Young Dudley harp group win prestigious award (From Stourbridge News)

Young Dudley harp group win prestigious award

5:00pm Saturday 4th July 2009

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A GROUP of talented harpists has just won a series of awards at Leamington Festival Harp Day.

The 12 youngsters collectively won the Harps Galore Shield and the Marie Goosens Memorial Cup at the festival on June 24, with two trios entered separately coming second and third.

The children and young people from across Dudley are involved with Dudley Performing Arts’ Harp Group. It is made up of youngsters aged between eight and sixteen drawn from Dudley primary and secondary schools.

The group won the Harps Galore Shield with ‘Greensleeves,’ arranged by the group’s tutor Helen Barley.

The players were Alice Edwards, Hannah Parkes Bryony Collier, Emily Masters- Clark, Laura Dobson, Robert Owen, Oliver Tustain, Lydia Marsters, Helena Bowen, Eleanor Marshall, Gracie Sheppard and Francesca Newey.

Councillor Liz Walker, cabinet member for children’s services said: “The children did exceptionally well, especially as they competed against much older and experienced groups of harpists. “We are one of the few English authorities to provide harp lessons and harp hire, and the young people and their tutor have done us proud with their hard work.”

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