The annual Pembrokeshire Valero Primary Schools Music Festival was held in Haverfordwest at the weekend.

Over 400 young primary school musicians took part in this year's event held at Sir Thomas Picton School on Saturday.

Organised by the Pembrokeshire County Council Music Service and sponsored by Valero, individual performers and ensembles competed against each other in various competitions in the morning.

In the afternoon, the winners performed in concert to a capacity audience, along with area orchestras and bands.

Judges picked pianist Emma Spence from Saundersfoot Primary School as the overall winner of the festival.

Earlier in the day, she had won the open piano class playing a Chopin waltz. She is a pupil of Jan Hartzel.

The winner of the open brass competition was trombonist Rhiannon Andrasko from Tenby Junior School, who performed 'Let's call the whole thing off', accompanied by Miranda Davies.

The winner of the open woodwind class was flautist Bethan Miles from Lamphey Primary School, who played Pogson's 'When tomorrow comes', accompanied by Stuart Evans.

'Cellist Rhys Lewis from Ysgol Glan Cleddau won the open string competition and performed 'Tarantella' by Squire. He was accompanied at the piano by Elizabeth Cawood.

The winner of the open percussion class was Sara Llewellyn from Neyland Primary School. On the xylophone, she performed 'Pizzicato Polka' by Strauss, accompanied at the piano by Melanie Walker.

The Saxophone Ensemble from Milford Haven Junior School won the ensemble competition and performed 'Groovy Kind of Love' and 'Pure Love'.

"These competitions provide our young musicians with a valuable experience of performing to an appreciative and friendly audience of parents, teachers and friends," said Chris Llewellyn, head of the county music service.

"The large numbers of pupils who take part, coupled with the high standards of performance, demonstrate the strength of music in our primary schools and why Pembrokeshire continues to be one of the leading musical counties in Wales," he said.

He added that the youngsters also benefited from the support and advice given to them by the adjudicators - Jacqui Scaife - woodwind; Edward Burns - ensembles; Karin Jenkins - strings; Paul Israel - piano; Adrian Williams - brass and Nick Baron - percussion.

The family of schools groups who performed in the afternoon concert were: Pembroke Junior Schools' Orchestra - conductor Verity Evans, Tenby Area Junior Schools' Orchestra - conductors Rebecca Whitehurst and Colin Barratt, Cerddorfa Bro Waldo - conductors John and Iris Thirkettle, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Area String Orchestra - conductor Elizabeth Cawood, St. David's Area Orchestra - conductor Hilary Lewis. Bro Jemima Orchestra - conductor Philippa Roberts, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Area Wind Band - conductor Hilary Lewis.

Stephen Thornton, of Valero, thanked students, parents and teachers for supporting this festival and making it such a great showcase event.

COMPETITION RESULTS

Class 1, 3, flute, oboe and recorder grade two: 1. Hope Yeates, Tenby; 2. Georgia Shiels, Lamphey; 3. Imogen Grimes, Stackpole; HC Cassie Favorido, Gelli Aur, Bethan Palmer, Gelli Aur.

Class 2, 6, 8 woodwind grade three: 1. Elen Maycock, Casblaidd; 2. Megan Lewis, Glan Cleddau;; 3. Elyse Edwards, Mary Immaculate; HC Grace Embra, St. Florence, Georgia Davies, Saundersfoot.

Class 5 clarinet and sax grade two: 1. Lily Parsons, Milford Haven and Holly Bonnar, Saundersfoot; 2. Caitlyn Martin, Milford Haven and Rosie Christie, Maenclochog; 3. Elin Kimberley, Bro Dewi; HC Bethany Sexton, Fenton, Bethany Thomas, Coastlands.

Class 9 and 10 open woodwind: 1. Bethan Miles, Lamphey; 2. Adam Husicka, Prendergast; 3. Sam Hodgson, Lamphey; HC Anna Long, Spittal.

Class 11 brass grade two: 1. Imogen Smith, Manorbier; 2. Sam Prestwich, Saundersfoot; 3. Ioan Elliot, Lamphey; HC Anwen Williams, Maenclochog, Teifion Owen, Milford Haven, Lucy Anthony, Saundersfoot.

Class 13, 15, 17 lower brass grade two: 1. Lottie Whalley, Fenton; 2. Charlotte McSweeny, St. Florence; 3. Yori Evans, Ger y Llan; HC Ben Kimberley, Bro Dewi.

Class 12, 14, 16, 18 brass grade three: 1. Rhys Vaughan, Eglwyswrw; 2. Dylan Harwood, Eglwyswrw; 3. Ben Woodhouse, Glan Cleddau; HC Steven Brown, Pembroke Dock, Adam Phillips, Croesgoch.

Class 19 and 20 open brass grade four-plus: 1. Rhiannon Andrasko, Tenby; 2. Nia Williams, Pembroke Dock; 3. Meirion John, Ysgol Wdig/Goodwick Primary; HC Billy Marsh, Bro Dewi, Cameron Bartlett, Cleddau Reach.

Class 21 violin and viola grade two: 1. Rhiannon Williams, St. Oswald's, Sara O'Connor, Ysgol y Frenni, Molly Thomas, Narberth; 2. Megan John, Spittal and Mevemi Thantilla, Prendergast; HC Eve Matthias, Glan Cleddau, Masie Kite, Prendergast, Martha Williams, Stepaside.

Class 22, 25 strings grade three: 1. Isobel Owen, Glan Cleddau; 2. Candice Ranarion, Mary Immaculate; 3. Lucy Palmer, Prendergast; HC Isabella Nixon, Saundersfoot and Seren Griffiths, Glan Cleddau.

Class 24 'cello and harp grade two-plus: 1. Evie Sutcliffe, Narberth; 2. Emily Winder, Tenby; 3. Thomas Zoogah, Neyland.

Class 23, 26, 30 open strings: 1. Rhys Lewis, Glan Cleddau; 2. Anya Walton, Glan Cleddau; 3. Anwen Reed, Croesgoch; HC Emma Spence, Saundersfoot.

Class 31 piano grade two: 1. Flora Scordino, Redhill, and Carys Rees, Croesgoch; 2. Phoebe Jones, Lamphey, and Mary Raymond, Croesgoch; 3. Cerys Davies, Llanychllwydog.

Class 32 piano grade three: 1. Isabel Howe, Croesgoch, and Candice Ranario, Mary Immaculate; 2. Melody Street, Mary Immaculate; 3. Imogen Grimes, Stackpole.

Class 33 open piano grade four-plus: 1. Emma Spence, Saundersfoot; 2. Adam Husicka, Prendergast; 3. Kara Weston Arnold, Broad Haven, and Rhys Lewis, Glan Cleddau.

Class 35 orchestral percussion: 1. Sara Llewellyn, Neyland; 2. Carys Underwood, Narberth; 3. Isla Davies, Prendergast; HC Joshua Simpkins, Narberth, Eisha Mashood, Prendergast, Georgia Pike, Prendergast, Mia Demain, Prendergast.

Class 36 kit percussion: 1. Dylan Sanders-Swales, Johnston; 2. Oliver Thomas, Ger y Llan; 3. Ben Parr/Zach Thomas, Milford/Narberth; HC Morgan Williams, Pembroke Dock, Joshua Husband, Prendergast, Owen Thomas, Coastlands.

Class 38 ensemble: 1. Milford Haven Sax Ensemble; 2. Glan Cleddau Yr 5 String Quartet; 3. Lamphey Flute and Sax Trio; HC Narberth String Trio.