A wonderful Making Musicians recital took place yesterday lunchtime in the chilly but atmospheric Cathedral, providing a welcoming setting for an engaging and thoughtfully presented programme. Performers were Caio Boyero on cello and Harriet Brightwell on flute, both sensitively accompanied by Brenda Blewett. Despite the wintery temperature, the concert was anything but cold in spirit. The Cathedral’s generous acoustic allowed the music to resonate beautifully, giving both soloists space for their sound to bloom. Harriet Brightwell reflected on the experience as both challenging and rewarding, noting that performing solo repertoire in the Cathedral was new territory for her. However, the friendly, receptive audience and inspiring setting helped her music truly shine, making the experience memorable and confidence-building. Caio Boyero likewise spoke positively about the performance, describing the concert as a stress-free and valuable opportunity to perform. He particularly enjoyed the Cathedral’s acoustic, which complemented the cello’s warm tone. Congratulations to both performers.

On 18 January, the 32nd Norfolk Young Musician Competition took place showcasing an array of young talent across a variety of musical disciplines. Founded in 1993 by Music at St George’s (later the Norfolk Youth Music Trust), the competition offers a variety of prestigious prizes, including the Michael Badminton String Prize, Mrs E. Sturgeon Piano Prize and Jane Roberson Prize. Promoted by the Michael Badminton Young Musicians Trust, this year’s adjudicator was Martin Outram, Lionel Tertis Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy of Music, who was supported by Jonathan Wortley, Chairman of the Michael Badminton Young Musicians Trust. This year, of the 18 competitors, ten were current or former pupils of Norwich, with another participant who will be joining the Sixth Form as a Music Scholar in September 2026 - something we are immensely proud of. Each competitor, who is required to have gained Grade 8 with Merit (or higher), is invited to play a 15-minute programme in front of an audience. Of the 18 competitors this year, 3 of our performers received honourable awards for their performances. Min Ying Deng (M5) was awarded 2nd overall prize for her renditions of Prelude in C# minor Op.3 No. 2, Trois Etudes de Concert ‘Un Sospiro’ in Db major and Fantasie-Impromptu in C# minor. Isaac Schaad (M5) received the Michael Badminton String Prize for Most Promising Young String Player for the third consecutive year, for his performances of Adagio in E major KV 261 and Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate and Ben Griffiths (U6) was awarded the Jane Roberson Prize for voice, performing Aufenhalt by Schubert, Caro mio ben by Giordani, Clair de Lune by Faure, Silent Noon by Vaughan Williams and Oliver Cromwell by Britten. Other notable performances came from pupils as young as Jessic Li on the piano and Jacey Ng on the euphonium, who are both in Middle 5; Upper 6 pupil Caio Boyero on the cello; and ONs Finnian Smith on the French horn and Colette Maxwell-Preston on the cello. Congratulations to all that participated! The competition proved to be a memorable celebration of commitment, musicianship and talent, and the high standard of performances across all disciplines reflected the centre of excellence that is the Norwich School Music Department.