Soprano Sarah Parkin was awarded First Prize in the AESS Patricia Routledge National English Song Competition.
The annual competition, which took place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on Friday, was established to ‘encourage the communication of English words, in singing and in speech, with clarity, understanding and imagination.’
Sarah, who is studying for a Postgraduate Diploma with Susan Roper, was accompanied by postgraduate pianist James Vaughan. On winning the prize, she said: ‘I am so honoured to have been presented with the First Prize in this prestigious competition, as well as being given the chance to represent the RNCM in such a positive manner. The finalists were all fantastic artists, and I can easily say it was a most enjoyable experience – not to mention the opportunity of meeting Patricia Routledge herself! Many thanks to the support of the staff at RNCM, and especially to my fantastic accompanist, James Vaughan.’
Acknowledging her success, Susan added: ‘We are absolutely delighted by Sarah’s success; she is a hugely talented student and has worked very hard during her time at the RNCM. We are very proud of her and happy for her.’
