‘A wonderful display of talent’ from young musicians
A contest for young musicians, described by the organisers as ‘one of the Mid-somerset Festival’s most prestigious events’ took place in the Pump Room last Wednesday.
Bath Young Musician of the Year, since its inception in 1987, has been the starting point of many musical careers.
The impressive high-ceilinged room was once again filled with the sound of music as five talented performers, all of whom gained outstanding marks in the March festival, competed for the title.
“What a wonderful display of talent,” said Cllr Rob Appleyard, the Mayor of Bath. “I’ve taken something from every performance.”
Amelia Wise was the first musician to take to the stage with her clarinet, followed by cellist Megan Ong, pianist Ruben Ridyard, violinist Evie Maya with Jack Harris rounding off the performances with some spirited euphonium playing.
The audience was treated to a range of music from the haunting tones of Debussy to the thrilling dramatic chords of Beethoven – with all performances displaying powerful emotional resonance.
One of the three adjudicators, Jonathan Cross, Professor of Musicology at the University of Oxford, admitted it was an unenviable task picking a winner as all performers ‘played with flair and style.’
Another adjudicator, composer Liz Lane, concluded there had to be just one winner for the trophy - although there had been a lively discussion as to who that should be.
The successful recipient of the impressive silver cup and a generous cash prize was Beechen Cliff student Ruben Ridyard. He was commended by adjudicator Katherine Stonham for his impressive technique and masterful ‘big’ programme.
Ruben played Dohnanyi’s Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 11 which he chose because it was ‘harmonious and interesting and you can’t tell where the harmonies are going to go’ - which led to a performance full of surprises.
One of this year’s adjudicators, Katherine Stonham, had won the 2016 title, and the 2019 winner Xavier Raynes was welcomed back to entertain the audience with a Saint Saens bassoon sonata.
The Bath-based Mid-somerset Festival is 120 years old and provides an annual platform for both children and adults to showcase their talents in Music, Musical Theatre, Speech & Drama, Creative Writing and Dance.
It requires a large body of volunteers and sponsors to do this and new faces are always welcome – check out the website for details and for the new syllabus https://midsomersetfestival. org