National composition success for Morgan - again!

Published by Oakham School on Wednesday 1st of October 2014

For the second year running, a talented young music scholar from Oakham School has won a national composition competition run by Aldeburgh Music.

It is particularly impressive that 14-year old Morgan Overton won the Britten Young Songwriter Competition given that he was also one of the youngest entrants in the 14-18 category.

This year's competition invited young composers to set music to a traditional folk text of their choice, from anywhere in the world. Morgan wrote a musical setting of three Native American spiritual songs. Last year Morgan won the junior category of the competition for his work setting a poem specially written by the popular writer Anthony Horowitz - 'Greater Gabbard'.

"Yet again, pupils from Oakham are showcasing their excellence and flair in composition," says Director of Music, Peter Davis. "As well as being one of the three pillars of modern music education (performing, creating and listening to music), I strongly believe that in teaching pupils how to compose music, it develops a transferable set of skills that can help pupils to think creatively and to plan strategically in other aspects of their lives and study."

Morgan's piece will now be professionally recorded at Aldeburgh Music, the world-renowned musical performance centre in Suffolk, and made available on the website www.fridayafternoonsmusic.co.uk/competition, where Morgan's previous prizewinning song can be already heard. It will also be performed at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on Friday 28 November 2014 as part of a Friday Afternoons 'Big Sing' event involving 800 Suffolk schoolchildren.

The competition, which is only in its second year, was launched to celebrate the centenary of Benjamin Britten. By the age of 14 Britten had already written over 100 pieces, and he went on to write some of the most popular works for children including The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, Noye's Fludde and his songs Friday Afternoons. Morgan's win is particularly significant for Oakham given the School's strong links to Britten. The composer's famous 'Friday Afternoons' songs were dedicated to his Oakham-educated brother.

"I am incredibly proud that Oakham School has a national reputation for compositional excellence regularly winning composition competitions," continues Peter. "Morgan certainly has an outstanding ability to both play and compose music. Earlier this year he also won the prestigious Fanfare Competition, run by the Royal Opera House. He is certainly making an incredibly impressive start to the musical career that he has in mind!"