TREORCHY MALE CHOIR JUNIOR MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
The Treorchy Male Choir Junior Musician of the Year Competition was established by a group of choristers to promote music making amongst the young people of the Rhondda Valleys.
The competition has since become a hugely successful annual event. Now celebrating its sixth year, well over a thousand primary schoolchildren have since taken part, with the winners enjoying all-expenses paid trips to Paris and the USA.
The success of such a high-profile musical contest has attracted interest from the world of entertainment with many famous supporters helping to promote the event including Sharon Osbourne, Katherine Jenkins, Sir Cliff Richard, Il Divo and McFly.
To date a number of well-known Welsh musicians and celebrities have joined the adjudication panel at each of the Grand Final events. In fact, such is its fame that the internationally-renowned Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel MBE is now its Patron. |
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Each year up to twenty primary and junior schools in the two Rhonda valleys have signed up to the competition which for three years enjoyed sponsorship by Coca Cola Enterprises and further support from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.
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The aim of the competition is to encourage children to participate in a musical activity and enjoy performing as soloists. It also allows school children an extra incentive to rehearse and improve their standards of singing or playing an instrument. Hopefully such a competition will lead them to enjoy a lifelong love of music - either as a pasttime or indeed a career.
Each of the schools hold their own "X-Factor" style auditions before a series of preliminary heats are held in each of the schools, adjudicated by members of the Choir itself. From there the winning singer and the instrumentalist from each of the schools enters the Semi Final competitions and a Grand Final is held at Treorchy Comprehensive School.
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During the past five years the adjudicators of the Grand Final included Beverley Humphreys (BBC Broadcaster), Janice Ball (the Conductor,Treorchy Male Choir & Organist), Jennifer Jones (Conductor, Ynyswen Male Choir & Harpist), Kate Woolveridge (Mezzo Soprano), Derek Holvey (Conductor, Four Counties Youth Orchestra), Craig Roberts (Conductor, Parc & Dare Band), Dr Robert Childs (Conductor, Cory Band), Dewi Griffiths (BBC Broadcaster), Helen Roberts (Accompanist, Treorchy Male Choir), Dr Alwyn Humphreys MBE (Conductor Emeritus, Morriston Orpheus Male Choir), Joy Amman- Davies (Conductor, Morriston Orpheus Male Choir), Dr Haydn James (Conductor, London Welsh Male Choir) and Jeffrey Howard (Arranger / Accompanist, Only Men Aloud)
The Grand Final has also traditionally welcomed BBC Broadcaster Roy Noble, actress Ruth Madoc, singer Beverley Humphreys and the legendary Max Boyce to present the trophies to the lucky winners.
All entrants who perform in the heats receive a certificate. The finalists receive a certificate, trophy and tickets for themselves and an adult to a day out in London to see a current West End show.
The two winning finalists of one singer and one instrumentalist each receive £200 prize money. They also receive the Treorchy Male Choir & Coca Cola Trophy to be retained by their school for one year and have the opportunity to share the stage with the Treorchy Male Choir at the Good Friday Concert in the Park & Dare Theatre.
Over the years Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has also surprised the two winners with the news that the local authority has sponsored visits for them to New Hampshire in the USA to strengthen good links with the State. In 2008 and 2009 the winners and their families enjoyed an all-expenses paid visit to EuroDisney in Paris. |
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In 2010 the competition marked its fifth year but sadly with the withdrawal of funding, the future of the annual event looked bleak. Fortunately the Choir made approaches to individuals and businesses from the Rhondda and further afield and offered me a special sponsorship deal. With their support, the competition went ahead and was recognised as another great success. The Choir would like to acknowledge the support of the following who signed up to one of the three sponsorship deals available:
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GOLD
Geraint Davies
Ian & Gladys Reynolds
SILVER
Paul Young (Young & Phillips Accountant)
Sheppard's Chemist
BRONZE
Mal Thomas (Carpets 'N' Carpets)
Treorchy & District Chamber of Trade
Brian Bates
Rhondda Rotary Club
Jeanne Gray (Chord Theatrical)
Caxton Press
LT Insurance
David Lawthom (Celtic Coffins)
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With the ongoing success of the competition the Treorchy Male Choir can assure the world that the Rhondda Valleys will retain its image as the "Valley of Music of Song" for many years to come.
THE WINNERS
2006 Treorchy Male Choir Junior Musician Of The Year Competition
Singer - Shona Evans (Penyrenglyn Community Primary School)
Instrumentalist - Bryony White (Penyrenglyn Community Primary School)
2007 Treorchy Male Choir & Coca Cola Junior Musician Of The Year Competition
Singer - Callum Richards (Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bronllwyn)
Instrumentalist -
Sophie Davies (Treorchy Primary School)
2008 Treorchy Male Choir & Coca Cola Junior Musician Of The Year Competition
Singer - Ffion Wilde (Treorchy Primary School)
Instrumentalist - Charlotte White (Maerdy Primary School)
2009 Treorchy Male Choir & Coca Cola Junior Musician Of The Year Competition
Singer - Jack Johnson (Treorchy Primary School)
Instrumentalist - Charlotte Lewis (Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Ynyswen)
2010 Treorchy Male Choir Junior Musician Of The Year Competition
Singer - Katie Leigh Jones (Alaw Primary School)
Instrumentalist - Charlotte Lewis (Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Ynyswen)
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