The finalists of the 2011 Principality Building Society Welsh Young Musical Theatre Singer Of The Year contest have been announced, following a day-long preliminary round held on Saturday January 29th. The preliminary round was hotly contested by 26 highly talented young hopefuls, each striving to impress the judging panel of Claire Hammacott, Jonathan Rogers, Tim Richards, Ken Caswell and Jeff Howard.
After great deliberation, the judges selected the four finalists who will compete for the title and a £1000 first prize at the Swansea Grand Theatre on Saturday February 26. The 2011 finalists are:
Helena May Harrison (currently a student at the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama).
Peter Horton (a native of Ceredigion and a member of BBC television's "Last Choir Standing" - Only Men Aloud - studying at the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama);
Christopher Richard Hughes (from Lougher, Swansea and a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama);
Owain Llyr Williams (recently a member of the cast of Phantom Of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre and currently studying with tutors Mary Hammond and Anne Maria Speed in London).
Former winners of this prestigious event (organized by the Dunvant Male Choir and sponsored by the Principality Building Society) include David Thaxton (Passion, Les Miserables), Hayley Gallivan (Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening), Connie Fisher (The Sound Of Music, They're Playing Our Song) and Kit Orton (Spamalot, Spend Spend Spend). So there is a chance that this year's winner will follow former title holders into careers in the West End and/or major UK musical theatre tours. This gives an even greater edge to the competition in next month's final, which promises to be a genuine feast for all musical theatre fans who head to the Swansea Grand Theatre on February 26.
