Poetry by Heart Competition

Poetry By Heart is an inspiring competition for students in Years 10 to 13 to learn and to recite poems by heart.

The first stage of the competition at a local level is the challenge to students to memorise and recite two poems - one published before 1914 and one after 1914 - with the remit to bring the poems alive to the audience.  

Learning Resource Centre Manager Maria King organised the competition and was joined on the judging panel by Gemma Greenhalgh (Deputy Head), Martin Neve (Head of Drama) and Emma Gauntlett (Development Director).  Judges awarded points according to a four categories:  voice, understanding, performance and accuracy.  

After some difficult decision-making, the two students who were chosen to represent BRGS were Caitlin Bains and Lucy Scully.  Caitlin recited 'Envy' by Adelaide Anne Procter and 'On Seeing a Poet of the First World War at Abbeville' by Charles Causley whereas Lucy recited 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' by Oscar Wilde and 'The Dead Kings' by Francis Ledwidge.  Congratulations to all involved.

Watch their performances of the poems here.

/files/videos/BRGS_Caitlin_Bains_Envy.flv

/files/videos/BRGS_Caitlin_Bains_On_Seeing_a_Poet_of_the_First_World_War_at_Abbeville.flv

/files/videos/BRGS_Lucy_Scully_The_Ballad_of_Reading_Gaol.flv

/files/videos/BRGS_Lucy_Scully_The_Dead_Kings.flv