The Maristers, a junior choir from The Marist School, has triumphed at the Maidenhead Festival of Music and Dance 2019, winning first place in the Junior Choir category.
The choir, consisting of pupils aged 9-11, were awarded a Distinction with 88 marks out of 100, winning the trophy for Best Junior Choir. The girls impressed the adjudicator with their performances of Somewhere Only We Know and a song written by the school’s artistic director, Mr Ron McAllister, called Nightmare and taken from a production of The Pied Piper.
Feedback from the adjudicator praised The Maristers for their “excellent diction, intonation and expressive faces!”
Mr McAllister commented: “I am very proud of the Year 5 and 6 girls who form The Maristers. The girls have worked extremely hard to develop their singing skills and this Best Junior Choir trophy is a wonderful recognition of our pupils’ musical talents. The Maristers are magnificent!”
No stranger to music success, Mr McAllister also taught CBBC presenters Max and Harvey, who are now appearing on The X Factor: Celebrity. Max and Harvey have also donated their skills and time to help pupils at The Marist School by supporting Year 6 school productions.
Speaking about Max and Harvey, Mr McAllister said: “Max and Harvey are both musically talented, very creative, and have a particular skill in improvising harmonies. I must say, they have been a pleasure to teach and from everyone at The Marist School, we wish them well on The X Factor: Celebrity.”
Words by Riana Dixon
