Adjudicators finding job more difficult

COMPETITORS in the “Champion Week,” round of the 26th Biennial Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival, seem bent on making the adjudicators’ job as difficult as possible as the event draws to a close. For the second time this week at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, adjudicators Dr Douglas Miller and Professor Melville James Hurst, had to declare joint winners. The same thing happened twice at Thursday afternoon’s session. This time around, the junior performers gave the adjudicators a tough job twice in one session. The performances by Naparima College (south) head boy Mario Callender in Class 3 - Boys Vocal Solo 16-19 years of age and Sonnelle Gonzales (north) of St Joseph Convent PoS, in Class 6 - Girls Vocal Solo, were so well produced that the judges tied them for the Trinidad Broadcasting Cup No 1.

Later on, steelbands Golden Hands and Arima Girls’ RC Pan Ensemble “B” were so close that tying them was the only way out for the adjudicators. Golden Hands (south) played Mendelssohn’s “E Flat Minor Quartet,” while Arima Girls RC Pan Ensemble “B” (north) did a folk number, “Murder In D Market.” They shared the Trinidad Music Association Cup No 2. Joint winners were first declared on Tuesday night in the adult segment of the festival, in Class 50 — Broadway Musical Songs — male or female, where four contestants vied for the Dr Dorrell Philip Trophy. David Stephens (north) and Kester Bailey (south) shared the award.

On Thursday afternoon, Nicholas Chin (north) was adjudged winner of the Lindy-Ann Bodden Ritch Trophy when he performed Havelock Nelson’s “Ghost in the Belfry” in Class 1b - Boys Vocal Solo. Cellist Michael Liou (north) won the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival Association Trophy for his rendition of “Bouree I and II” by JS Bach, while violinist Keisha Baisden (north) took home the Shirley James Trophy. Jean-Paul Woodroffe (south) who also competed for that award received special mention from the adjudicators for his performance of “Sonata In C Minor.” Although they were  in a rush to catch a 6 pm flight back to Tobago, that did not affect the performance of Roxborough AC School Folk Choir when they won the Mother Bernard Cup for their renditions of “Boykin” and “John Boulay.” Stefan de Gale, competing in Class 7 - Gospel Solo - Boy or Girl 16-19 years of age, performed “I Looked for Love” to claim the Merle J Albino de Coteau Trophy. Singing Peter Shaw’s “Everytime I Feel the Spirit” in Class 15 - School Choirs - Boys (Treble Voices only) 11-12 years, Fatima College Junior Choir (north), got the better of St Paul’s Anglican School Boys Choir (south) to win the James Bryan Cup.