Prev
Next
Young Musician of the Year
Annual Young Musician of the Year Event
The Deer Park Young Musician of the Year competition is an annual event hosted by the Music department, giving pupils an opportunity to perform at a recital evening, competing for the sought-after title of Young Musician of the Year. In 2019 the event, which is designed for pupils at any stage in their musical instrument learning, took place on Thursday 25 April 2019.
The key thing that the judges look for is a performance that demonstrates a high level of musicality - it is not just about the difficulty level of the piece. As a judging panel we look for accuracy in the performance but especially the level of expression - it is more than just playing the right notes!
This year we had 20 entries, with a range of instruments including piano, classical, electric and bass guitar, violin, drums and cello. There was a range of musical styles on show including some classical pieces by Beethoven, Bach and Vivaldi, rock music by Green Day, pop by Bruno Mars and even some dance music.
"I was so scared before I performed but I’m really glad I did it, it was fun, especially with my friends and family supporting me." Charlotte (Year 8)
The standard of performances was amazing and the judges had a very difficult task selecting a winner and two runners up from both Key Stages. After long discussions on the merits of each performance, the results were announced:
Key Stage 4 Winner: Amy P (Year 11)
"I really enjoyed participating in the Young Musician competition because it is a great opportunity to perform. I was very proud to win and it was lovely to see all the other performances too."
Key Stage 4 Runners Up:
Billy O and Louis E (both Year 10)
Key Stage 3 Winner: Lauren P (Year 8)
"I spent a long time preparing for the performance. I was overjoyed to win! I loved seeing all the other acts too and there were some really brilliant performances."
Key Stage 3 Runners Up:
Jaden C (Year 9) and Herbie UD (Year 7)
All participants received a certificate to acknowledge their hard work and dedication in preparing for the performances.
Music Teacher Mr Cook said "Young Musician is always a special event and is a platform for pupils to showcase their skills. I have been organising this event for nearly 20 years and I can honestly say the amount of musical talent in our pupils amazed me this year. Their confidence and dedication to their instruments makes me very proud to work with them. Congratulations to all of the performers."
"A wonderful evening to showcase the range of talented musicians we have at Cirencester Deer Park School. I was blown away by the level of talent and as a judge it was incredibly difficult to make a decision. It was fantastic to see so much resilience and the power of practice!" Miss Lillington, Associate Assistant Head
"It was delightful to listen to the range of music our pupils evidently enjoyed performing for us. It was very clear that they are all committed to practising and passionate about their chosen instruments. It was good to see the progress they have made too. They definitely challenge themselves to achieve more each time!" Chiquita Henson, Headteacher
Other 2019 dates for your diary:
- On Wednesday 1 May we will be celebrating the achievements of vocal Deer Park pupils at our Young Singer of the Year event.
- Audition dates for the next whole school musical Grease take place the week after the Bank Holiday weekend. The application form is live on iDeer - deadline for applications is Monday 6 May. Singing/Dance auditions are after school on Wednesday 8 or Thursday 9 May. Band auditions take place on Thursday 9 or Friday 10 May.
- The ever-popular Party in the Park is on the last day of the summer term, Tuesday 23 July.
- We hope to hear the first public performance of the Year 8 Songwriting project song at Party in the Park.
- Grease Taster Evening in November (date TBC).
- Grease Performances in February 2020 (dates TBC).