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Round two
Category F
Finals/Gala event
Venue – Jeppe High School for Girls, Kensington
VKB offers competitors of all ages a platform to display their skills in a variety of instruments.
If you think you are a ‘Musician of Note’, serious about your trade and wish to test your talents amongst some of the best in the country, read the rules and send your entry form with necessary attached documents
This competition commenced in 2005 after the death of Philip H Moore, father to Victoria Bennett. Victoria knew of the music department through the theory classes her son attended and decided it would be a good idea to start a competition in memory of her late father. Her step-mother Norma joined Victoria by donating 50% of the funds required for this competition. Apart from cash prizes, Lovemore Music Centre also supports this event by sponsoring gift vouchers.
Elize Kruger and Bevan Graham set up the rules and regulations but unfortunately Bevan left South Africa for Scotland before the first competition was held. Since 2006, a small team of no more than four people at a time has been actively involved in this competition. Currently the VKB Team consists of Corne van der Westhuizen (timetable allocations, décor and reception duties) and Dr Elize Kruger (appointment of adjudicators, music queries and general monitoring).
Since its inception, this competition has had a very high standard. This standard has increased as the years have gone by and is now considered to be one of the highlights of the Gauteng musical calendar in terms of quality of music presented.
According to one adjudicator Marian Friedman who wrote after the 2012 Semi Finals and Gala: “I have never found anything so difficult as yesterday’s decisions (all credit to the standard of the Philip H Moore musicians which exceeded all expectations and level) and I had to really think and discuss in depth as to our choices. It was a privilege for me to have been part of this competition which is rapidly becoming a superb platform for international contestants. In fact, the standard yesterday was on an international par and couldn’t have got much better. I would like the other participants to know that they are winners in their own right and will win at some point with that standard of performance. They raised the level of the competition to superb heights”.
Philip H Moore (1916 – 2005) was born in Stockport, England. He graduated from University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and spent his adult life building a very successful business in Durban. He was both an artist and a music lover. His taste in music was wide and varied but his main musical interest was in the Classics. He was a philanthropist and donated to many worthy causes. This Competition has been made possible by the funding generously supplied by his wife, Mrs Norma Moore, and his daughter, Mrs Victoria Bennett. It has been established in his memory and in appreciation for all the love and care he provided and for the musical heritage he gave us.
Victoria Kaye Bennett (1958 – 2019) was born in Durban, South Africa. When still a young girl, she had a piano in her room and the nearest gramophone was in the room opposite hers and across the court yard. She would listen to a part of a song on the gramophone, then would run across the courtyard and climb through the window into her room where she would then attempt to play what she had memorised. As a result, she learnt to improvise so well that she would only need to hear a song once to be able to play it. She went on to complete her music grades in school, however, she did not pursue a career in music.
It was only about 30 years later, in 2005, that she started the Philip H Moore Music competition. The competition was started to honour her father and his love for classical music.
After Victoria’s sudden passing in 2019, her children- Rory and Savannah decided to continue sponsoring this competition which was so close to their mother’s heart.
Jeppe High School for Girls is a well-established public school that offers quality education. Furthermore, Jeppe Girls is well known for its musical tradition which has been a feature of the school for many years.
When the benefactors of the Philip H Moore Music Competition approached the school to host this event, we felt we were uniquely positioned to do so. The old world surroundings, coupled with the school’s tradition, promise to make the Philip H Moore Music Competition one of the highlights on our music calendar and is now considered to be one of the highest standard competitions held in this country.
This competition has been made possible by the funding generously supplied by late Philip H Moore’s wife, Mrs Norma Moore, and his late daughter, Mrs Victoria Bennett. It has been established in his memory and in appreciation for all the love and care he provided and for the musical heritage he gave his family. After Victoria’s unexpected passing in 2019, her children – Rory and Savannah Bennett – decided to continue the financial support given by their mother in the past, to ensure the continuation of this event. We are also grateful for the ongoing support of Anthony Franklin, owner of Lovemore Music. His generous contribution over the years is sincerely appreciated.
Our vision is to maintain the standard of excellence and to extend this local classical music competition for solo performers to a competition of national status.
