Chichester Festival for Music Dance & Speech 2022

It was great to be back at the piano section of the Chichester Festival for Music, Dance and Speech after a year’s hiatus. Clearly, there was plenty of appetite for performing, as a record number of our students entered this year. Congratulations to the following students:

• Ella and Charlotte, who were both awarded first place for their performance in Piano Beginners Years 3 & 4. They will share the Regis School of Music Forte & Piano Trophy this year.

• Peter and Emily, who came first and second respectively in Piano Beginners Years 5 & 6. Peter was awarded the Audrey Cardwell Challenge Cup for his recital of Initial Grade and Grade 1 pieces.

• Peter was also awarded first place in the Piano Grade 1 class, taking home the Whiteman Achievement Shield.

• Beatrix, who was awarded first place in Piano Beginners Years 7, 8 & 9. She will take home the Regis School of Music Crescendo Trophy.

• Charlie, who was awarded first place in Piano Beginners Years 10 & 11, winning the Margaret Aves Cup.

• Rebecca, who was awarded first place in two classes: Intermediate Piano Recital Years 5 & 6 and Piano Sight-Study Junior. For her recital in the Intermediate Class, Rebecca is sharing the Joan Barrow Challenge Cup No. 1 with another entrant, while winning the Linda Pegrum Sight-Study Cup outright.

• A big well done to Sydney and Gieve, who also participated in the Junior Sight-Study class. It takes a lot of bravery to perform in public, let alone being given just three minutes to learn a brand new piece.

• Well done also to Zoe and Saam, who each participated in Sight-Study Intermediate and Sight-Study Higher, respectively. Zoe won the Phoebe Toop Cup No. 2 for coming first in her sight-study class.

• Finally, well done to all of the adults who performed in the adult amateur classes. While Amory and Peter were awarded first place in their classes, commendations are due to all the performers for their outstanding recitals.

We at Chichester & Arun School of Piano would like to wish a special thank you to adjudicator Ruth Gerald FRSM, for your insightful and considerate comments.