By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 29 Oct: Whether you’re a musician, a music lover, or simply someone who appreciates the power of a melody, you will be reminded, of music’s ability to touch hearts and minds, summon emotion, and create a connection. The beauty of music lies in its ability “to give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” It is this love for music and song, that inspires St Jude’s School to organize The Late ILG Mann Singing Contest every year in memory of the Late ILG Mann’s love for melody. Mann was a living legend, and it was with great excitement and anticipation that every house, teacher and student awaited the special day for this year’s contest. Every teacher and student of the four houses put in their best effort to make this program a success.
The program was graced by the presence of esteemed Chief Guest, SK Tyagi, Headmaster, Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Director V Gardner and Principal M Gardner. The Contest was judged by Gracie Bhasin and Nand Lal Nelson, St Thomas’s College. The event celebrated not only the richness of musical diversity but also offered a unique opportunity for the participants to gain exposure and recognition. The Singing Contest, held during the first half of the programme, was divided into three categories – Solo, Duet and Group, wherein the participants from the four houses had to sing a variety of songs both in Hindi and English. In the ‘Solo Singing’ Category, the first position was bagged by Ayushi Uniyal of Lyons House for the song Mere Dholna while Kshitiz Walia of Khanna House, came in a close second. He sang the song Channa Mereya. The third position went to Shahid of Howard House, who entertained the audience with the song Tum Hi Ho. The fourth position went to Prakshi Goyal of Gardner House, who sang the popular number Sun Raha Hai Na Tu. In the ‘Duet’ Category the Winners were Aditi Sehgal and Niswarth Arora from Lyons House who sang Islands in the Stream. The second position went to Priyansh Prakash and Anshika Puri from Khanna House who sang When You Say Nothing At All. In the third position were Ashmit Verma and Vartika Khattri from Howard House who sang Like I am Gonna Lose You followed by Dharni and Liza James from Gardner House who sang Love Story, for which they came fourth. The final Category was the ‘Group Song’ Category, wherein Lyons House bagged the coveted 1st prize, with the song How Far I’ll Go, while Khanna House came 2nd singing the popular number Try Everything. The 3rd and 4th positions were taken by Howard House and Gardner House respectively, with their rendition of Arabian Nights and Let it Go. The Chief Guest, Tyagi, then gave away the prizes to the winners. He also showed his appreciation for the well-conducted event with a motivational speech wherein he praised the students for their impeccable performance and confidence on stage.
Principal M Gardner then concluded the event with the Vote of Thanks. She also congratulated all the students and teachers for their dedication and hard work in making the event a resounding success. Lyons House, Winners, Group Song Category.
After a short break, the second half of the programme was conducted. This was the Inter-House Dance Competition – a vibrant celebration of Cha Cha Cha and Jive, which was presented in two categories – the Middle School dance competition and the Senior School dance competition. St. Jude’s School hosted its highly anticipated Inter-House Dance Competition on October 19, 2024, showcasing talented students from the Middle School and Senior School. This year’s event paid tribute to two captivating dance forms – Cha Cha Cha and Jive. The Results were as follows: Middle School Category [Cha Cha Cha] • 1st place Howard House • 2nd place Khanna House • 3rd Place Lyons House Senior School Category [Jive] • 1st Place Lyons House • 2nd Place Howard House • 3rd Place Khanna House The Inter-House Dance Competition celebrated the joy of dance and fostered school spirit. We look forward to next years event, promising another spectacular display of talent and enthusiasm.