Verity-Belle in RIBI National Final

Year 13 Cowbridge School student Verity-Belle Atkinson competed as a vocalist in the UK and Ireland final of the Rotary young musician competition. The event was held on Saturday 16th May in Blackburn, Lancashire and Verity-Belle competed against competitors from across the British Isles. To get to this stage she has competed and won at Rotary club, area, district and regional levels. The regional final, which was held in the imposing 140 year-old great hall of Bristol Grammar School, had a total of 8 competitors, 4 instrumentalist and 4 vocalists. Verity-Belle’s programme consisted of 3 contrasting pieces Widmung by Robert Schumann, O Mio Babbino Caro by Giacomo Puccini and finally The Girl in 14g by Jeanine Tesori. The last of these pieces requires a variety of singing styles and great dramatic flare requiring narrative, operatic and jazz singing, as the singer tells the story of moving in to her new apartment in New York and the sounds emanating from surrounding flats. Unfortunately, Verity-Belle did not win the first prize in the grand final, but was delighted to have had the opportunity to compete at such a high level.