Another spectacular Talent Show at Cirencester Deer Park School took place last week in aid of BBC Children in Need.
Heat 1 on Wednesday 16 November kicked off with a range of acts, from Heaven P, a Year 8 rapper inspired by X Factor's Honey G, to an arrangement of ‘Viva La Vida’ for cellists Amy and Tanwen. Both acts captivated the audience, demonstrating the variety of talent here at Deer Park.
A member of Wednesday's audience commented "I thought the show was wonderful – the children performing were so talented, not to mention brave, performing in front of so many people! The band and staff support were also fantastic. I was moved to tears by the little girl who sang ‘Jar of Hearts’ – what incredible courage she showed. I thought she was amazing and even though she didn’t make the final, she was my winner last night!"
There was an incredibly lively audience at Heat 2 on Thursday 17 November who showered each act with support and appreciation, boosting the acts' confidence during the evening!
Our judges had an very difficult task each night deciding which acts should go through to Friday's Final. The standard was astoundingly high across both Key Stages, making it impossible to predict a winner.
Libby in Year 9, who performed ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ as a vocal duet with Ella, commented on her experience: ‘It was really scary at first standing up there in front of everyone but half way through the song, when I realised it was all going well, I began to enjoy myself and relax a little. I was extremely pleased to have made it through to the Final!’
The judges chose 27 acts in total across the two heats for the Final on Friday 18 November, which was again filled with a diverse range of performances, all captivating the audience. An animated comical alternative to the sinking of the Titanic by two Year 7 boys had the audience in fits of laughter; the card tricks done by Year 11 magician Henry left everyone gasping and amazed; and Year 8 dancer Hollie portrayed Shakespeare’s Juliet and her last moments in an emotional and moving contemporary solo dance.
Our Talent Show 2016 Finalists
Alex Ololade, winner of the Talent Show 2014, returned to Deer Park on our panel of judges and thoroughly enjoyed being involved: “It was an incredible experience being able to watch the talent on show at Deer Park. Having seen all three nights it was extremely difficult to choose just a few to receive such great awards. It was a fun-filled, talented night with lots of wonderful performances and I am grateful I had the chance to see it."
After the last act on Friday, the judges went off to deliberate and conclude their decisions. In the meantime, staff from the Expressive Arts and other Faculties entertained our eager audience and finalists with a lively musical interlude.
Talent Show 2016 Award Winners
After recognising a number of acts on stage with Special Mentions, the main awards of the evening were announced:
Molly in Year 8, who wowed everyone with her mature vocals in an extraordinarily powerful performance of ‘Bleeding Love’, took the award for Key Stage 3 Winner.
Mike and Hannah in Year 11 swiped the Key Stage 4 Winner award for their cheerful, performance of ‘House of Gold’ with harmonious singing and a ukulele accompaniment.
These announcements left us all guessing as to who the winner would be... the high quality of performances meant no one could place any bets. The judges chose one outstanding performer, Emilie T, a Year 10 pianist who captured the audience, and likewise everyone backstage listening, with her performance of Einaudi’s ‘Nuvole Bianche’. Overall Talent Show 2016 Winner Emilie played this beautiful piece as it should be played, filled with expression and taking care and time fulfilling the emotions.
"It was an amazing, enjoyable experience and
I never thought in a million years I would win!"
Talent Show 2016 Winner
Key Stage 3 Winner
Key Stage 4 Winners
Headteacher Chiquita Henson was delighted with the outcome of the event:
Congratulations to all pupils who put themselves forward as contestants in our Talent Show for the BBC's Children in Need! This was an inclusive event and the standard was exceptionally high. They are all definitely deserving of our heartfelt thanks. Using their own performance skills or sharing their own compositions and choreography, they provided excellent entertainment and inspiration. I am grateful to members of our Expressive Arts Team who ensured the programme for each heat was well balanced. The final provided tremendous variety and presented a challenge for our four judges!
All pupils who took part and spent many months rehearsing should feel incredibly proud of themselves for having the courage and determination to get up and perform. This is a huge achievement, whether they walked away with a trophy or not, and they should be encouraged to continue in developing their talent.
We all wait in anticipation for what wonderful talent pupils at Deer Park will bring to the next biennial Talent Show in 2018!
We are pleased to share that during our 10th Talent Show we raised over £1,150 for BBC Children in Need.
Governor and judge Jo Chisholm commented: "I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Talent Show. What struck me more than anything this year was the great diversity of talent on show - obviously we always have lots of singers doing pop songs, but the range this year was amazing, from gymnasts to classical guitarists and cellists, plus some thought-provoking, topical acts too such as 'Spiritual Drivers'. There are a lot of very talented Key Stage 3 pupils coming through which is excellent. What I find so pleasing is the fact that all of these pupils feel confident and safe to perform and this really must be due to how they feel at Deer Park."
The next opportunity to see Deer Park pupils perform will be at our Christmas Carol Concert in the Parish Church on Tuesday 13 December.
