Music, Memories and a Vicious Biscuit: A tribute from Kate

EYMW brought me joyfully back to reality.

Rediscovering the Joy of Music

Kate Munn was a member of EYMW from 2001–2008, missing only the 2005 course. Now a teacher of piano, violin and music theory, she also plays in an amateur orchestra simply for the fun of it.

For Kate, EYMW taught her something that stayed with her long after her time on the course:

“Good quality music-making is primarily for enjoyment and enrichment.”

After entering the world of Music College, Kate found herself taking music increasingly seriously. EYMW reminded her why she had fallen in love with it in the first place - for the joy of playing, performing and sharing music with other people.

A Place to Grow - and Have Fun

Kate remembers EYMW as a place where young musicians could develop their orchestral skills while having an incredible amount of fun.

It was a week of intense music-making, new experiences and meeting people from a huge range of backgrounds. And, as Kate puts it, “candles get burnt at both ends and friendships are made to last a lifetime.”

Remembering Phil Hutchinson

One of Kate’s strongest EYMW memories is of Phil Hutchinson, whom she first met on the 2001 course.

At 17, Phil was quiet, calm and measured - and seemed considerably more mature than everyone around him. Two years later, he would demonstrate exactly why.

Phil led an impromptu samba band, with many of the instruments fashioned out of beer cans. What could have been chaotic quickly became one of Kate’s favourite EYMW memories.

He showed remarkable leadership, handled tricky situations with confidence and created what Kate remembers as “THE chamber music number of all my EYMW courses.”

A Lasting Legacy

Phil was hugely loved by those around him, and Kate says it is no surprise that he went on to charm his colleagues at BBC Radio 3.

Sadly, Phil’s life was later cut short in a car crash. But the impression he made on the people he met has endured.

“Everyone who ever met him will remember him vividly, I have no doubt.”

And perhaps the best tribute of all is that, decades later, Kate can still remember the music, the laughter and the person behind it all.

There is just one thing she still can’t quite remember:

Why was his nickname “Vicious Biscuit”?

Kate