A HUDDERSFIELD pianist missed out on first place in the open piano concerto class of the Mrs Sunderland Music Festival yesterday.
Greenhead College student Richard Uttley, 17, came second in the contest with his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto.
The youngster, of Whitebeam Park, Birkby, who had meningitis three years ago, lost out to Lin Yang, of Sale, Cheshire.
But he wasn't too disappointed.
He said: "It went OK, but there were more wrong keys than I would have liked.
"It was useful to play it in public though, and it was what I expected from listening to the class.
"Lin was particularly good. She was the best in the class."
Miss Yang also took first place in the open piano solo class on Monday evening.
She will now take part in the Instrumentalists Challenge on Friday, with winners from other classes.
Piano class adjudicator Graeme Humphrey praised the standard of entrants.
He said: "There is not a working musician in the country who has not been through the festival system.
"It provides a forum for performance in public - which is the crucial difference between exams and festivals.
"Not many want to come and play in a festival and get egg on their face, so it tends to attract very well-prepared individuals.
"The standard of Lin was outstanding."
Other piano classes took place, alongside categories of reading and verse speaking.
The nine-day festival runs until Saturday.
Piano Solo (13 and under) - 1 Daniel Chappell, 2 Emma Robertson and Hector Docx, 3 Bridget McHugh.
Piano Solo (15 and under) - 1 Daniel Chappell and Ruth Nicholson, 2 Katie Sykes, 3 Hayley Danielle Pearson and Abha Khushu.
Piano Solo Sonatina (12 and under) - 1 Gregory Barker, 2 Daniel Chappell, 3 Alexandra Condon.
Verse Speaking (7 and under) - Lily Ella Cartwright, 2 Millie Hodges, 3 Megan Wiley.
Verse Speaking (8 & 9) - 1 Stephanie Merritt, Oliver Lovatt, 3 Alexa Lee and Thomas Ramsay.
Bible Reading ( 9 and under) - 1 Thomas Ramsay 2 Victoria Brown, 3 Stephanie Merritt.
Prepared Reading (7 and under) - 1 Isaac Foulkes, 2 Lily Ella Cartwright, 3 Millie Hodges.
Verse Speaking (10 years) - 1 Zoe Garbutt, 2 Faye Chesswas, 3 Reanna Geisler and Joshua Martin.
Bible Reading (10 to 13) - 1 Natalie Moody, 2 Jessica Ramsay, 3 Velette Westin-Pearson.
Piano Solo (17 and under) - 1 Oliver Seton, 2 Matthew Thorne, 3 Catherine Benson.
Piano Duet (11 and under) - Alice and Mattie Hartley.
Piano Duet (14 and under) - 1 Bridget McHugh and Katie Sykes, 2 Victoria Cole and Alexandra Condon, 3 Adam Colbeck-Dunn and Sarah Razzell.
Piano Duet (17 and under) - 1 Oliver and Jessica Seton, 2 Gemma Browning and Abha Khushu, 3 Kathryn Saul and Naomi Williams.
Piano Solo Open - 1 Lin Yang, 2 Alice Maslin, 3 James Morris, Samantha Horseman and Geoff Jackson.
Verse Speaking (under 10) - 1 Zoe Garbutt, 2 Faye Chesswas, 3 Joshua Martin and Reanna Geisler.
Bible Reading (10 to 13) - 1 Natalie Moody, 2 Jessica Ramsay, 3 Velette Westin-Pearson.
Prepared Reading (8 and 9) - 1 Alexa Lee, 2 Amy Brown and Ajay Mashiana, 3 Stephanie Merritt and Caroline Swift.
Dramatic Solo (17 and under) - 1 Jessica Ramsay, 2 Kelly Stephenson, 3 Terrelle Kay and Megan Thomas.
Shakespeare (17 and under) - 1 Hannah Young, 2 Claire Foulkes, 3 Alana Clifford.
Dramatic Dialogue (17 and under) - 1 Jessica Ramsay and Terrelle Kay, 2 Natalie Haigh and Richard Newsome, 3 Victoria Brown and Thomas Ramsay.
Shakespeare (18 and under) - 1 Ben Burgin, 2 Rak Verma, 3 Annalisa McGorlick.
Piano Concerto Open - 1 Lin Yang, 2 Richard Uttley, 3 Christopher Illingworth.
Verse Speaking Novice (13 and under) - 1 Velette Westin-Pearson.
Verse Speaking (12 and 13) - 1 Alex Whitwam, 2 Kelly Stephenson, 3 Owen Griffiths.
Verse Speaking Poets Laureate Open - Jessica Walton
Verse Speaking (11 years) - 1 Jessica Walton, 2 Connor McLeod, 3 Dione Padgett.
