WHEN Gatton-raised Grace Crichton discovered the song The Ladies Who Lunch song on a flight to Italy three years ago she knew she had found something special.

The humour, lyrics and sass of the performance resonated with Ms Crichton, so the song was an easy pick for her debut at the Somerset and Lockyer Region Music Awards.

"It was a really good find,” she said.

The 27-year-old performer claimed first place for her rendition, and she made audiences chuckle by poking fun at the different types of women.

"The song is sung by this jaded New York divorcee, she's on her fourth marriage and she just drinks martinis all the time,” she said.

"She's toasting different types of women in life.”

Ms Crichton also performed in two other categories including the vocal open solo and the vocal duet, where she and her mother came second for their rendition of Let's Call the Whole Thing Off by composer George Gershwin.

A total of 53 entrants took centre stage at the awards, from primary school children to retirees, in 13 categories.

The tunes of Schubert, Mozart, Gounod, Garfunkel and Sullivan floated through the St Agnes' Anglican Church, performed by the record number of competitors.

Esk Community Choir public relations officer Susan Walker said the competition was close.

"There would have been few in the room who would have envied the choices needed to be made by the event's highly credentialled music judge, Jacinta Lanskey,” Ms Walker said.

"Pocket-sized pianist Madeline Yeo's fluid touch was enough to win her first place in two sections with so many enjoyable performances.

"It was Grace's luminous performance of Ladies Who Lunch from Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical Company, which was a clear showstopper in the musical theatre section.

"Hardly a breath was heard during Kathleen Watts's disciplined and heartfelt rendition of Porgi Amor from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart.”

Results

Instrumental Solo under-7

1st Alex Duncan

Instrumental Solo under-9

1st Madeline Yeo

2nd Meredith Jell

3rd Amelia Roughan

Instrumental Solo under-11

1st Madeline Yeo

Instrumental Solo under-13

1st Nedi Granzien

Instrumental Solo under-20

1st Hannah Lester

Instrumental Solo Open

1st Hannah Lester

2nd Kevin Kruger

Instrumental Duet under-9

1st Amelia Roughan and Grace Jarding

2nd Jessica Beasley and Mary-anne Vaessen

3rd Tyler Elphinstone and Mary-anne Vaessen

Vocal Solo under-9

1st Meredith Jell

Vocal Solo under-13

1st Nedi Granzien

Vocal Solo Open

1st Kathleen Watts

2nd Eric Von Nida

3rd Christine Caldwell

Vocal Duet Open

1st Denis Hawes and Eric Von Nida

2nd Marina and Grace Crichton

3rd Roland Cox and Denis Hawes

Senior Musical Theatre

1st Grace Crichton

2nd Roland Cox

3rd Ruth Skippen