Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The choir’s Music Through The Ages concert and Sussex Young Musician Competition final took place on Saturday, July 15, at the Methodist Church in Haywards Heath.

Town mayor Stephanie Inglesfield attended and said she had a lovely time at the event.

The mayor said: “What a warm and friendly welcome I received to the beautiful Coro Nuovo concert.”

Sussex Young Musicians of the Year finalists from left: Kitty Casey, James Edgeler and Eliette Harris with one of the choir members

She said: “It was fantastic to see the chair of MSDC, cllr Rodney Jackson, supporting this local event too. I thoroughly enjoying chatting to members of the choir, including the talented Marion Smith who sang a solo from Carmen, my favourite opera. The whole Coro Nuovo choir was fabulous and nine members got the unusual opportunity to sing solos, which was so lovely.”

Councillor Inglesfield said the three Young Musician finalists ‘delighted the audience with their passion, talent and the variety of their offerings’.

Mid Sussex businessmen train for 300-mile London to Paris bike ride to raise £5,...

She said: “James Edgeler as an amazing tenor got third place, Kitty Casey the soprano with star quality won the second place, and the animated, dramatic, passionate and incredibly skilful violin player Eliette Harris won first place in Sussex Young Musician of the Year. These young people make Sussex proud and bode well for the future of classical music on the local, national and international stages.”

Haywards Heath mayor Stephanie Inglesfield with MSDC chair cllr Rodney Jackson and Coro Nuovo choir members Rob and Denise Carpenter and Marion Smith

Coro Nuovo’s Kate Kent said: “This is the 10th anniversary of leading Sussex Choir, Coro Nuovo and we were delighted to perform our summer and ‘Music Through the Ages’ concert in Haywards Heath. The sold-out concert included choral works from the early 1600s to the 1980s.”

She said the choir runs the annual Sussex Young Musician competition, which this year was judged by musician and recitalist Libby Burgess who awarded the winner’s prize of £1,000 to Eliette, with runners-up Kitty receiving £500 and James getting £250.

“The standard of their performances was truly exceptional,” she said, adding: “We are very grateful to all the financial support we receive for the competition from local businesses and individuals. We were also thrilled that our Haywards Heath Town Mayor was in the concert audience, to see and hear how vibrant Haywards Heath is from a music point of view.”

Visit coronuovo.org.uk.

Praise for young Sussex musicians at competition and Coro Nuovo concert in Haywards Heath