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Paul Noble takes second place at provincial performing arts festival

Paul Noble takes second in intermdediate musical theatre at provincial performing arts festival
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Gaeil Farrar photo Paul Noble, pictured here in his musical theatre suit for his performance at the Cariboo Festival’s Honours Concert held at Cariboo Bethel Church this spring won second place in the intermediate classical voice category at the Performing Arts provincial music festival in Kamloops this week.

Rising to the challenge of singing against about 20 other competitors from around the province, Paul Noble took second place in the intermediate musical theatre category at the provincial Performing Arts BC festival held in Kamloops this week.

The award comes as a surprise to Noble and a thrill for his vocal instructor Angela Sommer.

“We are just over the moon and back,” Sommer said of Paul’s win.

She said competition at the provincial festival is very stiff so to place second is pretty phenomenal.

Paul said he didn’t expect to win an award because he was still recovering from a car accident he had when the vehicle he was driving hit a tree after a tire became caught in the gravel at the side of the road.

He said he suffered bruises from the seat-belt and being knocked around in the car but was otherwise unhurt.

“I was in an accident two weeks ago and recovering from that so I was really surprised but glad that I placed,” Noble said.

For his provincial festival entry performed Tuesday morning, Noble sang If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof and Empty Chairs, Empty Tables from Les Miserables. He started working on the songs last October.

Noble was one of four of Sommer’s vocal students recommended by the Cariboo Festival adjudicator to attend the provincial festival.

Megan Amos attended as a competitor in the junior classical voice category. Destiny Watson attended as a competitor in the junior musical theatre category. Eloise Hobi attended as an observer.

Sommer said all four of her students attended workshops offered during the festival and Eloise, as an observer, sang in the future stars event.

She said the festival adjudicators send younger participants who show promise as observers to encourage their development. She said it is nice to see competitors from small festivals in the interior and Vancouver Island doing well at the provincial festival.

Paul just finished Grade 12 as a home schooled student at his family’s home in McLeese Lake and hasn’t made plans yet for his future.

This summer Paul plans to work with his brother, Mark, who has an ice cream truck called Monster Cone which he takes to the Calgary Stampede and other festivals and events around B.C. and Alberta.