One of the highlights of each year is being able to recognise the contribution that some of the students have made to the year’s music-making at the University. At a ceremony last week, seven outstanding students were awarded prizes, in recognition of their significant contributions to the year’s musical calendar.

This year’s Canterbury Festival Music Prize, awarded by Director of the Canterbury Festival, Rosie Turner, to a final-year student who has made an outstanding contribution to music at the University, was given jointly to Alice Godwin (Politics and International Relations) and Kate Lumley (English and Comparative Literature). Both Alice and Kate have shone in the woodwind section of the Symphony Orchestra in their time at Kent, as well as in Concert Band; they have both also performed in the Scholars’ Festival Concert as part of the Canterbury Festival.

The Colyer-Fergusson Music Prize, presented by chairman of the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust,  Jonathan Monckton, which is awarded to a student who has made a major contribution to organising music at the University, was awarded jointly to Alanya Holder (Law) and Anna Shinkfield (English and American Literature). Alanya was President of the Music Society this year, as well as participating in choirs and singing jazz; Anna was Acting Secretary of the Music Society, and has performed on the recorder as well as singing with the Chorus and playing sax with the Concert and Big Bands – though not all at the same time…

Chris Gray (Architecture) was awarded the University Music Prize, having made a major contribution to music at the University this year, including (as well as his instrumental playing), the shifting of timpani and other assorted heavy orchestral gear!

The Awards Committee made a final two awards; Andrew Kitchin (Mathematics), who has been a stalwart of the ‘Jazz @ 5 ‘series and has performed at every one since its inception in 2008, and Kathryn Redgers (History), who has made a tremendous impact on music in her first year as a flautist at Kent.

Of course, there are a thronging mass of students who play a part in all the concerts and musical events in the University’s calendar, and the Music Awards Committee has a difficult role to play in singling out particular individuals; the decision-making process is long and arduous, but an important one to allow the University to thank an especial few for their major role in everything musical over the year.

Congratulations to all of them!