Kingscourt duo blow away examiners

Damian McCarney

Two members of St Mary’s Brass and Reed Band have been selected from amongst a possible 42,000 students nationwide for High Achievers Awards with the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM).
The High Achievers award is presented only to those musicians undertaking grade exams, who pass with distinction and stand out for the examiner - and this is precisely what Shane Smith and Áine Byrne managed.
Talented Shane has been playing euphonium for over 30 years, and joined the St Mary’s Brass and Reed Band upon moving to Kingscourt 15 years ago. Originally from Navan, he also plays with his hometown’s silver band. Shane impressed his examiner last winter when completing his grade eight exam and was honoured to be selected.
“Out of 40,000-plus who do it each year only about 200 get it, so it’s not given out easily.”
Shane acknowledges that the euphonium, a modestly proportioned tuba, is more of an accompaniment instrument, but Shane prefers that.
“It’s grand getting out there and doing solos and doing grades and you’re out there on your own, I enjoy being part of a band where you’re playing as a group and the whole social end of it as well.”
Shane and Áine Byrne also received the further accolade of being included on the bill at the Ulster High Achievers Concert in Ballybofey, Donegal. The high achievers award are invited to audition for the concert and only the ten most exceptional then have the honour of performing on stage at the gala concert, before the awards are presented.
Dympna Byrne, Áine’s mother, told the Celt that “it was an honour” for her daughter to play at the Royal Academy concert. She said the 11-year-old from Drumconrath was “chuffed with herself”.
Multi-instrumentalist Áine plays piano, flute, accordion, and tin whistle, but it was for her grade four flute exam that she earned the High Achievers Award.
Performing ‘Come Dance With Me’ by Pam Wedgwood, she was accompanied on piano by her flute teacher, Mairead Smith and took the opportunity to impress her peers in her stride.
“I don’t think she was nervous at all,” says Dympna, “she’s well used to performing, she’s been performing since she was about two, between singing, dancing and playing her music. So she is used to the stage.”
This was actually Áine’s second time to perform at the High Achievers concert - and last year she actually got a high achievers award for both flute and piano - so it is understandable that a career in music could be a realistic prospect.
“She will continue up to grade eight and in the future maybe she would continue and hope to teach some of the instruments,” says her proud mum.
Áine could well be back at next year’s concert too as last week she completed both her grade five in the flute - which she plays in for the Brass and Reed Band - and grade six piano.