28oCStudents show grit and determination
YVONNE WEBB
THE small frame of Presentation College San Fernando student Joshua Hinds belied the powerful voice he possesses, when he graced the Naparima Bowl stage on Friday morning for the southern leg of the 32nd Biennial Music Festival.
Hinds topped the Class A3 Boys Vocal Solo category, open to the 13 to 15 age group, with the test piece, The Silver Fleet. He was awarded a total of 87 points ensuring him a place in the championship. The 12 out of 30 competitors registered for this category, were accompanied by pianist Peter Lockhart.
One point separated Hinds and his school mate, Zayin Spencer, who placed second with 86 points. In fact, the competition between the two was so close that adjudicator Belinda Mikhail called them back on stage to do a repeat at the end of the competition in an attempt to separate the points which had them originally tied for first place. After all, this category had already seen three of the competitors, Isiah Mc Leod, Caleb Hinds and Jodel Stoute, having tied for third place, each with a score of 85 points.
In the end adjudicator Mikhail commended the boys for the performance which she said she enjoyed. She noted that for most part the voices were well toned. Stressing the importance of the story element in these folk songs, she said most of them worked hard to tell the story while others were not as impactful.
She reminded the boys and the girls who followed, in the Class A 7 Girls solo category to be cognisant of their entrance and how they present themselves on stage. She said judging starts from backstage not when they start singing and their entrance should not be with heads bowed.
Fifteen out of 47 entrants registered for the Girls Solo category in the 13 to 15 age group performed the test piece, Mother What Shall I do, both in French and English. Contestant number one, Zoe Webster of St Joseph Convent, San Fernando, displayed some tenacity as she faltered half way through the piece. After a brief word with accompanist Bernadette Roberts, Webster was given the all clear to try again which she did with sheer gusto.
While she did not place in this category, Webster showed what real champions are made of when she regained confidence in the afternoon, to win the Girls Vocal Duet category along with her partner Ealisha Espinosa. They performed the test piece, The Quiet Serenade.