Guest Blog by Claire Kelly
Southport Young Musicians, part of the 2025 Southport Arts Festival, was such a great competition, such a lot of work over four months but I felt it was worth it when I saw the finalists all so happy performing and the audience and families feedback.
There was so much talent on the stage, it was an amazing standard!
It was so hard to choose the winner so I’m glad I didn’t have to.
The judges’ winner was chosen via individual judges’ votes (15 of them) and the name mentioned the most was Heidi Wilkinson.
This made me especially proud as I taught Heidi myself before passing her over to Joe Bloom (one of our advanced teachers at Southport piano academy) last year for Grade 8 level and beyond . She is such a talented pianist.
There was a real diverse mix of talent on the stage – rap , drums , bass guitar , self accompaniment, jazz, saxophone, singer songwriters, opera, piano, clarinet, musical theatre and pop. It was an amazing show!
Southport Fun Bikes provided photo opportunities at the entrance to The Grand.
The Southport Town Crier also opened up the show with a proclamation which was a poem about the young musicians in Southport.
In attendance was The Mayor who presented the £250 prize to the winner, the MP, Patrick Hurley, Serena Silcock-Prince who presented trophies, along with Norman Wallis, Tony Wynne, the president of the Southport Rotary Club, Secretary of Southport Temperance Institute, Mighty Radio presenters, Southport’s Journey Magazine, Local music educator, Julie Ann Carr and Dan Mansfield, director of music at Holy Trinity Southport.
The event was full with 240 seated guests. The evening was hosted by Claire Simmo, with DJ and pianist Jon Taylor doing the sound and after-disco.
First list of winners-
Bass Guitar
WINNER Maya Field-Cross Trophy presented by Patrick Hurley (MP for Southport)
Self-Accompaniment
WINNERS- Isla Goffey (12-14 age category winner)
Elamara Burdekin (15-17 age category) Trophies presented by Serena Silcock-Prince (Silcock’s Leisure Group, President of Southport RNLB)
Rap
WINNER Harris Eaglestone Trophy presented by Tony Wynne (Local artist & founder of the new Southport Arts Festival)
Pop Singing
WINNERS Imogen Povey( 10-11 age category)
Alba Pulido Brocklebank ( 12-14 age category)
Mia Ward (15-17 age category)
Elizabeth Jeffers (18-20 age category) Trophies presented by Norman Wallis (CEO of Adventure Coast)
Saxophone
WINNER Edith Marshall Trophy presented by Ann & Cheryl Hindley on behalf of Southport District & Temperance Society
Young Bands
WINNER “Duplicity” (Olli Cooper – Guitar & Vocals, Matthew Richardson – Bass, Jack Oliver-Sherry – Drums) Trophy presented by Mrs Joanna McNally (Head of Music at Meols Cop High School, former ABRSM examiner, vocal coach)
Drums
WINNER Isabella Turner Trophy presented by Samuel Shaw (Sound Technician for the auditions, guitarist & music teacher at Litherland High School.)
Singer/Songwriter Noah Beyer-Kay, Sydney Wright Trophies presented by Christopher Strefford (Southport Mighty Radio Presenter & Host)
Musical Theatre
Ensemble WINNERS: Bethany Woodley, Mollie Aindow, Billie Johnson-Burrows
Solo Winners: Orla Palmer ( 7 and under category)
Grace Hudson ( 8-9 age category)
Joint winners of 10-11 age group:
Zara Valentina Jones and James Snape
Tilly Leese (12-14 age group)
Joint Winners of 18-20 category:
Evie Twist and Zara Olivia Newton
Trophies presented by Julie Ann Carr PRNCM, GRNCM, ARCO, ALCM (Private Music Educator and former singing teacher at Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School)
Piano Classical
WINNERS
Braxton Wen ( 7 and under age category)
Francis Marsden (12-14 age category)
Heidi Wilkinson ( 15-17 age category)
Contemporary Piano
WINNER- Tresawna Gielty Trophies presented by Sue Dexter (Former Chair of Southport Music Festival, current Southport Arts Secretary, Chair of Sing for Sefton, Patron for Southport Piano Academy)
Opera
WINNERS Joshua Gadsby ( age 12-14 age category)
Eve Middleton (age 15-17 age category)
Trophies presented by Stuart Fletcher (President of Southport Rotary Club)
Clarinet
WINNER Keshav Harave Trophy presented by Dan Mansfield ARCO (Director of Music at Holy Trinity, former organ scholar at Liverpool Cathedrals)
Jazz Singing
WINNERS Lily Grace Faulkner (10-11 age category)
Sophie Marshall( 12-14 age category) Trophies presented by Karen Finch Edge (Principal of ACT Academy of Children’s Theatre, Director of local theatre productions including the recent award winning SONG production of Les Misérables)
Winner of the HIGHEST MARK over all 5 rounds of auditions-
Joshua Gadsby on piano with 99/100
Winner of the Audience Live Vote – Mia Ward singing ‘ I have Nothing’ by Whitney Houston.
Congratulations to all the winners!
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