Wharfedale's very first search for a Pop Star ended with a melodic bang at Ilkley Grammar School last weekend.

Four finalists battled it out for musical supremacy at the school's Upper Hall on Saturday, May 10, including 18-year-old Grammar School student Amy Foden.

But in the end the first prize went to 14-year-old Naomi Murray, from Wortley in Leeds, for her performance of Christine Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle and I Don't Know Why, by Norah Jones.

Introduced to add a new, contemporary element for teenagers in this year's Wharfedale Music Festival, organiser Judith Mills said she was delighted with the level of talent shown.

A music teacher and musician, she said: "The Upper Hall was quite full for the finale and it was a very lively audience, largely thanks to The Unlikely Lads, a comedy act who were absolutely brilliant at warming them up.

"The standards were so high that the decision was incredibly difficult, I was so glad that I wasn't an adjudicator!

"Nicola Barker, of Bradford, and Amy Foden both came so close to taking the runner-up spot, which was eventually won by Abi Uttley, from Wibsey.

"And Naomi overwhelmed everyone with her power and a vocal range and moving performance which demonstrated that touch of magic the judges were looking for.

"They all got to pick their own song, which was another test for them, to see if they could pick the right song to match their voice, as well as show the quality of their voices themselves."

Winner Naomi will now sing at the Festival's Gala Concert at the King's Hall on Saturday before going into a recording studio to make her first CD.

All of the runners-up, meanwhile, who also had a chance to record a song at BBC Radio Leeds in the run-up to the finals, received a medal for their efforts.

One person missing from the finale, however, was 18-year-old Helen-Marie Dow-ner, of Wyke, who had to pull out at the last minute due to family reasons.

A total of 63 teenagers, aged 14 to 19, applied to take part in the competition and Ms Mills is hoping even more will come forward next year.

She said: "Pop Star has been introduced on the basis that the festival should, and can, reflect and incorporate the diversities of interests and talents of all the teens in the community.

"There is a lot of talent among teenagers involved in pop music, as opposed to classical music, which as not as yet been tapped or had the opportunity, locally, to be expressed.

"Next year, as an integral part of the Music Festival, there's going to be not only Pop Star 2004 but four more new competitions - for Singer Songwriters, Instru-mental Ensembles, Young Musicians and Pop Bands."

The finalists: Naomi Murray,

Amy Foden,

Nicola Barker and Abi Uttley put on a sparkling show for the audience in the first final of Wharfedale Music Festival's Pop Star event