THE THREE day National Music Finals ended on a high note on Monday, and many of the participating schools and students went home in a jubilant mood.
Over the three day period, there were a couple of presentations which were just excellent, and special trophies were awarded to these participants, three females and one male. The special awards went to: seven-year-old Aisha Rickets of St. Peter & Paul Preparatory School, Kimiela Isaacs of Wolmers High School and Nadia Haliburton of the Montego Bay Community College.
The most outstanding male performer went to Leighton Jones, teacher at Titchfield High School in Portland.
Rickets who performed a jazzy rendition of Summer Time had the audience spellbound that such a great voice could come from such a small child. With 98 points, Ricketts won a trophy on Thursday and on Monday she was awarded the national trophy for outstanding performance.
Kimiela Isaacs was another crowd favourite. Isaacs, who happens to be visually impaired, may have lost her sight but she certainly made up for this with her voice. She was awarded two trophies and two special awards.
Nadia Haliburton, who has become a household name in musical finals, went home with three trophies. She also won an additional trophy as the leader of her school choir, Montego Bay Community College which also went home with a number of trophies, plus the top award for the most outstanding school.
The teachers of the individual schools were also recognised and individual trophies were presented.
The top schools in the four regions were Vere Technical, in Clarendon, Titchfield High School in Portland, St. Georges High School and the Montego Bay Community College.
Other winners were Kemar Grant of St. Catherine for his drum solo, Delphine Williams-Young of Manchester for her rendition of He Shall Feed The Flocks, Wayne Brown for his rendition of My Way, Mt. Alvernia Preparatory School, Stella Maris Prep, Annalee Falconer for her pianoforte solo, Juvelle Taylor for solo recorder, and Holmwood Technical High choir.
