THREE young guitarists have played their way to success and gained their grade 8 award, reports Rachel Ryan.

Polly Ridley, 18, Fiona Cowgill, 17, and Catherine Gregory, 15, who are all pupils of guitar teacher Frank Perkins, of Windermere, took the highest examination with the Royal Schools of Music on December 3.

Polly, who has been playing the guitar for 11 years, said: "I've always loved music and always have a guitar close at hand. I am off to university next year and I might earn extra cash by teaching other students, now that I have my grade eight."

This is the second time that Fiona has scooped a grade 8 - she passed her piano exam in 2000. She is planning to study biochemistry at university.

Catherine is one of the youngest of Mr Perkins's students to pass the new grade 8 syllabus and said that she would like to learn more pieces by Bach in the future.

Full-time classical guitar teacher Mr Perkins started teaching in schools in 1976 and has had 40 pupils pass the grade 8 examination. He said: "It is quite rare to get students to grade 8, as it is really demanding stuff and it's a long, nurturing process. I have never had three take it and pass at the same time. I arrange chart and classical music for guitar and vocals, everything from Avril Lavigne to Ave Maria. I was inspired to play the guitar by the New Bossa Nora, Villa Lobos and the recitals of Julian Bream and John Williams."

Now that the girls do not have exams to work towards, they are going to focus on building up pieces of music for their repertoire to perform at recitals.

January 2, 2003 14:30