Two Moors Festival Young Musicians Competition Winners Concert All Saints' Church Dulverton Sunday 14 October 2018

Young Musicians Accompanist
Alison Farr
Young Musicians Coordinator
Sarah Fletcher

For Eighteen years Penny Adie has been running her now-famous 'Young Musicians Competion' (formerly the 'Young Musicians Platform Competition'). The competition embodies all that the Two Moors Festival stands for. Penny, with her many supporters and friends, have campaigned tirelessly for better opportunities for young people to be able to achieve excellence in music, and to enjoy the fulfillment of public performance and a career in music. The Festival generates funding to provide opportunities for young instrumentalists and singers, including extra education in schools and the chance to perform with orchestras, as well as the Young Musicians Competition itself.

Mezzo Soprano: Madeleine Perring

The Competitions Winners Concert at Dulverton Church was opened by Festival Executive Director Karen Malim. First on stage was mezzo soprano Madeleine Perring. Madeleine is an A-Level student at Wells Cathedral School. She started training as a singer at the age of eleven and has reached an impressive standard.

Without any written music, and with only the most delicate piano accompaniment, Madeleine sang three perfect pieces for mezzo soprano voice, two in Italian and one in English. Her introductions were concise and delivered a clear and entertaining way.

She opened abruptly and passionately as Dorabella in Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte". Having explained that Dorabella's fiancé Ferrando had just (supposedly) left for war, she cries in frustration "A scostati!" (Go then!), insisting in her grief that not only Ferrando, but all present should leave her alone, for pity's sake - "Fuggi per pietà, lasciami sola!". Madeleine sang with a controlled and ringing tone and sensitive pathos. The lighter refrain, with cascading piano accompaniment from Alison Farr was particularly emotional.

The English piece was Handel's motet "The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation" in which, as Mary, she bewails the temporary loss of her son Jesus. Fearing an attack by a tiger, or worse still Herod the Great, she appeals to the Angel Gabriel recalling the annunciation and expressing hope for another apparition. She trusts in God, but fears for her child. Madeleine recounted the whole sad tale slowly and expressively in a soft light voice.

Finally Madeleine is the knight Ruggiero in Handel's "Alcina" (a very timely choice, as the Festival features the full opera in Uffculme next Saturday). Having escaped the clutches of the sorceress Alcina he sings "Sta nell'lrcana pietrosa tana tigre sdegnosa." (An angry tigress cowers in a cave in Hyrcania.) Madeleine characterised Ruggerio with martial vigour, an intense gaze, and forceful delivery. She was self-possessed and even pugnacious. The coruscating cadenza when it came was quite perfect.

Sadly, this will be the closest Madeleine will come to Devon to perform. Immediately after her performance she had to return to Wells for a 6pm appointment. Artistic Director David Lowes presented her with her prize at the interval. After Wells Madeleine hopes to go to Cambridge University, or Music School. Great success awaits her, no doubt.

Double Bass: Adam Cole

Next came the much younger Adam Cole. Adam is a student at Exeter School and is also a member of Fiona McLean Buechel's South West Camerata. At the age of five he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Academy and has been a member of the National Children's Orchestras at all age groups.

Setting up for a Double Bass recital was much more complicated than for Madeleine's singing. With instrument, stool, music stand and manuscripts he strove valiantly, like a Hoffnung character, but with incredible dignity and forbearance. Once successfully set up he introduced Stuart Sankey's Arrangement for Double Bass of Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, and explained succinctly that it would be in rondo form, with two alternating melodies - like two people talking.

The two people spoke in light stacatto bow strokes and gentle legato respectively. There were also difficult phrases on the high end of the fingerboard, which Adam made look deceptively easy. Adam played with a serious contemplative demeanour while Alison kept the piano continuo perfectly balanced to the double bass's soft tone.

The second piece was one of Gioachino Rossini's 'péchés de vieillesse' (sins of old age), this one a series of variations on a theme, "Une Larme" (A Tear), which were written shortly before he died.in 1868. The opening theme started with a rumbling introduction on the piano followed by a doleful and engaging double bass melody. Each variation was a little faster, but still deeply poignant. The final phrase ended spectacularly on the very highest note - before plucking the open bottom string, as an impressive finishing flourish.

To complete the set, Adam played a morale boosting piece composed at the end of the Second World War. Norman Hester, who later played for various orchestras including the BBC orchestra, was playing West End variety shows at the time. The piece, "The Bull Steps Out", is in a ragtime style, which Adam likened to a double bass in a china shop. The swinging rhythm was like a song without words, gentle and insistent with some delicate ornamentation.

At the interval David Lowes of the Artistic Directors' Circle gave special thanks to the Young Musicians Coordinator Sarah Fletcher for all the hard work that went into the competition during the year, and the culminating concert at Dulverton. He also gave special thanks to Alison Farr who accompanies the students on the piano. As David joked, Alison is eight months pregnant, so possibly bringing the youngest musician of all to the Festival. After a brief ceremony to present Madeleine Perring with her prize, the concert continued - with a the piano taken over by one of the Young Musicians.

Piano: Ivan Babichev

Ivan Babichev was the youngest of the winners, and is now studying with the South West Music School, while also attending the Plymouth School of Creative Studies. He seemed less confident than the previous two performers at first, but soon dispelled that impression when sitting at the keyboard. He opened with a Scarlatti sonata (K213) which starts very simply but builds in complexity very quickly. He played with a light accurate touch, gently building in intensity. He seemed perfectly in his element.

His Mozart sonata (K332) seemed to channel the man himself. Ivan played with concentration and economy of movement right up to the rousing finish, and was looking thoroughly happy with his work throughout. The Chopin nocturne ((Op27 No2), with its lively melody and gently undulating continuo, was incredibly expressive - dolorous but with flights of pure joy. As the audience applauded Ivan jumped into his Chopin etude (Op10 No5), which echoed Adams 'Bull' with its ragtime feel, lively and flambuoyant with explosive chains of chords.

Finally Ivan played a Rachmaninov prelude (Op3 No2) which was ponderous, ominous and powerful, but with a light and sensitive touch. Like the calm after a storm, the ending was slow and languorous with a long sustained final chord. With a brief bow he left the stage, but to thunderous applause he was persuaded to return to the stage where he was thrown bouquets. A very impressive performance.

Alto Saxophone: Katie Bunney

One performer remained, saxophonist Katie Bunney. Katie has recently started her music degree at St Catherine's College Oxford, where she is already playing in several student orchestras. Katie's selections showed off her great versatility.

She started witht he first movement from Jacques Ibert's "Concertino de Camera" in which Alison's hectic piano part took the place of a full orchestra. The resulting combination was snappy and colourful. Katie moved in time with the sinuous rhythm of the music and gave the feel of a jazz improvisation, sharing the fun and enjoyment of the piece with Alison at the piano.

The Bach Sonata in E flat for flute (transcribed for soprano saxophone by John Harle) sounded as if it could have been written for saxophone - if Bach had lived another hundred years. The melody was slightly old-fashioned, but with a lilting swing - and Katie's playing was somewhat reminiscent of a baroque trumpet.

Dave McGarry's "Dreams of You" was a sultry serenade evoking the atmosphere of a smoke-filled nightclub. Its bird-like phrases melted into sensuous melody and finally lapsed into a trance-like silence. Then, to finish the set and the concert, Katie played the ever-popular "Csárdás" by Vittorio Monti. The opening theme was very carefully paced in expectation of what was to come. The lovely gentle sound of Katie's saxophone was perfect for the music. The following variations went into the upper register and were delicate and sweet, the highest of all being impressively soft, with a skillful silkiness. The final section was full of life and scintillating syncopation, ending with a resounding crash of sound.

David Lowes distributes the prizes
Left: Ivan Babichev  Right: Katie Bunney

What a concert! The competition must have been stiff indeed to throw up four such talented musicians as the final winners.

David Lowes was on hand to hand out the cheques to the three remaining winners and endorsed the work of Penny Adie and the Two Moors Festival team in promoting music for a new generation.

Young Musicians Competition Winners from previous years will perform at Powderham Castle on Thursday evening (18 October -details). In years to come this year's Winners may return to the Festival to entertain us again as well.

2018 Young Musicians Competition Winners
Piano: Ivan Babichev
Double Bass: Adam Cole
Saxophones: Katie Bunney
(& Mezzo Soprano: Madeleine Perring)

Penny Adie brings generous bouquets
for the Pianist and Coordinator

and Festival Director Karen Malim
says the same with cyclamens
Left: Pianist Alison Farr
2nd Left: Coordinator Sarah Fletcher