Young Musician contest brings 41st Fife Festival of Music to a close

Competitors in the Young Musician final of Fife Festival of Music 2022, along with the Adjudicators: back row: Pawel Szulc – piano, Kinghorn; Connor Hill-Tibbs – harp, Kirkcaldy; Daniel Armstrong – ‘cello, Blebo Craigs; Tara McGhie – saxophone, Wormit. front row: Stephen Cowan; Faith Mackenzie Page – clarsach, St Andrews; Lorelle Brodie –vocal, Kirkcaldy; Robbie Dowall – trombone, Dunfermline; Ruth Carson – percussion, Burntisland; Mae Murray.

After an absence of three years due to Covid, lockdowns and fears over transmission of the virus via music playing and singing, a full festival programme was back with a bang for 2023.

Friday’s Young Musician class brought this year’s festival to a close after a fortnight of exciting performances on platforms at the Vine Centre in Dunfermline and at St Peter’s Church and St Bryce Kirk Centre in Kirkcaldy.

The festival aims to provide music makers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to perform on stage.

A festival spokesperson, said: “As ever, primary and secondary schools brought their well-rehearsed music to perform to audiences of parents, carers, friends and interested members of the community. There were also many solo instrumental and vocal performances from all ages. A continuing major feature of the festival is the community element. This year there were 11 adult choirs, ten large ensembles and seven smaller ones over four evenings proving that music encompasses all and is a vital part of life for so many.”

The festival hub was to be found in St Bryce Kirk and the festival shop attracted audiences and passers-by.

As well as the final event taking place on Friday, February 10, there was also the annual reception for Festival Friends that evening.

Treasurer and keen baker Jean Galloway followed up her 40th Festival celebration cake from 2020 with a magnificent piano cake to welcome everyone back to the festival.

The festival’s grand finale was the Young Musician final with the competitors comprising the winners of the Open Solo instrument and Young Singer classes.

Adjudicators Mae Murray and Stephen Cowan praised the young musicians and commented on the extremely high standard of performance.

Those taking part were Pawel Szulc, from Kinghorn (piano); Connor Hill-Tibbs, from Kirkcaldy (harp); Daniel Armstrong from Blebo Craigs (cello); Tara McGhie, from Wormit (saxophone), Faith Mackenzie Page, from St Andrews (clarsach), Lorelle Brodie, from Kirkcaldy (vocal); Robbie Dowall, from Dunfermline (trombone) and Ruth Carson, from Burntisland (percussion).

The winner, who was presented with the Glen More Trophy, was trombonist Robbie Dowall, an S6 student at Woodmill High School.

In conjunction with Fife Council’s education and children’s services music department the event doubled as the Fife area final of the Scottish Young Musician competition with Robbie declared the winner.

The national final of this competition will take place in Glasgow in May.

Organisers of the event were thrilled to have the full programme back this year after the break and they are already looking ahead to next year’s Fife Festival of Music which will take place from January 29 to February 9, 2024.