MUSICIANS from Friends’ School travelled to Bristol to compete in The Catrine Basil Music Awards at Sidcot School.

This annual competition celebrates musical excellence and involves the seven Quaker Schools from across the country with pupils competing in the categories of brass, woodwind, strings, piano, ensembles and original composition.

The awards have been running since 2004 and are held in memory of Catrine Basil, a former pupil of Sidcot School who was a talented musician and artist, who died at the age of 14.

Friends’ School put in some top performances to scoop three of the categories.

• James Fawcett was successful in the brass category, which saw him retain his title for the second year running.

• Ben Winfield was placed first in the string section on his cello

• Mike Hibbert and Liberty Anstead won the ensemble category with their duet All I ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera’.

Head of music at Friends’, Gavin Greenaway, said: “All our musicians did both themselves and the school proud.

“They faced tough competition from some on the finest musicians from all the Quaker Schools in England, yet performed with real maturity and a wonderful sense of musicality.”