Fairfax Has Got Talent: Talented students at Fairfax Academy took to the stage to entertain their classmates in a colourful competition of dance and music.
The contest takes place annually at the school in Fairfax Road, with Year 7 pupils performing in a hotly contested competition between the four houses of Stratford, Warwick, Kenilworth and Coventry.
On Friday, March 15, the audience cheered on the acts, encouraging the singers to hit the high notes, dancers to put their best feet forward and musicians to strike chord.
The judges – Natalie Thompson, Mathematics Lead at the Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust (FMAT), the school’s Mental Health Support Worker, Siobhan Smith-Inniss and journalist Gary Phelps – faced the tough task of picking the winner and runners-up.
Fairfax Has Got Talent is just one of many arts events at academy
Fairfax is renowned for its prowess in the performing arts, with the annual Eisteddfod forming the highlight of the year and contributing to the academy’s passionately competitive house system.
This year, Kenilworth was represented by vocalist Aiden Cole, whose perfect pitch, powerful voice provided the opening performance. Mindy Wan, a virtuoso pianist, also represented Kenilworth, playing a jaw-dropping rendition of ‘Golden Hour’.
Another talented pianist, Athena Wong, took the stage for Stratford house to play a jazzy Gershwin number, while her housemate Amelie Cornish rocked the school hall with a powerful rendition of Evanescence’s ‘Bring Me To Life’.
The Coventry duo of Sofia Rooney and Annalise Finn performed ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born, while the House’s six-piece rock band – who had triumphed at last year’s Eisteddfod – provided a raucous closing act, performing Oasis’s iconic ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’.
Finally, Warwick were represented by graceful dancer Olivia Jelbert, whose spell-binding performance, to Ruth B’s ‘Lost Boy’, left the hall speechless, and multi-skilled singer and pianist Jennah Goodlet, who played and sang a haunting version of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’.
After the final performance, the audience waited for the judges to decide who would walk away with the coveted trophy – and the all-important house points.
The winner, to rapturous applause, was Kenilworth’s Mindy Wan, whose faultless display on the piano had wowed the crowd.
In second place was Stratford’s Amelie Cornish, whose soaring rock vocals had prompted woops from the audience. In third place was the Coventry duo of Sofia Rooney and Annalise Finn.
Principal Sean Castle said: “Fairfax Has Got Talent is another great date on our calendar, where the four houses get a chance to compete against each other, and the students get to show off their performing skills.
“They put a great deal into preparing their acts and it takes real courage to get up on stage in front of your entire year group to perform. It really is character-building.
“There was great variety too, with classical, rock and pop music, and singers, musicians and a dancer showing what they can do.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved for putting on such a memorable contest, including our heads of house for encouraging participation, which is a huge part of our traditional House system – and of congratulations to Mindy for winning the trophy.”