Following on from the excellent House Harmony Competition last week, Houses once again locked horns in the fascinating spectacle that is the annual and famous Marlborough College House Song Competition.
Enthusiasm for this event remains undiminished, and it was clear once again from the competition this year that passions run high, whether that be within a particular category (Boys Houses for example) or in pursuit of the overall crown.
Gone are the days when certain houses perhaps never stood a chance, and that makes for really good competition. Choice of song is also crucial – it’s not just about choosing a song that a particular Song Captain likes, but more about what is suitable for the voices available. Rightly, this important point is regularly mentioned by adjudicators and this year was no exception.
After his excellent adjudication of the Harmony, Mr Justin Pearson returned to expertly judge the Song. Justin is an eminent musician: Artistic Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Great Britain, and for many years a performer on West End Shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Whistle Down the Wind and more recently Matilda. He certainly knows his onions.
Mr Pearson needed all of that skill to finally distil his decisions to worthy winners Morris (Girls Houses), Summerfield (Mixed Houses) and Barton Hill (Boys Houses) before finally bestowing the title of House Song Competition Winners for 2025 upon Morris.
Congratulations to all on a great evening of entertainment.
Philip Dukes
Artistic Director
