Recent Stories from Ryde Eisteddfod Competitions

On Saturdays for 5 weeks the Ryde Secondary College has been the home of ballet dancers, tap dancers, school groups, dance school groups taking part in the 2019 City of Ryde Eisteddfod. Many appreciative parents, teachers and friends in the audience have enjoyed the performances - but so too the adjudicators who had to decide winners and placegetters in a very competitive field.

The final day - September 7th, was scholarship day - and big prizes were handed out, generous sponsor for this event being the Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club.

At the Senior Ballet Scholarship the adjudicator Ms Virginia Ferris was very impressed by the high standard of all the dancers. Congratulations to all our entrants and pictured are our Winner Lauren Young from Mosman Dance and Rachel Ainsworth from Sydney College of Dance plus our very talented finalists.

In the Junior Scholarships adjudication was by Ms Melissa Aurisch - ballet teacher and former performer with West Australian ballet. She is shown with Estelle Crompton-Lamb (left) and Runner up Giselle Kotlyar. Both dancers are from The Dance Spot.

Nicholas Reefman, who performed in Ryde Eisteddfod all through his childhood -in both instrumental and vocal fields where he excelled.

He is now a touring “one-man band” - raconteur, singer, player of ukelele, trumpet, piano accordion (composes all his own material) and now calls himself Niq. Dawn Nettheim contacted him and was told he took a whole year off from music after the ‘hot-house’ sort of education he received, and in that time, reinvented himself, so to speak.

Photographs of Niq from a recent recital, including one with Dawn Nettheim.

The Speech and Drama scholarships offerings include the 2RRR Scholarship in News Reading, the skills from which have enabled winners to go on to employment directly in news media but also in areas which value this experience.

An example of how valuable this can be is from Ryan Atkins as he describes in the soon to be published book about the first thirty years of Ryde Eisteddfod:

"It built my confidence as a performer and confident speaker and gave me the joy of performing. …

In 2014 I won the 2RRR Radio News reading section which started my love of working on radio.

After completing the radio course, I went on to host a breakfast programme on 2RRR. Working at 2RRR taught me so many skills and helped me move into commercial radio. I'm currently working at NEWFM broadcasing an evening programme."

Exciting New Sponsors for Strings and Piano in 2023 Ryde Eisteddfod

Phillip Wilcher is offering a generous scholarship of $1000 open to piano students of all ages , dedicating this to his great mentor and inspiration, Miriam Hyde - see event 254 - Memorial Scholarship in memory of Miriam Hyde

"If I could find one word to describe the life and loyalty of Miriam Hyde that word would be the truest word ever written. To know her was to know a wonderful human being who just happened to be an accomplished musician, composer and educator whose formidable credentials and craftsmanship instilled in many – myself included – the simple desire to do one’s best."

Over the years of Ryde Eisteddfod many students have chosen to play works by Miriam Hyde - especially in the Australian Piano Sections. However the scholarship requires participants to perform their own choice of one of Miriam's works together with a piece Phillip wrote, dedicated to her, "A Rose in Water". Teachers and students can sample the music by going to the Wirripang Music Site - the "Home of Australian Composers" including more of Phillips works together with a large choice of those of Miriam Hyde.

Young composers can find inspiration in Phillip's music - see https://kids.kiddle.co/Phillip_Wilcher

Even if not able to play in the event do have a look at the programme when it is printed in late May and find out when section 254 Miriam Hyde Memorial Scholarship is scheduled - Phillip hopes to be there to award the scholarship and would, I'm sure, be pleased to have a chat with budding young performers and composers.

Vivaldi's String Shop in Epping

is offering a special sponsorship in the strings section - details to be announced soon. Vivaldi's was founded in 2001 and has had a long association with the eisteddfod but 2023 is the start of a new and exciting sponsorship, this year applied to the regular orchestral and non-orchestral strings sections with potentially a new section in 2024.

Vivaldi's is located at 34 Beecroft Road in Epping, up a flight of stairs from the street entrance which is just next to the Bennelong Office of MP Jerome Laxale.

We are hoping some of our eisteddfod string players will be able to meet up with Vincent Allan of Vivalids at this year's Ryde Eisteddfod Strings events - held at the North Ryde Community Centre in Cox's Road, just above the library.

To find out more information about all events go to the eisteddfod website - www.re.org.au

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