Huntingdonshire Music School Association - News

Background

Owen went to school at St Ivo and, as he said in his speech to us on our prize-giving day on May 21st 2006, he started cornet at HuMS but was “rubbish” at it so switched to percussion. His older brother Tim is also a percussionist, and now a professional. Owen played in local bands and also in Cambs County Youth Orchestra but he soon won a place in the National Youth Orchestra. He won the Percussion final of BBC young musician of the year in 2000.

He went to the Royal School of Music and graduated with first class honours in summer 2004.

Whilst at the Royal School of Music, Owen formed a percussion duo with fellow student Oli Cox. They called it “O Duo!” They first performed as ‘O Duo’ at St Martin in the Fields, London, in 2000. Together they won The Philip & Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists 2004.  Oli Cox also graduated with first class honours in summer 2004. They have performed their arrangement of the Vivaldi Double Violin Concerto in A minor several times in Britain, with orchestras including the Locrian Symphony Orchestra.

As well as this, between them, Owen and Oliver have been broadcast on Radio 3, BBC Scotland and BBC2, the latter broadcast being in the winning performance of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Percussion final in 2000. They have also made concerto appearances with the BBC Philharmonic and the Philharmonia orchestra.

They have appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2002 and 2003, being nominated ‘Pick of the Fringe’ both years and winning ‘Best Music Act of the Fringe, 2003’. The duo were also given a concert series by the Tunnell Trust in 2003.

The duo also holds several awards in music education and work regularly for London Musici and the Philharmonia.  They often combine their concerts with exciting and original workshops for people of all ages.

Awards

• BBC Young Musician Percussion winner 2000
• NYOS Staffa Award prize winner
• Pick of the Fringe 2002, 2003 and 2004
• Best Music Act of the Fringe 2003 and 2004
• Winner of the KPMG Music in the Community award with Batterie
• Winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship fund, in outreach and education
• Allianz Cornhill Music Award at the RCM
• Junior Fellow at the RCM 2004-

Links

• O Duo (Young Concert Artists Trust)
• BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2000
• Royal School of Music (Junior Fellowships, News)

Hunts Post Article

Clarinettist, CLAIRE JOYNER, a Hinchingbrooke sixthformer, says Huntingdonshire Music School is a great place to make friends.

AS I start my sixth year attending the Huntingdonshire Music School, I can see more clearly than ever what a fantastic place it is. Every Saturday morning during term time I go to the regional college to learn music. The music school is a very special place. It is the only institution in the area that offers everything necessary for a candidate to progress and achieve through the grades of musical ability in the space of just a few hours on a Saturday morning.

It also gives students the opportunity to play together in a variety of bands. There is something for everyone, whatever their musical interests.

I take clarinet and piano lessons, and attend aural classes every week. I’ve been tutored in theory and participated in some of the bands including the Senior Concert Band.

I’ve found not only that I’ve progressed immensely since I started coming to the music school, but also that it’s a great place to meet people. There’s always a very positive atmosphere all around the school. Colin Radford, a saxophone and (my) clarinet teacher, says: “It’s a place to meet and communicate with like minded people.”

Through the music school, I’ve achieved many great things. In 2002, I won the Huntingdon Male Voice Choir/Marriott Hotel £500 bursary. With the money I bought a superb saxophone, which I’ve since played in a quartet at a wedding. Over the past year, I obtained grade eight on my clarinet and grade seven on the piano. This year, I am hoping to carry on to do a diploma with my clarinet. I believe that had I not been learning at the music school, I wouldn’t have progressed so quickly, to a standard this high, and achieved so much.

It’s also a place where whole families come to learn different instruments. I’ve many friends who go to the music school with their entire family and everyone learns to play.

The only problem, however - as is so often the case - is money. The Music School has stopped receiving funding from the Government. Since this happened, the school has no longer been able to afford to include all the activities in one fee, and the main fee for lessons has increased. The increased charge must be affecting families’ financial situation and may stop some from attending. If this is the case, the purpose of the music school being a place where everyone can come and play together will be defeated. We all hope that won’t happen.

Source

Article Copyright Hunts Post : originally published by the Hunts Post on 22nd September 2004. See Hunts Post website .