College musicians turned out in force last week for the annual Music Festival at the Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena, bringing home a variety of silverware across a wide range of categories and age groups.

The prestigious event is well regarded in music circles and the quality of entrants is always high. College students competed against musicians from schools right across the Province including; St Mary’s, Magherafelt, Aquinas Grammar, Assumption Grammar and Ballymena Academy to name but a few.

In what continues to be a musical highpoint of the spring term, it was the instrumental classes (by age category) that took centre stage during the first week. Particular highlights included Matthew Kendell’s performance in the Viola Class (age 15-16) and Year 10 student, Oliver Brankin in the Under 14 Clarinet class. The College Woodwind Ensemble secured first place in that category and the Training Orchestra, under the tutelage of Ms Lowry (Head of Music), secured The James Sampson Memorial Cup in their first ever appearance at the festival. Proving that music really does run in families, the Training Orchestra this year contains three sets of brothers: Jai and Kelan Benson, Colm and Kevin Holbeach, and Oran and Caolan McBrien (pictured above with Ms Lowry).

We would like to extend our hearty congratulations to all those who took part in the event, their music teachers and tutors. Well done!

A complete list of winners from the first week:

Monday 23rd February

Viola Class (Age 15-16) Matthew Kendell 1st

Open Viola Class Matthew Kendell 2nd

Unaccompanied Bach Michael McNamee 2nd

Tuesday 24th February

Clarinet (Under 14) Oliver Brankin 1st

Luke Browne-Murray 2nd

Woodwind trio Callum O’Callaghan 1st

Luke Browne-Murray

Oliver Brankin

Woodwind Ensemble Ruairi Doherty 1st

Cormac McCool

Ethan Darby

Tom McIver

Jonny McGuigan

Wednesday 15th February

Orchestra (Under 15) Training Orchestra 1st

Cello (Age 15-16) Niall McGinnity 2nd