Students from Taunton School achieved huge success at the recent Taunton Festival of the Arts, with their performances being rewarded with more than 30 trophies, as well as high marks and praise.  

Taunton School students who took part in the festival from Tuesday 30th January to Wednesday 7th February 2024 were aged between seven and 16, with the youngest competitors being in Year 3 (Hedley K and Glenda W), playing solo violin and piano respectively. The festival has been running since 1913 and provides the opportunity for young performers to showcase their talents and gain valuable feedback from experienced adjudicators.

Students from Taunton Prep School were awarded first place in 15 categories, including: Piano Solo, Sight-reading, Jazz (12 and under), Violin Solo, Woodwind Solo, Woodwind Duet, Bowed Strings Solo, Flute Solo, Musical Vocal Solo, and one student was awarded the prestigious John Playll Cup for the second year in a row. The Prep School’s Senior and Junior choirs both won their respective categories, being awarded the Junior Valerie Hill Shield (Year 5 and 6) and the Senior Priscilla Hodgson Shield (Year 7 and 8). One student won three separate categories with her piano and flute playing, while another student won two categories, including Saxophone, an instrument he only has three months’ experience playing.  

Students from Taunton Senior School also achieved huge success, being awarded first place in 17 categories including: Piano, Brass, Woodwind, Vocal Solo, Singer-Songwriting, Horn Trio, Clarinet Quintet, and Year 11 Quartet. Overall, the Senior School did 36 different performances across the festival.  

Here is a summary of the performers and their results:

Senior School

Piano

Baroque (non Bach) U15 – Freya Simpson – Winner with distinction

20th Century U15 – Freya Simpson – Winner with distinction

Grade 7 Repertoire – Freya Simpson – Winner with commended

Brass

Brass Solo U16 – Eliza Hopwood – winner with distinction

Woodwind

Woodwind Solo U14 – Maddie Hudgell – winner with commended

Woodwind Solo U16 – Elsenne Orchard – winner with merit

Grade 7-8 Recital – Maddie Hudgell – Distinction

Grade 7-8 Recital – Katie Sercombe – Commended

Open Recital – Eliza Hopwood – Distinction

Vocal

Vocal Solo U14 – Thomasin Manley Frost – commended

Vocal Solo U14 – Freya Simpson – commended

Vocal Solo U16 – Eliza Hopwood – winner with distinction

Musical up to 1959 U14 – Thomasin Manley Frost – winner with distinction

Musical 1960-1999 U14 – Chloe Dedicoat – distinction

Musical 1960-1999 U16 – Eliza Hopwood – commended

Musical after 2000 U14 – Tom Robinson – winner with outstanding

Musical after 2000 U16 – Eliza Hopwood – winner with distinction

Singer-songwriter Open – Amelia de Jager – winner with commended

Vocal solo 1600-1800 U14 – Freya Simpson – commended

Pop Vocals Open – Eliza Hopwood – winner

Ensembles

Ensemble U16 – Y11 Quartet (Nyasha Dzvanga, Carlton Chu, Ethan Li, Charlotte Ambler) – Merit

Ensemble U16 – Horn Trio (Dan Fawden, Charlotte Ambler, Harry Way) – Winner with merit

Ensemble U14 – Clarinet Quintet (Maddie Hudgell, Matilda White, Freya Simpson, Thomasin Manley Frost, Fliss Bill) – winner with distinction

Ensemble U14 – Y9/10 Trio (Freya Simpson, Thomasin Manley Frost, Fliss Bill) – commended

Duet U14 – Saffron Masters and Matilda White – commended

Prep School

Winner of Blackdown Trophy (Piano solo) 
Jack F (Jack won two separate solo performance trophies) 

Winner of Sight-reading challenge 
Tongfei D (Piano) (Tongfei won three separate categories) 

Winner of Jazz category 12 and under, and Keynes Wyatt Trophy (Violin solo) 
James F 

Jackson Cup Woodwind Solo winner 
Riya N 

Intermediate Woodwind Trophy winner 
Tongfei D (Flute) 

Woodwind Recital winner with Distinction (high marks in competitive class) 
Tongfei D (Flute) 

Beginner’s Trophy Win 
Jack F (Saxophone with only 3 months tuition) 

Woodwind Duet winners 
Riya N and Olivia B 

Bowed Strings Transitional Trophy winner 
George C 

Williamson Cup winners for Duet 13 and under 
James F and Emily D 

Vivienne Price Memorial Cup for best music ensemble 
Luttrell Consort (selected TPS music scholars, Jack, Emily, James) 

Solo vocal results 
2nd place achievements for Sophia O, Kayra J, Violet L 

Musical Vocal Solo first place winners 
Maddie A (10 and under category); Isabel G (12 and under category) 

John Playll Cup winner (2 years in a row!) 
Esme H