Musicality Choir lift age group trophy

Ripon Grammar School’s Musicality Choir, which comprises more than 40 girls and boys from the first-third years, won the Year 9 and under class at the Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama.

The group, directed by music teacher Beth Morpeth, were presented with the White Rose Trophy at the contest at Harrogate Ladies’ College.

The choir performed a gentle Celtic-style arrangement of the song May It Be, which was originally composed and recorded by Enya for the Lord of the Rings films.

Their second piece was Cy Coleman’s The Rhythm of Life from the musical Sweet Charity.

Student Zoe Williams, 11, of Brearton, said: “It was lots of fun and good to see how other people performed and interpreted their songs, and to hear their harmonies. It was also good to meet the other choirs and we all congratulated each other at the end.”

The choir meets once a week and also held rehearsals after school in the run up to the competition.

The other schools U9 finalists were Harrogate Ladies’ College and Grammar.