Ocarinas on the BIG stage - Outstanding!

Masquerade Ocarinas from Kettering achieved high recognition and praise in July 2005 as they played to perfection at the National Festival of Music for Youth, winning for themselves the Outstanding Performance Award at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Selected from over 45,000 performers who participated in regional festivals, Masquerade Ocarinas were chosen to be one of 38 Junior Groups in the National Festival.

As the sound of fifteen ocarinas soared the heights in the vast auditorium, adjudicators and audience alike were inspired by the pure and exquisite sound. Playing 5 different sizes of ceramic Ocarina from Mini to Bass, the 15 children, aged 9 to 13 years, also sang in Latin and Spanish, mixing medieval chants with haunting folk melodies. South American percussion, including Chilean rain-sticks and llama's hoof clippings, along with the plucked and bowed violin and viola added to the "rare and precious sight and sound" that sent a tingle around the audience and impressed the three adjudicators.

It was a performance never to be forgotten. The six boys and nine girls of Masquerade Ocarinas, showed just how incredible the ocarina can be. Whilst an Oc® is the best musical instrument for any young child to begin with, this performance showed the skill and musical brilliance that can be achieved with ceramic ocarinas and lots of practice. Video samples of Masquerade Ocarinas’ rehearsals and performances can be seen in the video section of this site and on YouTube.

Date: 14/07/2005

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