Adjudicator Dominic Neville, Tom Blackburn, Ben Evans, Josh Spencer, Robert Evans and adjudicator David Lawson

Ben Evans (Cello) has been crowned as the Barclays Young Musician of the Year. A crowded Memorial Hall was treated to a superb evening of music from four very talented young men, but Ben Evans, a member of the National Orchestra of Wales, prevailed. The annual Young Musician of the Year competition is open to Sixth Form pupils who are performing to Grade 8 level. Each competitor is required to perform a balanced programme for a maximum of 20 minutes, and is to include at least one work from the 20th or 21st Centuries. Prizes are awarded for the best performanceof a piece written after the year 1900, and the overall Young Musician of the Year.

Josh Spencer

The evening began with Joshua Spencer (voice) performing 'Down by the Sally Gardens (Hughes), followed by 'An die Musik' (Schubert). He followed this with 'Apres un reve' (Faure) and 'Captain Stratton's Fancy' (Warlock). He concluded his performance with 'Silent Moon' (Vaughan Williams) and 'If I were a rich man' (Bock). Josh is in his final year at Christ College and is studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry. He is the head of the school chapel choir and last year took on the lead role of 'Teyve' in the school's production of 'Fiddler on the Roof'. Josh is a School Prefect and is resident head of the Alway junior boarding house. He is also a member of the 1st XV rugby, 1st XI hockey and 1st XI cricket. He also shoots .22 rifles at international  standard. In July, Josh plans to travel to New Zealand to spend a year as a GAP tutor at Christ's College, Christchurch and then hopes to study physics at Imperial College.

Robert Evans

Robert Evans (trumpet) then followed, beginning his performance with 'Concerto in E flat: first movement' (Neruda). He followed this with 'Andante and Scherzo' (Busser) and concluded with 'Red, White and Blues' (Bernstein). Robert is in his first year at Christ College having joined the school in September 2008; he is in the lower sixth studying A level Maths, Physics, Geography and Music. He started to play the trumpet when he was nine whilst living in Brunei. Robert has also lived in England, Australia, Singapore and in Dubai. Robert's other interests include cycling, running, swimming, sailing, football and walking in the Brecon Beacons.

Ben Evans

Eventual winner Ben Evans followed, beginning with 'Cello Suite 3: Praeludium' (JS Bach). He followed with 'Piece en forme de Habanera' (Ravel) and concluded with Concerto in C major: first movement (Haydn). Ben is currently in his final year at Christ College studying Music, Physics and Photography. He is applying to universities to study sound engineering and is working towards a performance diploma on the cello. He is a member of the National Orchestra of Wales and will be performing with them throughout their summer tour. Ben also plays guitar, drums and piano, and enjoys rugby (1st XV winger), hockey and snowboarding.

Tom Blackburn

The evening was rounded off by Tom Blackburn (piano). Tom is the school's organ scholar and has attended Christ College since Year 1; he is now in the Upper Sixth. He started violin lessons at a very early age, and has since learnt to play the piano, organ and guitar, all of which he plays regularly. Music is one of the major focuses of Tom's life, and whilst working for grafed music exams of piano and organ, and enjoying all types of music, he also likes to write and record his own songs. Aside from music, Tom is a keen mountain-biker and hockey player. After Christ College, he hopes to read Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University. Tom began his performance with 'Sonata in f minor: first movement' (Beethovan) and followed this with 'Prelude in c sharp minor (JS Bach). He concluded his performance with 'Impromptu in G flat' (Schubert) and 'Gigue' (Hengeveld).

The adjudiction

Christ College was delighted to have two very distinguished adjudicators in Dominic Neville and David Lawson.

Dominic is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where he won a choral  scholarship. Dominic now combines a number of roles: as conductor of the choirs of Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral and Director of Music at St. John's College; Academic Lecturer and Tutor in Music at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; and Conductor of Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society. 

David is a graduate of the University of Liverpool and was an organ scholar of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. He was Direcor of Music at Downside School, Somerset and in 1992 was installed as a Gentleman of Her Majesty's Chapels Royal, St James' Palace. Since 2002 he has been Director of Music at Monmouth School. Outside school, he sings regularly with the choirs of Worcester, Llandaff and Gloucester Cathedrals.

Ben Evans and Josh Spencer

Following a detailed adjudication, the prizes were awarded to;

• Best performance of a piece written after 1900 - Joshua Spencer
• Young Musician of the Year - Ben Evans