LVS Ascot Students Top Medal Table At Festival Of Music
07 Mar 2018
Music students from LVS Ascot are celebrating after a record number of medal winning performances at a festival that attracted 160 entries from all over the home counties and beyond. The LVS Ascot Music Festival on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th February, taking place for the fourth time, demonstrated the school’s commitment to inspiring young people to exceed their expectations and resulted in LVS Ascot pupils winning 28 medals including 9 Golds and 14 Silver.
The event is quickly becoming established as one of the premier music performance events in the area for young musicians, with a record 160 entries over the two days up 36% on last year’s record of 118. Students from six to eighteen took part in categories including piano, vocal, strings, woodwind and brass in a celebration of musical diversity that reflects the range of music on offer at LVS Ascot.
LVS Ascot students William Brooke, 12, and 15-year-old Alexandra Skachko were the biggest winners, each claiming two Golds and a Silver. William won the top prize in the Piano Grade 6 class and Classical Intermediate Singing Grades 3 and 4, whilst Alexandra was a Gold medallist in Classical Advanced Singing and Folksong Advanced, both Grade 7 and above. Alexandra also won a Bronze medal for Rock and Pop Vocals Grade 7 and above. Students from schools in London and Surrey were also amongst the winners.
As an all-through school, LVS Ascot develops musical talent in pupils from a very early age and this was rewarded by five junior school pupils winning seven medals between them, the youngest being 7-year-old Zachary Bryant who won Silver in the Romantic/Modern Piano Genre class.
LVS Ascot Head of Music James Bryant said: “Our aim as a school is to inspire students to exceed their expectations, and this festival does exactly that for musical pupils. To be able to play in a professional theatre in front of an audience and have your efforts recognised and rewarded is important, and makes a real difference in the musical development of our students. We are delighted that the LVS Ascot Music Festival helps us share that ethos with other schools and allows their students to enjoy the same experiences and recognition which will help their musical development”.
The overall Best Musician trophy will be awarded at the Festival Winners’ Concert at LVS Ascot on Friday 23rd February, with guests welcome to come and enjoy free entry to watch the performances.
Photo: Double Gold medal winner William Brooke is delighted after one of his performances