It was a hard-fought battle to determine the winner of the fifth preliminary of the 38th annual Richard Stoute Teen Talent contest last Sunday.
Though the competition had six singers, the real contest was between Cherece Richards and Cherish Maynard; with Richards coming out on top by a margin of 31 points.
Her dominance began from the moment she walked on stage in the first half to deliver Yesterday. However, it was her rendition of Alabaster Box that showcased her vocal prowess and gave her the upper hand on Maynard to amass 673 points from the judges.
Richards’ timid appearance though did not hide her talent as the lyrics rolled off her tongue, helping her to captivate the intimate audience at Divi Southwinds, St Lawrence, Christ Church.
Her stage presence was strong, as was her diction. On the other hand, she was somewhat lacking in voice control as her nerves seemed to get the better of her at times.
Maynard, an almost seasoned Teen Talent entrant, demonstrated that experience during both performances of Bridge Over Troubled Waters and California King Bed. While her performances were certainly something to talk about, she was not perfect. Her song choices did not allow her to show enough of her vocal range, especially in the second selection. She gained 642 points.
Third place with 563 points went to Patrona Robinson.
Of special note was 11-year-old Dianna Price. She has a good voice, and with more training the Springer Memorial Secondary student could go on to at least reach the semi-finals stage of the competition. (Green Bananas Media)
