This year’s Hepburn Competition saw 334 musicians participate in performances that spanned two weekends, culminating in the Grand Final on Sunday with 15 soloists.
If anyone doubts the value of a competition, do come to the music department a few weeks before such an event. Oundle buzzed with the sound of practice, as pupils made use of every nook and cranny in the department and beyond, in the boarding houses.
Of note this year was the camaraderie among the Lower Sixth pupils who could be heard supporting one another, performing to each other and offering constructive feedback, in spite of competing against one another. The standard in all classes was genuinely commendable and offered testimony to the superb teaching that goes on in the department on a daily basis, including the accompanists who worked with the musicians before and during the competition: Madoka Maxwell, Ben Smith, Alec Hone, Anthony Kerr-Dineen, Malcolm Smith and Quentin Thomas.
The Final encompassed the full variety of talent that Oundle possesses. A drum kit solo sat alongside the Mozart slow movement for harp and flute, Satriani on electric guitar was performed, as well as Tarrega on classical guitar, and Glazunov's ‘Elegie’ for viola sat in stark contrast to Say's ‘Paganini Jazz’ on the piano.
Fifteen finalists impressed with flawless and stunningly musical renditions, and it would be unfair to single out any pupil other than those winners as determined by the adjudicator, John Moore, Director of Music at Shrewsbury. In summary, he offered a thought-provoking delivery about music technology and the role of every musician in determining the future of music. He raved about Oundle's musical prowess and commended the incredible and invigorating work that is so palpably evolving.
Ultimately, given the standard across the evening, he was looking for performances that went beyond the music - that communicated and touched him. He commended George Cobb (L) who sang Schonberg's ‘Why God, Why’, and Bethany Peck (L) who performed Jacob's trombone concerto. Mr Moore felt compelled to share the Tatum Cup (2nd prize) between Molly-May Keston (Sn), who sang Menken’s ‘The Life I Never Had’, and Sam Rees who wooed the audience with stylish and evocative classical guitar, performing Tarrega’s ‘Capricho Arabe’.
The winner was a performer who oozed musicianship, total command and created awesome levels of atmosphere and aura. Performing from memory, Rebecca Baker-Munton (D) played floor toms and vibraphone with two contrasting works by Zivkovic and Schmitt.
Our eminent adjudicators included Mark Messenger (Professor Royal College of Music), Thomas Carroll (Professor Royal College of Music), Alexander Ardakov (Professor Trinity College of Music), Paul Esswood (one of the world's leading counter-tenors), Paul Saunders (West End music director), Christina Slominska (freelancer with BBC National Orchestra of Wales), and Louis Thorne (guitarist and commercial writer).
Q Thomas