THE annual Trafford Young Composer and Poet finals held at the Cresta Court Hotel, Altrincham, on Wednesday night provided an enjoyable evening’s entertainment and a showcase for the work of talented young people.

A 30-strong orchestra performed the compositions. It was conducted by Roger Shelmerdine, the founder and organiser of the competition, who interspersed his introductions with jokes to keep the young audience amused.

The poems were read by Janet Reidsma, Richard Pollock and Jay White.

With such professional presentations, it was hard to believe that the 56 entries had been created by eight – 18-year-olds.

Along with Roger and his wife, Melanie who, this year, played the percussion, Alan Watson, Chairman of the judges, has been involved since the first event in 1992.

Alan said: “The standard is always high but it isn’t easy for the orchestra who have to tackle difficult scores and manage to make them sound good. This is largely due to Roger’s orchestration.”

Certificates were presented to the winners of each section by Cliff Crewe, Director of the Lawrence Singers.

Composers

Over the years, the certificate for overall winner has gone to eleven composers and five poets but, this year, it went to a poet.  

She was 18-year-old Stephanie Kwan (pictured), a pupil of Altrincham Girls Grammar School who wrote ‘Polemic Memory; a Sonnet'.

Stephanie said: “I wasn’t expecting to win. There were loads of other good poems.

“I got the inspiration for ‘Polemic Memory’ when we were studying ‘Spies’ by Michael Frayne at school. He had different ideas to mine about memory.  

“I sat down one night and it came out. I decided it would be a sonnet afterwards.”

I wondered how she came across the word ‘polemic’ which, according to Chambers dictionary means ‘given to disputing’.

“I first saw it in a newspaper and looked it up. I always wondered what I could use it for.”

The winners of each group were as follows:

Music – Under 12s – Jack Richardson from Bowdon C. of E. Primary School for ‘I Thought’
Poetry – Under 12s – Andrew Sheppard from Moorlands Junior School, Sale, for ‘The Magic Casket’
Music – 12-18 – Victoria Cotton from Loreto Grammar School, Altriuncham,  for’Little Red Riding Hood’
Poetry – 12-18 – Stephanie Kwan from Altrincham Girls Grammar School for 'Polemic Memory'

Here is Stephanie’s winning poem:

Behind closed portals, shadows whisper
Beyond closed doors do secrets hide.
In chorused lulls of soft hummed words,
And images of far off worlds,
Encased in delicate leaves of gold.

Or trapped in cages, clasped shut-tight
Or left to wander from mind and soul

But everlasting in their might.

Come crisp and clear at moments light,
Flash stupidly like joking smiles.
To fade away as end is near,
To lock them far and out of sight.
They fade, they fade and come to you.
Which ones are fake, and which ones true?

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