It was an early start for the Junior Competition Choir on Wednesday 15th March, when they left school bright and early to get to the London final of the GDST Young Choir Of The Year 2017. The JCC were one of only six choirs to make it through to the final, and the girls were very excited to be singing in Cadogan Hall, just off Sloane Square. They arrived in London just before midday, in plenty of time for their rehearsal slot and to have some lunch before the final began. As the stalls filled with parents from the six GDST schools taking part, the girls sat in the gallery seats and sized up the opposition, choirs from Kensington Prep School, Notting Hill and Ealing Junior School, Blackheath High Junior School, Bromley High Junior School and Oxford High Junior School. The Howell's girls were last on the programme, so they got to enjoy performances from the other choirs. When it was time for them to take the stage, the girls filled the hall with stellar performances of Sing In Harmony and We Are The Young and the Howell's parents cheered until they were hoarse. While the judges retired to make their decision, all the choirs joined together in a rousing performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow song Sing. After what seemed like a very long wait, the judges returned to the stage, giving comments to each choir. They praised the Howell's choir's exemplary diction and their ability to bend notes, and described their sound as "confident, bold and spontaneous". In the final reckoning, the choir from Blackheath High won the final with their lively performances of Circles In Motion and America, a well-deserved win, but the Howell's girls did us proud, behaved impeccably all day and were gracious in the face of defeat.
If you would like to watch the girls' performance, the full final is available to watch on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiJGnS4wQVU