Last Friday, 6 May, Denstone College Prep School Choir took part in the 108th Derby Arts Festival at the St John the Evangelist Church in Derby. This is the 6th year it has competed in this competition, and this time they were entered in two classes within the Junior and Senior School Choirs Section, Hymn Singing and Voices Advanced.
The chapel choir, made up of 28 girls and boys all aged between 8 and 11 years old, were praised for their lively version of the classic ‘When The Saints’, as well as their slower, contrasting piece ‘River Run’. All the choirs were assessed on musicality, use of voice, tone and communication by an adjudicator, Dr Andrew Padmore.
DCPS went on to win both classes, resulting in the collection of two cups, the Ronald Jenkins Memorial Trophy and the Ravensdale Trophy. The adjudicator mentioned how high the standard of singing was, as well as the lovely blend the choir had managed to achieve. It was a most impressive performance and showed that a great deal of hard work had been put in by the pupils and the choir master.
Mr Jerry Gear, Headmaster at the school in Marchington, said “Denstone College Prep School has a distinguished history of high standard choral singing. For a school of our size, it is an astounding achievement to produce such a blended choir and to win both classes”.
In addition, DCPS currently has five pupils who have been accepted into the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain.