05 April 2014
Abigail McDonagh, a pupil of the Young European Strings School of Music in Dublin, was presented with the Catherine Judge Memorial Award on Saturday 5th April, 2014 following a live final held in the Great Hall at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Professor Fiona Palmer, a renowned double bassist, mezzo soprano and flautist who chaired the Catherine Judge Memorial Award judging panel, made the presentation after she and her fellow judges heard Abigail’s performance of Adagio from Sonata No 1 in G minor before an audience of 150 people.
Fellow judges included Mia Cooper, renowned violinist and leader of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Rosemary Smyth, a specialist music teacher at Ballyholme Primary School, Bangor and former winner of the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year. The event was compèred by Mark Carruthers OBE of BBC Northern Ireland.
Abigail received a £5,000 bursary towards their third level studies.
The Award, which is now in its eighth year, is presented annually to an exceptional solo classical musician who wishes to pursue a third-level music education. It was created as a lasting tribute to Catherine Judge, an employee of Bank of Ireland who passed away in August 2005. Catherine loved helping young people and encouraging ‘young adults’ as she called them to progress themselves whether through work, further education, music or life generally.
For only the third time in the Award’s short history, applications were welcomed from students in Ireland, North and South by including it in Bank of Ireland’s Secondary Schools Programme which is designed to teach students a range of topics including finance and banking.
Chair of the Judging Panel Professor Fiona Palmer said: “The Catherine Judge Memorial Award provides a unique opportunity for the next generation of musicians to showcase their hard work and their talent. As someone with a passion for music I am thrilled to see this Award go from strength to strength. On behalf of the panel of judges, I would like to congratulate
Abigail on her win today and we look forward with keen interest as his/her career develops in the coming years.”
Sean Sheehan, Regional Manager, Bank of Ireland UK Northern Ireland said: “I never fail to be impressed by the incredible talent and hard work of those who take part in this Award. I would like to thank each of the twelve Finalists for their outstanding performances today and congratulate Abigail on her winning recital which had each of us in the Great Hall enthralled this afternoon.”
Bank of Ireland UK would also like to thank the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the loan of the beautiful Steinway piano used in Saturday’s event.
ends
Notes to editors
The 12 finalists performed the following pieces of music:
Abigail McDonagh (Violin)
Adagio from Sonata No 1 in G minor for Solo Violin BWV 1001: J S Bach (1685-1750)
Recitativo und Scherzo Caprice Op.6: Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
Après un Rêve: Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Andrew Douglas (Flute)
Fantasia for Flute and Piano: Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Allegro Scherzando from Sonata for Flute and Piano: Otar Taktakishvili (1924-1989)
Ellen Mawhinney (Voice)
Covent Garden: C Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960)
Che Faro Senza Euridice? (What will I do without Euridice?): Christoph W Gluck (1714-1787)
Er Der Herrlichste Von Allen (He, the noblest of all): Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
She Moved Through the Fair: traditional
Niahm Irwin (Recorder)
1st Movement from Concerto in F Major: Giuseppe Sammartini (1695-1750)
Immortelle: Hans Ulrich Staeps (1909-1988)
Mrs Harris in Paris: David Dubery (b 1948)
Peter Regan (Piano)
1st Movement from Sonata No. 2, Op. 36: Sergei Rachmaninov (1873 -1943)
Étude Op. 10 No. 12, ‘Revolutionary’: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Clara Daly Donnellan (Tenor trombone)
Aria et Polonaise: Joseph Jongen ( 1873–1953)
2nd movement from Sonata: Jaques Castérède (b 1926)
David Tobin (Violin)
Pièce En Forme De Habanera, trans. by Georges Catherine: Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Carmen Fantasie: Franz Waxman (1906-1967)
Meadhbh O’Rourke (Flute)
Concertino for Flute and Piano Op.107: Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
Andalouse: Émile Pessard (1843-1917)
David Lee (Voice)
Sweeter than Roses: Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Tired- from Four Last Songs: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Es Ist Vollbracht (It is finished), from St John’s Passion: J.S Bach (1685-1750)
Eva Richards (Cello)
Le Grand Tango: Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Ryan Gray (Bass trombone)
Minuets I and II from Suite No1 of Six Cello Suites, arranged for Trombone Solo by Keith Brown: J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto in One Movement for tuba, arranged for bass trombone by Allen Ostrander:
Alexey Lebedev (1924-1993)
Chui Han Yan (Piano)
Polonaise in C# minor, Opus 26 No.1: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Alligator Crawl: Thomas Wright ‘Fats’ Waller (1904-1943)
ENDS
For Information www.cjudgememorialaward.co.uk
For further information about Bank of Ireland Northern Ireland, please contact:
Sharon McDonnell, UK Media Relations Manager, Group Communications, Bank of Ireland,
40 Mespil Road, Dublin 4 T: +353 76 6234784, M: +353872269324