A GIRL of 11, who showed her versatility at everything from piano playing to mime, was declared the best young performer at Devizes Junior Eisteddfod.

Beatrice Watts, a pupil at St Margaret’s in Calne, was the winner of the William Dauntesey Cup, but will not receive her award until November 29, when two festival concerts are held.

For the first time this year, a prize-winners’ concert was not held at the end of the two days of contest on Saturday. Instead, the new concerts will be a feature in their own right.

Other St Margaret’s pupils will also be in the limelight on November 29, as the school won the Cup for the best group or school performance.

It will perform at the junior festival concert at 3pm before receiving the trophy.

St Margaret’s head Karen Cordon said: “We are delighted to support the Eisteddfod once again this year and feel very proud of all the children’s achievements, which recognise the hard work that both they and their teachers have put in.”

The Giles Chivers Cup for the best senior performance and the James Oram Cup for versatility went to Joel Munday, 14, who travels from his home in Devon every week for specialist teaching in Seend.

Katherine Stonham, 15, a pupil at John of Gaunt, Trowbridge, was declared the most inspirational solo performer and took the First Stages Award.

Eisteddfod director Michael Johnson said the 68th event – held on Friday and Saturday last week – was one of the most successful in its history. More than 1,000 young people took part in a range of music and arts events at five venues in the town.

He said: “I was delighted that so many of the new initiatives introduced this year paid off.

“We still have more to do to make this one of the very best competitive festivals in Britain, but the event is developing so rapidly now that I am sure we will become even better-known in the years to come. We have a magnificent small team who manage the event of which I am extremely proud.”

He thanked Devizes Town Council and several churches for use of their facilities and businesses for their support.

The junior festival concert is at 3pm on November 29 and the senior concert at 7pm, both at Devizes Town Hall.

Award winners:

Piano
ANN LAKE CUP 
Piano Solo Lung-Yee Ip
DJE AWARD
Piano Solo – up to Grade 3    Charles Godfrey-Faussett
DJE AWARD
Piano Solo – Grade 4 and above    Florence Tuckey
DJE CUP Piano Solo Repertoire     Carmen Wing
DJE CUP Piano Solo Recital    Joel Munday
GAPPER CUP Piano Duet or Trio     Hannah & Joel Munday
DJE CONCERTO CUP    
Piano Concerto
Katherine Stonham

Strings        
MICHAEL OLIVER CUP    
String Solo Eliza Munday
DJE CUP String 
Solo Repertoire  Joel Munday
JEAN YOCKNEY CUP String Duet 
Katherine & Rachel Stonham
WEST WILTSHIRE MUSIC CUP    String Concerto Katherine Stonham

CLASSICAL GUITAR
ABH CUP Classical Guitar Solo    Freya Punton

RECORDERS
WALTER BERGMANN CUP    Recorder Solo Phoebe Wirick
RAY SMITH CUP Recorder Duet/Group St Margaret’s Recorder Ensemble

WOODWIND
JOHN PROSSER ROSE BOWL    Woodwind Solo Luke Passmore
DJE CUP Woodwind Solo Repertoire Madeleine Longbotham
DJE CONCERTO CUP    
Woodwind Concerto
Julie Scholefield

BRASS
HARRY RIDOUT TROPHY    Brass Solo     Matthew Powell
DJE CUP Brass Solo Repertoire     Matthew Powell

ENSEMBLES
DJE CUP Ensembles    
Dauntsey’s Saxophone Quartet

COMPOSITION
SIMON MAY TROPHY    
Original composition    
Lily Loraine-Smith

VOCAL
PEWSEY VALE DFAS CUP    
Folk Song/Music Lottie Phillips
ROSE SCUDAMORE CUP    Vocal Solo    Katey Rylands
DJE AWARD Junior Vocal Solo    Beatrice Watts
DJE AWARD Senior Vocal Solo    Rachel Ibbetson
DIRECTOR’S CUP Vocal Recital    Katey Rylands
MARY HUTCHINGS CUP    Vocal Duet/Trio Lucy Gray & Lucy Crofts

MUSICAL THEATRE
GEORGE SANDERSON CUP    Overall Musical Theatre Solo    Rebecca Napper
ST MARGARET’S CUP    
Junior Musical Theatre Solo    Annabella Fairgreave
THE WALKER CUP
Senior Musical Theatre Solo    Millie Gmaj
THE STONE KING CUP    
Musical Theatre Duet/Trio    Phoebe McHugh, Beatrice Watts & Megan Wright

CHOIRS
BOB MAY MEMORIAL PLATE    St Margaret’s Chamber Choir
DJE CUP Carol Party    
Devizes Harmony

SPEECH        
KATHLEEN BUDD CUP    
Overall Verse Speaking Solo    Emily Edwards
DJE AWARD Junior Verse Speaking Solo Lucy Towle
DJE AWARD Senior Verse Speaking Solo Owen Riley
SHELAGH RICHARDS CUP    Choral Speaking St Joseph’s School
WILTSHIRE G & H CUP    
News Reading Jacob Fadipe
BENNETT FULLER CUP    Communication/Reading Aloud    George Thomas
WHARF THEATRE CUP    
Drama – Monologue/ Duologue/Mime Millie Gmaj

ART/LITERARY
MILLS CUP Art Poppy Harris
DAVID DARK CUP    
Handwriting Joseph Rossi
WILLIAM SALMON CUP    
Short Story/Poem 
Cocoa Mudgal

WILLIAM DAUNTESEY CUP    Best Junior Performance
Beatrice Watts
GILES CHIVERS CUP 
Best Senior Performance 
Joel Munday
THE FIRST STAGES AWARD    Most inspirational solo 
performance Katherine Stonham
DJE CUP Best Group or School 
St Margaret’s School
JAMES ORAM CUP 
Versatility Beatrice Watts

Full results: www.devizes-eisteddfod.org.uk/