On Wednesday 22nd April, six of our most advanced performers offered wonderfully contrasting classical recitals in the 2026 iteration of the Helen Wareham Recital Competition, which has now been running for over fifty years, and requires them to perform a fifteen minute recital highlighting the Music Department’s commitment to diversity in all its forms.
Anise, Bella and Will gave sensitive and beautifully controlled accounts of vocal repertoire spanning three hundred years and a range of styles, with particular highlights being Anise’s rendition of Amy Beach’s Ah Love, But a Day. Bella’s performance as Susanna (from the Marriage of Figaro) in Deh vieni, and Will’s If there were Angels by Cecilia Macdowall. Ava (cello) included a passionate performance of Rebecca Clarke’s Passacaglia, and Paloma (violin) a fiery account of Florence Price’s Fantasie, with Brannon (trumpet) offering a jazz infused recital that showcased his wonderfully laconic style. Adjudicator Clifton Harrison noted the exceptionally high standard, awarding the Recital Prize to Will H.
