by Lingfan Gao
The music scholarship in St. Columba’s is a very competitive affair. The experience of the audition differs from person to person, they made me really nervous yet it was a pleasure to hear every soloist perform his or her own style of music. The order was chronological so the youngest members of the group performed first, pupils from form I right through to form VI. Scholarships are awarded to different categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior.
The junior section was great. Siobhán Brady (II) performed excellently on Cello and Voice. Kezia Wright (III) and Sally Bebby (II) both performed excellently too, both are talented singers.
In the Intermediate section Patrick Tice (IV), Emma Moore (IV) and I competed for the scholarship. Patrick gave a strong performance on guitar, his piece soft and gentle. Emma performed on the violin and sang, performing very well on both instruments. I played Beethoven’s Pathétique, first movement, on piano.
In the senior section, Robbie Hollis played saxophone, showing off his technique and command of the instrument. Michael McBurney sang a jolly and light hearted piece matching his personality and revealing his great voice. Sophie played the flute, a very challenging piece by Mozart but played very well. Poppy Vernon, however, stole the spotlight by singing a Mozart aria, sad and powerful, she brought the piece to life and communicated the meaning to the audience with powerful expressions that matched the mood of the song.
The event was adjudicated by the Warden, Mr. McCarthy, Ms. Malone-Brady and Mr. Clarke. Scholarships were awarded to Siobhán Brady (junior), Kezia Wright (junior), Emma Moore (intermediate), myself (intermediate) and Poppy Vernon(senior). To stand up and play in front of judges and fellow pupils is a hard thing to do and everyone who performed did so well and gained vital experience.
