The overall standard of playing was among the highest ever seen at this contest.
“All the players demonstrated qualities that will allow them to go on further in what for all of them is already a full solo career.”
The final will be held at the Stoller Hall on Sunday, March 31 with Foden’s band accompanying each soloist.