Abbey Gate College recently welcomed choral director, Ralph Allwood MBE DMus as adjudicator at their Margaret Caven House Music Festival.

Ralph Allwood, was for 26 years Director of Music at Eton College and was founder of the Eton Choral Courses. He is also Director of Chapel Music at Queens’ College Chapel, Cambridge, has conducted choirs for 40 live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and has written much music heard worldwide on radio and television.

The annual competition saw 65 competitors aged 11 to 18 perform in classes throughout the day. Categories included piano, brass, woodwind, singing, percussion and strings. The winner from each class went through to perform at the final in the evening to an audience of family and friends.

The Margaret Caven Music Salver for the best performance of the day was awarded to Joe Martin (Year 11) for his vocal performance of ‘Where’ere You Walk’ by Handel. Class winners included Jessica Mills (Woodwind), Frankie Conyers (Strings and Guitar)(Drum Kit), Henry Smith (Piano)(Brass) and Sam Tomlins (Organ).

Head of Music, Mr Andrews said: “Ralph Allwood was inspirational and constructive in his feedback to all pupils. I am very proud of all the competitors who entered and the standard was incredibly high across the whole day. The success of the day was down to the pupils’ hard work and perseverance, and the enthusiasm of the peripatetic staff.”