Craig Lewis, Choir Secretary, sends us this report from the first day of the Wycombe Orpheus Male Voice Choir:  

Every year on the first two Saturdays in March the Wycombe Orpheus Male Voice Choir holds its Festival of Young Musicians at the Wesley Methodist Church in High Wycombe. 

Pupils from local schools come together to put on an amazing display of musicianship. There are prizes for the best participants in the 6 classes, Strings, Woodwind, Brass, Piano, Vocal and Ensemble. 

Adjudicator, Helen Duffy, considers this to be the best festival of its type that she attends and every year expresses her amazement that the standard gets better and better leaving her with an almost impossible job in judging the entrants.   

On Saturday, March 7, a high standard was set on the Senior day which is for school years 10 to 13.

The piano class got underway at 9am with 8 exceptionally talented contestants who were rewarded by receiving their certificates from the Mayor of High Wycombe.    

The Vocal class was the most competitive ever and honours were even between the sexes as Amy Gee from Wycombe High School and Ollie Slater from Sir William Borlase were awarded joint first place. 

The day ended just after 6pm with ensemble groups from The Chiltern Music Academy, The Royal Grammar School and Wycombe High School. 

We were even treated to a piano quartet all playing the same piano simultaneously, representing four different schools, RGS, Wycombe Abbey, Cressex Community School and Sir William Bolase. The Traditional Jazz Band from the RGS were awarded first place on this occasion. 

This was the last year for several year 13 pupils and the last group to entertain us were the Magic Flutes, a five-girl ensemble from Wycombe High School who fittingly signed off their final appearance in the Festival by playing So Long Farewell from the Sound of Music as a special thank you to the Orpheus. 

We now look forward to Saturday 14th when it’s the turn of the juniors to entertain us. 

Why not come along and support the Festival, see wycombeorpheus.org.uk for details.