Monorep News

Lauren steals the limelight at Monorep Young Musicians Concert 

The youngest entrant, Lauren Wilson, from Barnhill Community High School took top honours with an outstanding vocal performance to win the Monorep Young Musician of the Year 2007 award at the Vauxhall dealer’s showroom in Yeading Lane, Hayes, in Middlesex on Tuesday evening. This year’s he competition was run in association with Hayes FM.

 Secondary schools from Hayes, Hillingdon and Southall were invited to nominate their outstanding musicians to represent their schools to go head to head against other participating schools.

 Lauren, 13, amazed the judges with her “very mature voice, expressive performance” and “good communication skills.” One of the five judges, Ted Higgins, bandleader of the Opus One Big Band, foresees a great future for Lauren especially as her voice develops and matures. Lauren has been invited to perform on the Vicky and Jo show on Hayes FM when she will be interviewed about her win.

 Managing director of Monorep David McKay presented Lauren with her prize of a £200 music voucher and the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Catherine Dann, presented a plaque specially designed for the occasion.

 Pavan Mattu, another student from Barnhill Community High School, who played Dhol, was awarded second place and received a music voucher for £100. Again, the judges were very complimentary and commented on Pavan’s “excellent control, confidence and good technique”.

 Vocalist Millie Boeg from Harlington Community School won a music voucher for £50 for 3rd place and was commended for her “expressive voice and interpretation” by the judges. Pavan and Mille also received commemorative plaques from Monorep, presented by Cllr Dann.

 Other students to impress the judges and audience were Allan Cooper, electronic keyboard, Bouran Sohrabi, violinist from Hillingdon Community School and Bobby Bennett on electric guitar from Barnhill Community School. Alan and Bobby are also budding composers and both played pieces they had written themselves.

 The Mayor of Hillingdon, local councillors, musicians, teachers, parents, family and friends were entertained by two performances from each participating student with Lauren performing Unfaithful as the finale for the evening.

 David McKay commented: ” We were very pleased with the response to this scheme which was organised as part of our ongoing support programme for local schools and the local community. We are very grateful to the students and teachers from all the schools for providing such an excellent evening’s entertainment. I would also like to thank the judges including radio presenters Vicky Sills and Joanna Morgan from Hayes FM. We would also like to thank our other judges including deputy head of Hillingdon Music Services, Christopher Simpson, musician and international music judge Jo McNally and music director of the Opus One Big Band Ted Higgins The performances were of such a high standard I know the judges had a very difficult task.”

 David added that Monorep plans to hold the free-to-enter Young Musician of the Year award scheme again in 2008, when Secondary schools in Middlesex will again be invited to participate.

 At the end of the evening Cllr Dann thanked Monorep and all the outstanding musicians:  “I am so glad I was not asked to be one of the judges at this excellent concert. It is good to see a company like Monorep putting such hard work into this competition and supporting young people this way.”