Bishop Anstey wins PM’s Trophy

A gala closing show is expected tonight at Queen’s Hall as the festival which is held every two years comes to an end with at least 14 trophies to be handed out to the winners, along with performances by seven guest artistes.

After the Junior Finale yesterday, the Bishop youngsters celebrated their achievement with a spirited rendition of David Rudder’s timeless song “Calypso Music,” much to the delight of the audience.

Also giving highly entertaining guest performances were the Signal Hill School Folk Song Choir that sang “Zingabar” and “John Boulais” and the Golden Hands Steel Orchestra.

The finale began ten minutes later than the scheduled 9 am start, with the National Anthem being played on pan with adjudicators Dr Olive Lewin of Jamaica and Professor Bruce Trinkley of the USA leading the vocals via the lyrics on a leaflet.

The awardee of the morning was Laura Koo Min Chee who beat out the South and Tobago competitors in Class 29 — Piano Solo for ages 16-19 years, playing Kabalevsky’s “Etude in A Minor.” She took the Trinidad Music Association (TMA) Anniversary Cup.

For the May Johnstone Cup the winners of Classes 10, 11a and 11b: Best Vocal Duet provided lovely music, so much so that the adjudicators took a mighty long time in coming up with winners, Feryal Qudourah and Shari Fitzpatrick of the North.

The lone competitor for the Dr Vernon Evans Memorial Trophy, Dominic Lovelace of Tobago, played a good version of “The Noble Savage” by Hummel on the trumpet.

For the first time in the history of the festival a trophy was presented for sight reading, something that the adjudicators lauded with Trinkley, stating that producing music from sight reading was one of the finest things a musician could do. There was a pause in the performances for addresses by Dr Dorel Phillip and Junior Minister of Culture Eulalie James, both of whom praised the competitors and expressed the wish that more young people would pursue the hard work, perseverance, sacrifice, dedication and discipline displayed by the competitors.

Winners of Classes 17, 18 and 19: Secondary School Choirs for upper, mixed and lower voices — up to 19 years competed for the Judge Russell Cup. Singing “Gonna Rise Up Singing” by Don Besig and “Linstead Market” arranged by Mary Val Marsh, the Bishop Anstey High School Senior Choir “B” (north) took the cup after another lengthy deliberation by the adjudicators.

Presentation College Choir was awarded the Seigert Cup by the adjudicators and for most outstanding school choir, the Bishop Anstey High School Choir took the Joyce Spence Trophy.

The Grand Finale is scheduled to start at 8 pm and a sellout crowd is expected.