This year’s Music Festival was a real celebration of music! With 19 schools from across Bahrain taking part in the heats, new music was heard, friendships were made and a huge sense of enjoyment in making music was felt by all.

There were a record number of students participating in the festival this year. 300 solo entries were made on a range of 16 different instruments providing the judges with some truly lovely music to listen to over the week. There was a very wide range of standards with the youngest competitor being just 4 years old and a relative beginner on the piano, to the far more experienced and older players competing in the higher classes of the festival.

There were 36 ensembles, both instrumental and choral, taking part this year. From the St Christopher’s Years 2 and 3 Choir to the Shaika Hessa Girls School Guitar Ensembles, every student threw themselves into their performances and gave of their best. Many students were performing for the first time with a number of pianists, violinists and woodwind players delighting us with well prepared duets and the St Christopher’s larger ensembles of Brass Groups, String Groups, Junior Orchestra, Madrigal Ensemble, Cello Ensemble all playing a selection of well chosen and much enjoyed music.

The festival culminated with the winners of each solo class in each level competing against the other players in their level for an ultimate trophy. The ensemble winners had already been chosen but performed their winning pieces during the finals so a wider audience could enjoy them before they received their trophies. The finals were judged by Mr Tieron Jones from the British School of Muscat and Mrs Stacey McDonald from the New English School, Kuwait.

The ultimate winners of each section were;

Level 1   Alexandra Estanom  (Voice)           British School
Level 2   Raoul D’Souza         (Voice)           St Christopher’s School
Level 3   Lynn Abu Khadra     (Saxophone)  St Christopher’s School
Level 4   Aditi Shirke               (Piano)           St Christopher’s School

Level 1 Choirs and Choral Ensembles     St Christopher’s School Years 2 and 3 Choir
Level 2 Choirs and Choral Ensembles     St Christopher’s School Madrigal Ensemble

Level 1 Ensembles (Small Ensemble)      Piano Duet    Delmon School
Level 1 Ensembles (Large Ensemble)      St Christopher’s School Junior Brass Group
Level 2 Ensembles (Small Ensemble)      St Christopher’s School Saxophone Duet
Level 2 Ensembles (Large Ensemble)      Shaika Hessa Girls School Guitar Quintet

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