THE winners and competitors of the latest Oswestry Youth Music Festival have been praised for their performances by the town’s mayor.

Councillor Jay Moore was speaking after the five-day event, which saw more than 450 performances from more than 1,000 talented young musicians.

The finals concert was held on Sunday, March 5 at Christ Church with winners from various categories asked to perform again for the chance to win a further trophy and a sponsored bursary.

Cllr Jay Moore said: “Well done to everyone who took part and made this festival such a fantastic experience.

“The final performances were superb – we are certainly blessed with a lot of young talent.

“We look forward to seeing you all again next year.”

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The festival, which has been running for more than 40 years and is a true celebration of youth music.

There were two special awards from this year's festival: Chris Hughes, a longstanding volunteer, was the inaugural recipient of the Metcalfe Award for services to the festival, an award made in memory of Alan and Eileen Metcalfe, who sadly passed away in December.

Kyle Thomas was the winner of this year’s Cherrington Award, not only for his singing, but also for his commitment to the festival and his understanding of its ethos.

Other trophy winners from finals day included Hay Lok who won the ‘Young Performer of the Year’ and played the cello in the 12 & under category.

Thea Ormrod won the ‘Gull Award’ for her performance on the trumpet in the 15 & under category and Kizzy Lumley-Edwards won the ‘Town Council Cup’ for her singing in the 21 & under category.

Kizzy won both the 21 & Under Opera and Vocal Solo classes with Outstanding marks on Thursday evening, then gave a stunning performance at the Finals Concert on Sunday to take the overall prize.

“The Oswestry Youth Music Festival has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said Kizzy. 

“To win the Town Council Cup is a real honour, having seen so many amazing musicians take this prize before me.”

The audience in Christchurch were certainly impressed. 

“She was literally jaw-dropping; an absolutely flawless performance showcasing her incredible voice,” said one audience member.

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Kizzy is currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, but is returning to Shropshire in May to perform in three of the concerts at the Whittington Music Festival.

Tickets for this are available from Rowanthorn and Whittington Post Office and online. 

Anyone under the age of 26 is admitted free of charge to all the festival concerts but will need to book a ticket in advance.