It was an emotional moment in the Promenade Suite on Thursday morning when some of the Guild's youngest entrants (school year 1) recited poems from Robert Louis Stevenson or Aileen Fisher. The standard was high, but it was Talya Giuliani who was the first child to win the John Kennaugh Memorial Trophy, a new cup in memory of a great Manxman who was a passionate supporter of The Guild. We were delighted that Mrs Margaret Kennaugh - John's widow - was in attendance to listen to the youngsters and present the trophy. She's pictured here (left) with the whole class and the Adjudicator Audrey Behan
You can listen to Talya's class-winning poem - and lots of other winning performances - in Today at The Guild, first broadcast on Thursday 27 April and available now to listen On Demand
Here's the full playlist :
LON DHOO ENSEMBLE - conducted by Wendy McDowell and accompanied by Regina Kaniewski, took first place in the Vocal Ensemble class for Year 9 and over. Listen to a very fine version of "The Song of the Jolly Roger"
VICTORIA McLAUCHLAN won the Popular Song Class (songs written from 1980 to the present) with 88 marks - her choice was the Cindi Lauper hit "Time after Time"
KENNETH BAWDEN won the Victorian/Edwardian ballad class with a truly beautiful song "Asthore" - a song with Irish origins, subtitled "For My Own Love" He was awarded 88 marks and his accompanist is Marilyn Cannell
MARILYN CANNELL won the Music Composition class with 87 marks for a song composed to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Manx Music Festival - Marilyn not only wrote the words and music - but in the competition she sings and plays it too !
TALYA GIULIANI recites "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson - Talya won the Spoken Word class for year 1 (6 year olds) with 87 marks and is the first holder of the John Kennaugh Memorial Trophy
FAITH WATTERSON was placed second in the Spoken Word class for year 1 - she had 85 marks and chose the poem "Hideout" by Aileen Fisher
BUCHAN FALCONS - winners of the Boys Choir class up to Year 6 with 87 marks, singing "One Candle" by Beck and Fisher. Their musical director is Sue Mills, and Gareth Moore is the accompanist
BALLACOTTIER PRIMARY SCHOOL GIRLS CHOIR win the Girls' Choir class for up to year 6 with a programme including "A Life That's Good" and a mark of 87 - another triumph for Music Co-ordinator at Ballacottier - Katie Lawrence
VLADIMIR STEFANOV won the Instrumental Solo - Woodwind class - with 89 marks. He played a medley of traditional tunes on the Highland Pipes
VICTORIA McLAUGHLAN sings again - this time her choice is "What Do You Do With Your Arms?" and for this she was awarded 88 marks and first place in the Comic Song class. Her accompanist is Marilyn Cannell
JEREMY MIRANDA was the winner of the Spoken Word class for Year 3 - this is one of the set poems - "There's a Dragon in the Classroom" by Charles Tomson for which Jeremy was awarded 87 marks
KENDRA METCALFE took a second place to Jeremy with 87 marks - she chose the other poem set for this class "The Joy of Socks" by Wendy Cope
ALEXANDRA SLATER won the Girls' Solo singing class for years 9 to 10) with 87 marks for her performance of the Manx traditional song "O What If The Fowler My Blackbird Has Taken" Her accompanist is Frank Woolley. This class win earned her a place in the competition for the Sheffield Plate - the award for the best young voice in the Guild this year
ANNABEL KING won the Sheffield Plate in 2016. She qualified for the competition again this year by winning the Girls Solo singing class for years 7 - 8 with 88 marks. Listen to her sing another Manx traditional song - "Slumber Song" accompanied by Frank Woolley
JOSHUA BROWN accompanied by Frank Woolley played saxophone magnificently and won the Instrumental Solo class for Woodwind - years 7 to 10. His performance of "Gypsy Songs" by Joseph Balog earned him 90 marks
Visit Live and Local to listen back to the programme in full.