Photos: Fourth Tim Williams Awards Presented

The fourth Tim Williams Award was presented on Sunday (26 June 2011) with an event at the Cochrane Theatre. The competition, which celebrates the art of composing British theatrical song - specifically those using lyrics from established sources that were not originally intended to be sung - saw original works submitted by 22 British composers.

Each entrant was given at least one lyric, a dramatic scenario, a suggested musical style (to give the overall programme variety) and the range of 26 West End performers for their songs. Lyrics came from sources as diverse as Shakespeare, Mary Stuart and Charles Dickens to Christina Rossetti, William Blake, Noel Coward, Emily Bronte and Aleksandr Pushkin. Tennessee Williams and a written fragment credited to Anne Boleyn also featured as did, believe it or not, an anonymous extract from Victorian erotica.

West End singers taking part included Rebecca Caine, James Smoker, Jay Bryce, Mark Dickinson, Mark Dickinson, Madalena Alberto, Dianne Pilkington, Kelly Price, Rebecca Lock, Anton Stephens, Stuart Matthew Price, Peter Polycarpu, Sarah Lark, Nicole Faraday, Valarie Cutko, Marilyn Cutts, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Gina Respall, Vivien Carter and Shimi Goodman. Sondheim Student Singer of the Year award winners Michael Peavoy and Alex Young also took part, alongside newcomers Louis Maskell, Rebekah Hinds and Tyrone Huntley.

The event, titled When You Hear My Voice, drawn from a song especially written by two-time Tim Williams Award winner Christopher Hamilton, was held in aid of Help for Heroes and Walking for the Wounded. Jaco van Gass, a paratrooper wounded in Afghanistan who was recently the youngest member of a group who trekked the Arctic with Prince Harry, represented the charity at the event.

Presented in memory of Tim Williams, the late musical director of London Shakespeare Workout, the awards are now in their fourth year. The judging panel for this year's event was this year made up of Craig Adams, Alex Baranowski, Frank Lazarus, Neil Marcus, Laurie Sansom, Mark Shenton and Paul Vale.

The winner of the inaugural Josephine Hart Poetry Into Song Award was Lindsey Miller. Presented her award award by Lisa Dillon, her song "Hee Haw" was performed by Peter Polycarpou.

The Audience Club Old Words-New Theatre Song Award was won by Christopher Hamilton. His song "Marching Matilda" was sung by Jos Slovick, with his award presented by Gayle Hunnicutt.

The Tim Williams Award for Composition was won by Stuart Matthew Price who, best known as a performer in musicals such as Shrek, performed his own song "Stories of Heroes" with Graham Bickley, accompanied by Ilan Lazarus. Price was presented his award by Frank Lazarus.

- by Andrew Girvan

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