MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Top Award for Falklands School Girls' Choir
A 19-strong all-girl school choir from the Falkland Islands called “Vocalise” has beaten off several thousand entrants to win a top prize at the Youth Music Awards, a national competition organised by National Foundation for Youth Music in the United Kingdom.
The Falkland Islands entry, filmed on video, has been awarded "Highly Commended" in the Strange Oceans award category for a performance of the theme song "Drop in the Ocean" in the most unusual or innovative venue.
The choir, from the Falkland Islands Community School in Stanley, ranged in age from 12 to 15. At the time of entry in 2002, "Vocalise" was an all-girl choir, but has since doubled in size and now includes several male students.
The song and the video reflect the Falkland Islands' association with the ocean that surrounds them and include tributes to the Task Force which liberated them in the 1982 War.
Prize piano flown by RAF It was appropriate therefore that the choir's prize of a Roland F90 digital piano, sponsored by Roland UK, was delivered the 8,000 miles to the Falklands Islands by a Royal Air Force Tri-Star. The piano was a vital part of a mock awards ceremony hosted by the Falkland Islands Governor, Mr Howard Pearce.
Ten thousand schools were invited to take part in the Youth Music Song for Youth Initiative competition. The judges included Tolga Kashif, the composer, who wrote the competition theme song "Drop in the Ocean"; Christina Coker, Chief Executive, Youth Music Organisation; and Youth Music Trustees Gavin Henderson, Richard Stilgoe and the Duchess of Kent.
Choir's Pride in Falklands homeland Judge Christina Coker commented: "The Falkland Islands entry stood out for its individuality and appeal. Not only did the choir sing well, but their video entry contained wonderful imagery of the Islands and its associations with the sea that had us all transfixed. The choir shows great pride in their homeland and well deserves this special award. We wish them all good luck for the future."
Shirley Adams-Leach, music teacher at the Falkland Islands Community School and at Stanley Infant / Junior School, saw the project advertised in Music Teacher publication. She enrolled the help of Robin Fryatt, of the British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS) who is also a school parent - to film and edit the "Vocalise" entry. BFBS leant some of the scenic and ocean film from its image library.
Incentive to Falklands music enthusiasts "This is the first time we have entered an award like this so we are thrilled to have got such recognition!" comments Mrs Adams-Leach. "More and more young people are taking up music in the Islands and this prize will give them an even greater incentive to get on and do well."
The Youth Music Awards ceremony took place at the Old Vic Theatre, London on April 8, when the Falklands video entry was shown. Miss Vicky Cripps represented the Falklands Choir, as she is an A-level student from the Falkland Islands, studying at Peter Symonds College in Winchester.
The strong musical interest in Falklands schools continues a music tradition developed from the early pioneers who made their own music in their isolated farmsteads. Three music enthusiasts from the community now teach piano accordion, drum-kit and trumpet in the Community School.
The Youth Music entry included: Alex Cripps, Shorrona Thomas, Maria Fe Scanes from Year 10; Lizzie Sanders and Jody Poole, Year Nine; Lizzie Newton, Leila Crowe, Megan Middleton, Christine Ross, Tessa Clingham, Emily Hancox, Kirsty Livermore and Sara Short of Year Eight and Hannah Arthur-Almond, Helen Davies, Jane Goss, Carole-Anne Goss, Karen Minto and Nadia Smith of Year Seven.
Appropriately, 2002 marked both the 10th anniversary of Falkland Islands Community School and the 20th anniversary of the Falklands War. This brought to the Islands more than 200 veterans of that war in an anniversary pilgrimage, renewing links with the Islanders and meeting younger Islanders such as members of the choir for the first time.
The School held a Variety Show to mark its anniversary and donated the proceeds to the veterans' Pilgrimage. The 'Drop in the Ocean' Youth Music song was chosen as the Show's opening number - and dedicated to the veterans.
Tribute to 1982 Task Force Tribute to the Task Force liberators were included in words of the song, saying: "Some have died for a wish to be free, some at war, some for no crime or reason". To the students, these words underlined the link with the war veterans. The ideas for the video and their interpretation of the song developed from there. The choir noticed that, on the map, the Falkland Islands resembles a drop in the ocean, and the video is an interpretation of the song.
It includes pictures highlighting the Navy connections and seafaring history of the Islands, penguins and other Falklands wildlife, the youth choir on a beach, and ocean scenes from South Georgia. Credits go to 'Vocalise', Shirley Adams-Leach, Robin Fryatt and also to Martin Cant and to Graham Didlick who gave up their time to provide sound and lighting for the video and also for all the School shows in Stanley.
Shirley Adams-Leach, from Aberdeen, in Scotland, the Falklands first qualified Music Teacher, has worked there for the last four years, after an earlier stint of several years in Stanley, with a break back in the United Kingdom at Scottish and English schools.
Vicky Cripps ,18, came from Whitby in Yorkshire, to the Falklands in 2000 when her father was appointed Crown Counsel. She was awarded a GCSE A* grade in Music at Stanley Community School and is the first student to go on to study A-Level music, as a pupil at Peter Symonds College. She plays both the piano and the violin. Her younger sister Alex is studying the flute and recorder and a member of the 'Vocalise' choir.
Harold Briley, (MP) London
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