Senior Choir awarded Co-Founder's Cup
On Saturday, May 8th the Junior and Senior choirs took part in the 57th Tilehurst Eisteffford. This annual music competition was started in 1952, when Mr. Elwyn Jones, a Welshman, Churchman and gifted amateur musician, suggested to a few friends in Tilehurst the idea of a local annual festival to foster interest in the arts. It was decided to sponsor an ‘Eisteddfod’ along the lines of the Welsh festivals and the event has grown in size and status over the years, attracting entries from Berkshire and the surrounding counties. This year the venue was the beautiful, newly built Avenue School (so new that it did not appear on sat. navs. – even the coach driver did not know where he was going!), and the acoustics of the School Hall were perfect for choral singing. Each choir sang two contrasting items, and the Senior Choir had to include a round as one of its choices. Both choirs sang splendidly, with wonderfully supportive accompaniment from Miss Collins. Every boy tried their best, and the adjudicator, Jeffrey Williams, recently organist of Romsey Abbey, and Director of the Boys Choir there, made some very favourable and encouraging comments about the performances. In his talk to the competing choirs, he included some hints and practical exercises on how to improve choral singing, and both the choirs and the audience appreciated his advice. The Junior Choir competed against a mixed choir, and a Girl’s choir, and were awarded a merit, and placed second for their rendition of ‘Land of the Silver Birch’ and ‘Moving on Up’. The Senior choir competed against another Boys’ choir, and were awarded first place with a Commended certificate, and received the impressive Co-Founder’s Cup, currently displayed in the Front Hall. Congratulations to all the boys who took part, thanks to Liz Collins, our accompanist, and also to Mr. Schumann, Miss Glover, and the parents who helped with transport on the day.
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