With the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama now complete for 2022, we are delighted to share the many successes of the boys who performed verse speaking solos, prepared reading, dramatic solos, duologues, write your own story or poem, acting for screen, music and more. The table below is testament to their incredible talent—over 80 top three placings, with many boys appearing multiple times! Our congratulations go to them and every boy who took to the stage to compete.

Special mention must go to Lewis Pettengell and Ethan Daubney (Y7), Aryan Sohanpal (Y8) and Sammy Hughes (Y7) who were invited to perform at the Gala Concert—a huge honour as only a few competitors are selected. Also, huge congratulations to Sammy Hughes on winning the Elaine Bonas Prize for Most Promising Young Singer and Aryan Sohanpal for winning both the Melville Prize for Most Promising Performer and the Woodfine Lousada Challenge Cup for Outstanding Performance.

Mrs Turton, Head of Drama, told us, “We are extremely proud to report that almost 70 boys placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd. A fantastic achievement! When we consider the festival was online last year, it’s been almost two years since a live festival took place. It felt so good to be back and to see the boys participating and doing what they love. Congratulations to all boys involved.” 

Mr Silk, Headmaster, added, “It takes great courage to step out onto a stage and perform, but I am pleased to say that our boys did so in impressive numbers – and quite brilliantly. It was a real joy to see our boys in Y3 and Y4, experience their first live festival, and see our older boys rediscover the thrill of a live performance—and with such great results. Well done, everyone!”

CategoryAge GroupPlaceBoys
Write and Read a StoryY4-Y63rdKhushal Pattni
Verse Speaking DuetY63rdAdam Purdie
Toby Huiskamp
Verse Speaking DuetY61stJoshua Worboys
Luke Mitchell
Prepared ReadingY31stArjun Niravane
Prepared ReadingY33rdMilan Qureshi
DuologuesY7-Y83rdJames Angus
Samuel Hughes
Verse Speaking DuetY4 and Under3rdGabriel Roberts
Thomas McDonald
Prepared ReadingY82ndRocco Sarro
Prepared ReadingY83rdKasim Sheikh
Prepared ReadingY83rdRalph Franklin
Prepared ReadingY73rdEthan Daubney
Verse Sepeaking DuetY71stEthan Daubney
Lewis Pettengell
PresentationY5-Y83rdOliver Biffa
PresentationY5-Y82ndThomas Dewe
Write and Read a StoryY5-Y62ndArjun Dey
Write and Read a StoryY5-Y63rdAbhay Raghunath
Dramatic SoloY5-Y63rdAdam Purdie
Dramatic SoloY5-Y62ndHugo Vincent
Dramatic SceneY5-Y71stSebastian Searle
Rhys Newman
Semilore Apesin
Raihaan Adil
Dramatic SceneY5-Y72ndMatthew Moretto
Aaryan Nair
Henry Davidson
Dramatic SceneY5-Y73rdConor Hayes
Hugo Vincent
Harry Spencer
Shakespeare SoloY8-Y102ndAryan Sohanpal
Verse Speaking SoloY41stJames Workman
Verse Speaking SoloY42ndGabriel Roberts
SoloY6 and Under2ndAngelo Milioto
DuologueY5-Y61stChristopher Gentry
Cayo Sinclair
DuologueY5-Y62ndHenry Warner
Daniel Joaille-Burge
DuologueY5-Y63rdOscar McCartie
Orson Pettengell
Prepared ReadingY63rdHenry Gandesha
Prepared ReadingY62ndJoshua Worboys
Prepared ReadingY62ndHarry Spencer
Dramatic SoloY7-Y82ndAryan Sohanpal
Dramatic SoloY7-Y83rdOliver Quince
Dramatic SoloY7-Y83rdJoshua Lincoln
Verse Speaking SoloY42ndSacha Ryan
Verse Speaking SoloY31stWilliam Paull
Verse Speaking SoloY33rdHenry Lincoln
Group PoemY5-Y62ndAngelo Milioto
Alex Woodhouse
Archie Fleming
Verse Speaking SoloY62ndLucas Hill
Verse Speaking SoloY63rdChristopher Gentry
Verse Speaking DuetY51stWilfred Squire
Sebastian Bodfield
Write and Speak a PoemY7-Y82ndAryan Sohanpal
Write and Speak a Poem Y7-Y83rdCharles Gandesha
Write and Read a StoryY3-Y41stThomas Barker
Write and Read a StoryY3-Y42ndMilan Qureshi
Write and Read a StoryY3-Y43rdFreddie Folbigg
Daniel Zuotong
Prepared ReadingY51stWilfred Squire
Prepared ReadingY53rdTristan Price
Dramatic SoloY7-Y81stSamuel Hughes
Dramatic SoloY7-Y82ndLeo Mathew
Dramatic SoloY7-Y83rdIsaac Vincent Emery
Acting for ScreenAny age2ndOscar Price
Acting for ScreenAny age3rdSebastian Warner
Write and Speak a StoryY7-Y81stOliver Barbour
Write and Speak a StoryY7-Y83rdCharles Whittle Queral
Write and Speak a StoryY7-Y83rdCharles Gibson
Write and Speak a StoryY7-Y83rdSamuel Yeomans
Prepared ReadingAny age1stAdvik Mishra
Prepared ReadingAny age2ndNirmay Patel
Prepared ReadingAny age3rdToby Hudson
Verse Speaking SoloY83rdCharles Whittle Queral
Verse Speaking SoloY83rdMonty Lomax
DuologuesY7-Y83rdRalph Franklin
Aston Emeana
DuologuesY7-Y81stAryan Sohanpal
Oliver Quince
Dramatic SceneY8-Y102ndTheo Wang
Alfred Williams
Advik Mishra
Sam Millar
Nirmay Patel
Dramatic SceneY8-Y103rdHarry Brown
Thomas Dewe
Noah Southwell
Oliver Biffa
Solo SingingY41stHugo O'Boyle
Woodwind SoloBeginners to Grade 11stGabriel Holland
20th/21st Century PianoBeginner to Grade 41stDaniel Joaille-Burge
Woodwind SoloGrade 61stIsaac West
Musical Theatre - Solo or DuetY8-Y91stAryan Sohanpal
Solo SingingY81stAryan Sohanpal
Woodwind SoloGrade 51stAryan Sohanpal
Musical Theatre - Solo or DuetY6-Y71stSammy Hughes
Piano SoloGrade 8 and above3rdAryan Sohanpal
Pre-1800 PianoBeginner to Grade 42ndGabriel Holland
Woodwind SoloGrade 42ndBerkley Barnicoat
Any Bowed InstrumentGrade 12ndYacoub Sharif
20th/21st Century PianoBeginner to Grade 43rdGabriel Holland
Woodwind SoloGrade 53rdChistopher Gentry
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