Shiplake’s most accomplished clarinet players joined forces
last week to perform at the 2014 Marlow Festival of Music and Drama. The high
profile event attracts talented performers from across the region but the
Shiplake pupils more than held their own, winning a silver medal.
The Festival grows in popularity every year, with a Drama
and Speech section introduced for the very first time alongside the traditional
music competition. Shiplake’s quartet of Ed Warren, Charles Marsden, Tom
McCooke and Josh Hirst (L-R) competed in the Advanced Ensemble Class.
The group opened with “In the Bleak Midwinter” and received
praise for an ‘incredible ensemble’ and ‘sensitive playing’. They then played
Gerswhin’s “I got rhythm”, which according to the adjudicator was played with ‘humour
and panache’.
Music teacher and ensemble conductor Mr Ham commented: “The
pupils produced some of their best music on the night, after weeks of hard
work. They did incredibly well to come away with a silver medal against some
stiff competition. We look forward to competing at the next event!”
