Music students in Years 7-10 have taken part in the inaugural Young Musician of the Year competition at King James. The event, which was organised by Director of Learning for Music, Mr Smith, showcased some of the best talent in the Music department.

The competition featured two categories. In the vocal round, students chose to sing live with either instrumental accompaniment or using a backing track; and in the instrumental round, students demonstrated their talent by playing along to their chosen songs from Arctic Monkeys and Oasis to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Prior to the event itself, Mr Smith held a number of auditions in order to select the performers who would compete in the final on the night, and this prestigious group performed in front of a panel of judges and an invited audience of family members. The vast majority of participants had never performed in front of an audience before, so this was an excellent opportunity to develop their live performance skills and to overcome nerves, which they all did well.

The judging panel consisted of Paul Waite, professional musician and Music Teacher from Durham Music Service; Charley Armstrong, King James Teacher who supports the Academy Drama Club and who is directly involved in bringing the arts and cultural events to Bishop Auckland: and Joanne Aitkin, Deputy Headteacher who is an ambassador for all creative art forms.

Congratulations to Sophie S in Year 9, winner of the vocal category, and to Year 8 vocalist, Isobelle S, who was highly commended. In the instrumental category, the winner was Year 7 drummer, Dylan M, and highly commended was Noah Q. Well done to all participants who made it to the final.