St John’s Church in Highbridge was filled with music last week as nearly 800 performances took place during the Music Section of this year’s Highbridge Festival of The Arts.
The Mayor, Cllr Mike Facey, joined audiences on the Thursday evening to enjoy a varied programme, while choirs and instrumental groups from ten local schools drew large, enthusiastic crowds throughout the week.
At other times, soloists of all ages took to the stage, showcasing their talent and receiving warm praise for their dedication and achievements.
Festival Chairman and Music Secretary Mary Lawrence said anyone who missed the five‑day programme would “have to wait a whole year to experience the joy and artistic talent on show at the Highbridge Festival.”
She added: “Our adjudicator, Roy Robinson, praised the energy and variety of the performances, and remarked on the relaxed, friendly atmosphere and the mutual support of the competitors. He was particularly impressed with the introduction of our new ‘Open Mic’ evening, and with the high standards achieved during the week, awarding coveted ‘honours’ grades to the most impressive groups and soloists.”
Performers included singers, pianists and instrumentalists of all ages and abilities. All received certificates, medals and a warm welcome, with many leaving the festival with a boost in confidence and self‑esteem.
Organisers thanked Burnham Portable Toilet Hire, ASDA, Quicksign and the St John’s Church Administrator for their support in helping the week run smoothly.
Plans are already underway for the 79th Highbridge Festival of The Arts, which will take place between 8th and 20th March 2027, offering opportunities to take part in Speech & Drama, Dance and Music classes. More at highbridgefestival.org.uk.
Music results from 2026 Highbridge Festival of The Arts
Music Tuesday 17 March 2026
Class P53A Piano Duet Pupil & Teacher Duet of Own Choice
1st Victor Tsang
Class P53B Piano Duet Pupil & Teacher Duet of Own Choice
1st Emily Stanley (Honours)
Class P54A Piano Trio Any Piano Trio
1st Emily Stanley, Charlotte Hollow & Adele Wills (Honours)
2nd Aria Warwick, Elizabeth Perfect-Porter & Adele Wills (Honours)
Class X88A Instrumental Beginners Class
1st George Sandford
2nd Lily Brandom
Class P48B Piano Solo One Piece of Own Choice
1st Annabelle Chard
2nd Charlotte Hollow
Class P48A Piano Solo One Piece of Own Choice
1st Victor Tsang (Honours)
2nd Elizabeth Perfect-Porter
3rd Aria Warwick
Class P51A Piano Solo One Modern Piece
1st Cody Lam (Honours)
2nd Ellie-Mae Maries
3rd Darcey Solman
Class P51B Piano Solo One Modern Piece
1st Annabelle Chard (Honours)
2nd Chloe Waters
3rd Emily Stanley
Class P50A Piano Solo One Piece in Baroque/Classical/Romantic Style
1st Cody Lam
(cont)
Class P40 Piano Solo Up To Grade 1
1st Victor Tsang (Honours)
2nd= Chun Wai Kwok (Honours)
2nd= Ginny Kan (Honours)
3rd= Stefin Tintu (Honours)
3rd= Arya Kan (Honours)
Class P51C Piano Solo One Modern Piece
1st Alice Phillips (Honours)
Class P41 Piano Solo Grades 2 – 3
1st Cody Lam (Honours)
2nd Shreya Varinder
3rd Lee Smith
Class P53C Piano Duet Pupil & Teacher Duet of Own Choice
1st Alice Phillips
Class P49C Piano Solo Jazz Performance
1st Lee Smith (Honours)
Class P42 Piano Solo Grades 4 – 5
1st Sofia Marchant
Class P48C Piano Solo One Piece of Own Choice
1st Lee Smith (Honours)
2nd Abbie Ng
3rd Alice Phillips
Class P50C Piano Solo One Piece in Baroque/Classical/Romantic Style
1st Abbie Ng (Honours)
Class X88 InstrumentalBeginners Class
1st Stuart Rowe (Honours)
2nd Megan Harwood
(cont)
Class P53E Piano Duet Pupil & Teacher Duet of Own Choice
1st Jack Richardson (Honours)
2nd Bethan Grace Kahapolarachi (Honours)
3rd Chrissy Coburn
Class P52E Piano Duet A Duet of Own Choice
1st Bernice Ancill & Lesley Clark
Class P44 Piano Solo Grade 8 and above
1st Abbie Ng (Honours)
2nd Jack Richardson
Class P50E Piano Solo One Piece in Baroque/Classical/Romantic Style
1st Thomas Johnson (Honours)
2nd Lee Harper (Honours)
3rd= Bernice Ancill
3rd= Nicholas Smith
Class P48E Piano Solo One Piece of Own Choice
1st Jack Richardson
Music Wednesday 18 March 2026
Class V27B Vocal Group Arranged Pop Song for 6 – 12 singers
1st Mrs Lewis’s School Choir – Brent Knoll Primary School (Honours)
Class C32B Choral Two Songs in Unison
1st St Andrew’s School Choir (Honours)
2nd Worle Village Primary School
Class C32 Choral Two Songs in Unison
1st Churchfield Harmony (Honours)
2nd Woolavington Primary School (Honours)
Class V26B Vocal Group Piece for 6 – 12 singers
1st Mrs Lewis’s School Choir – Brent Knoll Primary School (Honours)
Class C30 Choral Two or Three Short Songs with a Common Theme
1st Woolavington Primary School (Honours)
Class DRT The Dorothy Reaney Trophy
1st Amelia Rose
2nd Lily Baker
3rd Aria Warwick
Class X73 Instrumental Solo Any Instrument Grades 2 – 3
1st Dawn Ho
2nd Amelia Rose
3rd Max Chadwick
Class P53D Piano Duet Pupil & Teacher Duet of Own Choice
1st Amelia Rose
Class X72 Instrumental Solo Any Instrument up to Grade 1
1st Danielle Ho
2nd= Evan Manley
2nd= Tilly Allinson
Class P48D Piano Solo One Piece of Own Choice
1st Amelia Rose
Class X66C Accompanied Solos Percussion
1st Tristan Clarke (Honours)
Class X63C Accompanied Solos Strings
1st Haydn Chan (Honours)
Class X74 Instrumental Solo Any Instrument
1st Tristan Clarke (Honours)
2nd Douglas Ho (Honours)
Class X76 Instrumental Solo Any Instrument Grade 8 and above
1st Haydn Chan (Honours)
2nd Seth Barnshaw (Honours)
Music Thursday 19 March 2026
Class 30B Choral Two or Three Short Songs with a Common Theme
1st Churchfield Harmony (Honours)
2nd Berrow Primary Church Academy School Choir
Class C31B Choral Two Contrasting Songs to be sung in Harmony
1st Winscombe Primary School Choir
Class C29B Choral Two Contrasting Songs of Worship
1st Churchfield Harmony
2nd Berrow Primary Church Academy School Choir
3rd= Winscombe Primary School Choir
3rd= St Joseph’s School Choir
Class G81B Instrumental Groups Classroom Music Making 10 – 37 performers
1st West Pennard CE Primary School Djembe Drumming Group (Honours)
Class X88B Instrumental Beginners’ Class
1st West Pennard CE Primary School Djembe Drumming Group (Honours)
Class X62B Recorder Groups One or Two Pieces
1st Bridgwater College Academy (Honours)
Class X60A Recorder Solos One or Two Pieces
1st Jessica Wilkin
Class X61A Recorder Duet One or Two Pieces
1st Francesca Cannard & Zaneta Dike
Class X61B Recorder Duet One or Two Pieces
1st Eliza Flintoff & teacher (Honours)
2nd= Isla-Rose Davey-Birkenshaw & Jessica Wilkin
2nd= Isla-Rose Davey-Birkenshaw & Lilly Veancombe
Class G81A Instrumental Groups Classroom Music Making 10 to 36 performers
1st West Pennard CE Primary School Ocarina Club
(cont)
Class X88G Instrumental Beginners’ Class
1st West Pennard CE Primary School Ocarina Club
Class G37 Multi-Discipline Performance
1st Coastline Singers (Honours)
Class X77E Instrumental Duet Any Combination
1st John Appleton & Jack Richardson (Honours)
Class G84 Instrumental Ensemble 13 – 35 instruments
1st Strummers of Stogursey (Honours)
2nd King Alfred Concert Band (Honours)
Music Friday 20 March 2026
Class V4B Vocal Solo Song From Any Musical Show/Film
1st Dulcie Thompson (Honours)
2nd Zanna Kingston (Honours)
Class V4C Vocal Solo Song From Any Musical Show/Film
1st Lily Baker
2nd Clemence Smith
Class V5B Vocal Solo Pop Song From Any Decade
1st Dulcie Thompson (Honours)
Class V6B Vocal Solo A Humorous Song
1st Zanna Kingston
Class V24B Vocal Duet Adult & Child Own Choice
1st Zoe Parsons & Ann Clewlow (Honours)
Class V16C Vocal Solo Song of Own Choice including Pop/Film/Show
1st Isla Ferguson (Honours)
2nd Lily Baker
Class V3C Vocal Solo Traditional Unaccompanied Folk Song
1st Clemence Smith
Class V15B Vocal Solo Song of Own Choice excluding Pop/Film/Show
1st Zanna Kingston
Class V5C Vocal Solo Pop Song From Any Decade
1st Isla Ferguson (Honours)
2nd Lily Baker (Honours)
Class V6C Vocal Solo A Humorous Song
1st Clemence Smith
Class V20C Vocal Duet From Stage or Film
1st Oliver Kempton-Butler & Isla Ferguson
Class V2E Vocal Solo Adult Song of Worship
1st Denise Rogers
Class V13E Vocal Solo Adult Novice Own Choice
1st Marianne Denovan (Honours)
Class V21E Vocal Duet in Classical/Baroque Style
1st Frankie Masarik & Denise Rogers
Class V17E Vocal Solo Recital: Three Songs excluding Pop/Film/Show
1st Andy Ewing (Honours)
Class V4E Vocal Solo Song From Any Musical Show/Film
1st Frankie Masarik (Honours)
Class V16E Vocal Solo Song of Own Choice
1st Frankie Masarik (Honours)
Class V18E Vocal Solo Recital: Three Songs including Pop/Film/Show
1st Andy Ewing (Honours)
Class V7E Vocal Solo Baroque/Classical/Romantic
1st Denise Rogers
Music Saturday 21 March 2026
Class V25E Vocal Group Trio/Quartet/Quintet One Voice per Part
1st Ann Clewlow, Frankie Masarik & Denise Rogers (Honours)
2nd Anne Clewlow, Frankie Masarik, Denise Rogers & Claire Vincent (Honours)
Class V26E Vocal Group Piece for 6 – 12 singers
1st Vocalessence (Honours)
Class V27E Vocal Group Arranged Pop Song for 6 – 12 singers
1st Vocalessence (Honours)
Class C34E Choral 15-minute Show Medley
1st Vocalise (Honours)
Class C32E Choral Two Songs in Unison
1st Vocalise (Honours)
2nd Vocalise-Litre (Honours)
Class C31E Choral Two Contrasting Songs to be sung in Harmony
1st Vocalise (Honours)
2nd Bleadon Belles WI Choir (Honours)
3rd Vocalise-Lite (Honours)
Class C30E Choral Two or Three Short Songs with a Common Theme
1st Bleadon Belles WI Choir (Honours)
2nd Vocalise (Honours)
Class C29E Choral Two Contrasting Songs of Worship
1st Vocalise (Honours)
2nd Bleadon Belles WI Choir (Honours)
