Composition competition success for skilful King's Ely Senior student!

Talented King's Ely Senior student, Thomas Strudwick, is celebrating success in not one but two musical composition contests!

Thomas, who is in Year 11, has been crowned the winner of the age 14-18 category in this year's Choir Schools' Association (CSA) David Willcocks Chorister Composition Competition.

Skilful Thomas, who is a former Ely Cathedral Chorister, has also won first prize in the 2024 Granta Chorale Carol Competition.

Thomas, who joined King's Ely Prep in Year 4 and who is heavily involved in the music scene here at King's, said: "I feel very proud to have won both competitions, as I put a lot of work into both my entries. I feel a great sense of achievement."

For the CSA David Willcocks Competition, musicians were asked to set the text ‘I will give thanks unto the Lord’ for choir with or without accompaniment. The competition was judged by Jonathan Willcocks and Charlie Willcocks, on behalf of the David Willcocks Trust, and Thomas received a cash prize.

For the Granta Chorale Competition, participants were tasked with writing their own Christmas carol based on Moyra Tourlamain's moving poem, 'Refugee Carol'. Thomas not only won a cash prize but his winning carol will be performed by Granta Chorale at their Christmas Concert at All Saint's Church, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, on Saturday 14th December at 7pm. More information here: www.grantachorale.org.uk

Thomas, who has recently been awarded the King's Ely and Ely Cathedral Sixth Form Organ Scholarship for next year, is attending the concert and says he is excited to hear the choir perform his piece for the first time!

In 2021, Thomas was commended in the CSA David Willcocks Competition. This was for 'Sing to the Lord a New Song', which he wrote himself earlier that year, and which was first performed as an introit at a Saturday Evensong at Ely Cathedral.

Earlier this year, Thomas was crowned the ‘Intermediate Class’ winner of the Young Organists’ Competition, organised by the School Organists' Association.

Congratulations Thomas - such amazing and thoroughly-deserved achievements!