James and Polly win 2025 King's Ely Senior Instrumental Music Festival

Huge congratulations to King's Ely Senior pupil, James Allen, and King's Ely Sixth Form student, Polly Casey, for winning our 2025 Instrumental Music Festival! 

Competition was unbelievably fierce in the Festival Finalists' Concert, which was held at Ely Cathedral. However, it was James' performance of Hungarian Rhapsody by David Popper on the cello, and Polly's rendition of Georg Philipp Telemann's Overture-Suite in A Minor on the recorder which most impressed our adjudicator, Mr Simon Kirk, who is Director of Music at St John's College School, Cambridge.

James won the Walser Cup (Years 9-11 Instrumentalist of the Year) and Polly was awarded the Walser Trophy (Years 12-13 Instrumentalist of the Year). Julian Mak (piano) was highly commended in the Years 9-11 category, and his brother, Ian, was highly commended in the Years 12-13 category, also for his performance on the piano.

'Spectacular', 'outstanding', and 'impeccable' are just some of the words that those who attended the Finalists' Concert have used to describe the quality of the students' performances. Musicians who were also finalists in the Years 9-11 class were Ezekiel David Peat (trombone), Gabby Wu (tuned percussion), Joseph Robinson (accordion), and Thomas Strudwick (organ). Students who were also finalists in the Years 12-13 class were Ian Mak (cello) and William Kirkup (trumpet).

King's Ely Orchestra delighted the audience with 'Pirates of the Caribbean' by German composer, Klaus Badelt, plus there were performances by joint winners of the Ensemble Class, Brass Trio Harry Walker, Polly Casey and William Kirkup; winners of the Duet Class, Cello Duet Anna Ost and Ian Mak; and joint winners of the Ensemble Class, Cellists Ian Mak, James Allen, Emilia Williams-Gray and Alastair Wright.

Kudos not only to our winners and finalists but to every single instrumentalist who stepped out of their comfort zone by entering the competition. Thank you to our fabulous accompanist, Mrs Ryoko Yasujima, and every single member of staff involved in the festival, from organising and adjudicating the preliminary rounds to teaching and mentoring the students!