Award for Guitar in Oxford

The 2011 class for the Society’s Guitar Award took place in the Dowland Room at Headington School, Oxford, on January 29th, as part of the Oxford Music Festival. The adjudicator was Gary Ryan, ARAM, a leading exponent of the guitar and a teacher of great distinction who is Assistant Head of Strings at the Royal College of Music.

There were three candidates for the Award: Cassandra Mathews, a first-year student at the Royal College of Music; Merlin Miller, who has recently won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music; and Alastair Roberts, who is in his third year at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Cassie chose to play the Five Impromptus by Richard Rodney Bennett, and the first movement of Berkeley’s Sonatina Op. 52 No. 1. She played her programme with passion and expressiveness, and gave a really persuasive account of the music.

Merlin played the entire Sonatina, and gave a forthright performance of a work which demands, and received, a very accomplished technique.

Alastair’s programme comprised the Sarabande by Poulenc and Berkeley’s Theme and Variations Op. 77. His playing was characterised by an even, velvet tone, a certain straightforwardness and clarity of approach.

The adjudicator noted that guitarists are often very different from each other, and that this individuality is a fascinating characteristic of the instrument itself. He felt that all three players deserved the award, but that Alastair should win the prize of an engraved trophy and a cheque for £200, because his playing was ‘most in the Berkeley style’.

Cassie Mathews, Merlin Miller and Alastair Roberts are to be thanked for their dedicated practice and lovely playing, and Gary Ryan for his judgement, careful assessments and encouragement of the three candidates.