The curtains closed on the 2025 Gunnedah Music Eisteddfod after five days of competitive talent being showcased last week.
From tots to seasoned performers, there were sections for all ages and skills for musical talent with adjudicator Luke Byrne providing feedback.
He is a musical director, composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, working with diverse music genres and is respected for his compositions that have been performed around the world.
The Gunnedah Times spoke with competitors last Friday afternoon.
Hayley Munro is currently completing her HSC at Calrossy Anglican School, with music a subject close to her heart.
“It’s a long year of hard work and dedication with weekly rehearsals, practice at home, but hopefully it’ll be worth it in the end,” she said.
Her future plans include a bachelor of music and a masters in teaching, with plans to return to the area.
Not only did she win the multiple sections of the music eisteddfod this year, she also took home one of the Heath Family Most Promising Vocalist awards.
She has been competing in the Gunnedah Eisteddfod since year four or five, with musical theatre always her favourite section.
A memorable performance for her was singing I See the Light from Disney’s Tangled as a child at the eisteddfod.
Now in her final year of high school, she performed Lying There from Edges by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for the stage show or film section.
“I’ve had a passion for music for a while,” she said, recalling starting to play piano when she was just six years old.
She has since become a student of Jamie Brown, adding singing to her forte.
“From there I thought ‘wow, I actually really like this singing thing and I want it to be [with me for] the rest of my life’,” she said.
Hayley thanked her music teacher, stating she wouldn’t be where she is today without him.
Also stepping up on stage last Friday was Lucy Furner and Sophia Mooney for a duet performance of Somewhere Only We Know by Keane.
The pair became friends after meeting last year and realising they both had a passion for singing.
The two are now getting ready to take on Tamworth’s eisteddfod next month.
While this was Sophia’s first time at the eisteddfod, Lucy is no stranger to the competition.
She began competing in year one with singing and piano. Now in year seven, she has continued to stick with the two talents.
Good morning Baltimore from Hairspray was her favourite item from this year’s sum of songs, with multiple entries winning her first and second places.
She confirmed she had fun in the eisteddfod and “always will”. She has grown up with multiple contestants, including Hayley – who she described as being like a “big sister” who helped her when they went to Sydney for Gondwana Choirs.
