Amnesty names its young protest song champions

Amnesty International UK today unveiled the winners of its protest song competition, Power of Our Voices, at a prestigious ceremony at its London Human Rights Action Centre.

Truro College quartet, Gypsy’s Anchor, won the top prize in the Performance category, while the Lyrics award went to 15-year-old Isla Ratcliff, from The Edinburgh Music School.

Isla’s winning song is called ‘Death Row’ and tackles the thorny issue of the death penalty. The topic has a particular personal resonance for Isla. Her great-great-great-great-uncle was hanged in 1822 in the UK for murder. He was young and had murdered a former girlfriend.

Isla’s song focuses on the case of Troy Davis, who was executed by lethal injection in 2011 despite significant doubts over the safety of his original conviction and more than a million people signing a petition as part of a high-profile campaign.

Gypsy’s Anchor are Bethany Penrose aged 17, Mica Smith, 18, Thomas Holland, 18, and Sam Richardson, 18. Their winning song is called ‘Full Score’ and compares young people’s life in the UK with life for child soldiers.

Both Isla and Gypsy’s Anchor received their awards from the former Newsround presenter Sonali Shah in front of an invited audience of 150 people.

Around 700 Students from over 70 schools and youth groups across the UK took part in the competition.

The competition was judged by renowned music author and writer Dorian Lynskey, producer Steve Brown, rapper and poet Kate Tempest, music teacher Jonny Slater and youth and student members of the Amnesty’s Education and Student team.

Steve Brown was so impressed with both winners that he has promised to produce their songs in a professional studio.

The full list of winners are:

Lyrics
WINNER: Isla Ratcliff, The City of Edinburgh Music School
RUNNERS-UP: Adam Bojelian, Forthview Primary School, Edinburgh; Chloe Donahue, Amarpreet Mann, Francesca Britten and Valeria Ferguson, from Littleover Community School, Derby; Luciana Crowther, Tanya Wilson, Iona Morphet and Clarissa Tyson, from Alderley Edge School for Girls, Cheshire.

Performance
WINNER: Bethany Penrose, Mica Smith, Thomas Holland and Sam Richardson from Truro College
RUNNERS-UP: Shay Runsewe, Maya Stoddard, Kamahl Kelly, Promise Ave, Gokay Tezgel and Timi Odusina from Harris Academy Purley, Surrey; Leah Booth, Georgia Innes and Katie Brenna from Westergate Community School, Chichester; and Isla Ratcliff, The City of Edinburgh Music School.

Background:
Children aged 11-19 were asked to write and submit original lyrics for a song addressing a current human rights issue that they felt strongly about. Those who wished to take their work further; setting their lyrics to music and recording a performance were invited to submit a recording to the “Performance Category.” Those wishing to submit only written lyrics entered the “Lyrics Category.” Students from over 70 schools and youth groups across the UK participated in the programme. Over 580 entered the lyrics competition and another 168 entered the performance competition.