SOME of the most gifted young musicians in Wiltshire flaunted their talents at St Augustine Catholic College's annual music competition on Wednesday.

A total of 10 pupils from the Trowbridge school took part in the Young Musician of the Year final at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon on Wednesday, March 15.

Year 12 pupil Miles Kingsley was crowned the overall winner, impressing judges with his performance of Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum.

The 16-year-old pianist said: “I practiced for the final for a while but I was still quite surprised to win.

“I’ve played the piano since I was about nine and that was the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed in front of.

“I was a little bit nervous but the nerves settled once I started playing. My family were there and were really proud of me afterwards.”

The runner-up on the night was Year 11 pupil John Horsfall, playing drums in the grand final for the third time.

He said: “I love making people enjoy music and have done ever since I started playing drums around five years ago.

“Thankfully it went pretty well. I played a piece I composed myself with help from my percussion teacher in school and it seemed to go down well.

“I want to study Music Performance at Bath College after GCSEs and one day would love to be a professional drummer.”

Performing in his first final, singer George Tucker was recognised as ‘highly promising’ by the judges for his emotive performance of ‘Why god Why?’ from Calude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil’s Broadway hit musical Miss Saigon.

“I’ve performed at the Theatre Royal in Bath a few times in the past but I was more nervous before this as it’s a competition,” said the Year 11 pupil from Dilton Marsh.

“In the future I would love to be involved in the arts whether it’s singing or acting, and I think St Augustine’s is a really good school to develop those skills.”

This was the 26th year the competition has run since music teacher Richard O'Mahony introduced it after joining the school.