Congratulations to Year 9 student Sam Cole, winner of the Senior Section (Year 9+) in the National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) Wallace and Gromit Soundtrack Competition.
For the competition students were given an option to compose over a backing track, provided by NCO composer Jonathan James, or to compose something entirely original.
Elizabeth Willcocks, Head of Music at Elizabeth College, said:
“This is a terrific achievement! Sam is a very accomplished musician, and often lauded for his performances; how exciting to see him branching out into composition. Film music can be really fun and creative. I am thrilled to see Sam fusing his classical, pop/rock and production skills to create something that is both quirky and dramatic; perfect for Wallace and Gromit. “
NCO is a national orchestral learning programme for younger children across the UK and seeks to empower young musicians and help them realise their creative potential. Sam has been really captivated by the NCO’s online content and has been involved in a number of their recent activities including being featured playing on their website.
From approx. 42.15 on the video of the awards ceremony (below) there are some really interesting and detailed musical comments from judge Adrian Sutton, who is a composer, on why Sam’s arrangement is so special.