Dozens of talented, young musicians descend on Louth for annual competition
Dozens of talented, young musicians gathered in Louth for one of the highlights of the town’s arts and culture calendar.
The Lincolnshire Young Musician of the Year competition has been thriving since it was launched by Louth Male Voice Choir back in 1989.
And the 2025 renewal did not disappoint, bringing together a total of 47 singers and instrumentalists from across the county.
Organiser Malcolm Kerridge enthused: “We were delighted to attract so many talented young people from all over Lincolnshire.
"The annual competition is open to boys and girls who live or study in the county. It provides invaluable experience of performing in public and receiving constructive feedback from experienced adjudicators.
"The competition highlights the talents of the very best young musicians in the county. We aim to make it a friendly, positive event and, once again this year, we provided a pleasant, supportive experience for all the youngsters who joined us.”
The overall title of Lincolnshire Young Musician of the Year for 2025 went to Amelia Whitfield, who goes to Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School.
Amelia, hailed by Malcolm as “ a superb violinist, was the winner of the senior (under-18s) age group in the instrumentalist section.
The other age group in this section for under-14s was topped by another excellent violinist, Xiaotion Zhang, who attends Caistor Grammar School.
In the singing section, the intermediate age group (under-14s) was won by Holly Barclay, who lives in Sleaford, while the senior title for under-18s went to Emily Porcher, who is a pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Horncastle.
Trophies and more than £2,000 in prize money were up for grabs at the competition, with £400 going to the winners of the two senior competitions (singing and instrumental) and £250 to the winners of the same two intermediate contests.
The overall winner pocketed an extra £50, while there were prizes of £150 and £75 for the runners-up and third-placed entrants in the two senior competitions and £100 and £50 for second and third in the intermediates.
All entrants submitted a video to Louth Male Voice Choir, and those shortlisted by the judges performed live at a special concert at Louth Methodist Church on Nichol Hill, which was well attended by family, friends and music enthusiasts, including the Mayor of Louth, Coun Darren Hobson.