Podium finish for Drews in the Palladian Cup
The solo vocal category of the Palladian Cup is one of the most anticipated events of the competition. Drews is known for its high-quality performers, and this year was no exception with Andrew Knight (Fr 2017) and Fresher Judith Browne representing the college. In my opinion, singing, more than any other Palladian event, unites the whole college community.
Whilst we all expected the performances to be excellent, I do not think that anyone expected the diversity of repertoire (from musical theatre to electroacoustic looping, traditional opera and acoustic music). Every performer on the night had their own unique performance style.
Fresher Judith Browne was successful in placing third overall with her gentle performance of ‘Goodbye England’ by Laura Marling. When Judith auditioned, Lachlan Vass (Vocal Secretary) and Sarah Penicka-Smith (Director of Music) agreed that Judith’s self-accompaniment on guitar helped her stand out. Judith’s ballad was soft, sincere and rhythmically challenging. The judges commented that Judith’s performance displayed her connection to music. Lachlan and I were extremely proud that Judith could make as much of an impact on the judges as she did on our College.
Andrew Knight performed a classical opera piece, ‘Come Paride Vezzoso’ by Gaetano Donizetti, in which he embodied a prince trying to impress a lady. His piece was a great display of drama and technical brilliance. Although Andrew did not place on the night, he certainly captivated the audience with his confidence and disciplined classical training.
Congratulations to both Judith and Andrew for braving a huge crowd in highly competitive conditions and representing College. Their passion and talent inspired everyone on the night – they clearly both love singing and performing, and were both able to foster unique audience connections.
Thank you so much to every Androvian who attended on the night of the competition. A loyal crowd made a significant difference to performances by instilling confidence and demonstrating our support for all aspects of College life.
Violet Williams (Fr 2017)
Cultural Secretary
Pictured: Fresher Judith Browne and Andrew Knight (Fr 2017)
Photography by Alice Litchfield (Fr 2019)