The James Etherington Music Award 2024
Supported by the Rotary Club of Chester-le-Street.
The
shortlisted James Etherington Young Musician Award finalists and Paul
Leach, who had just presented the various winners’ awards: (L-R) Isabel
Sheen, Flute; Tilly Stacey, Tenor Saxophone; Leo Bruce, Bassoon;
Samantha Johnson, Alto Saxophone; (Paul Leach, behind); Daniel Marsh,
Tenor Horn; Henry Geng, Violin; and Imogen Payne, Soprano.
ChesterleStreet’s annual music competition to further the musical
education of talented young musicians resident in the ‘DH’ postal area,
took place on Saturday 3rd February at 7.00 pm at the
Methodist Church in Chester le Street. A distinguished judging panel of
nine specialist local musicians and music teachers (Trustees of The
James Etherington Music Award) decided that the winner’s trophy (plus a
prize of £500) should go to Daniel Marsh for an outstanding performance
on the Tenor Horn. He began playing this instrument aged 14 and had
become principal Tenor Horn of the National Youth Brass Band by the time
he was 17.
This year the competition received a higher number of entries compared
with almost any previous year, and each of the seven candidates
eventually shortlisted performed using a different instrument/voice. The
standard was uniformly high, with a rather younger than usual age range
amongst the final competitors.
As a result, two Runner-Up Equal prizes of £250 each were awarded - with
the Margaret Crawford Trophy shared for 6 months each - one to Leo Bruce
(Bassoon) and the other to Samantha Johnson (Alto Saxophone). Samantha
performed a beautiful local composer’s three-movement tribute to the
twin Tyne Rivers: ‘The Sources’; ‘Watersmeet’ (the town where they
meet); and ‘Sandgate Jig’ (for the keel boats of Newcastle)’.
Mr Paul Leach, a longstanding teaching colleague of Margaret Crawford at
Park View School, had kindly agreed to present all the competition
awards this year.
They included £75 to each of the other competitors, with an extra £100
(thanks to an additional donation from the Rotary Club) awarded in
memory of the late Methodist Church Organist and Rotary Member, Mr
Robert Watson. This wasawarded to Isabel Sheen (Flute), aged 14,as one
of the younger competitors,for demonstrating particular potential for
her age and experience.
(Photo Rachel Orr)
PR Contact: Francis Phillips, Rotary Club of Chester le Street (mob)
07710 743626