QUALITY performances from some of the region's top talent brought South Cumbria Musical Festival to a tremendous close.

The final day of the week-long gathering saw both youth, ladies and male voice choirs almost raise Ulverston's Coronation Hall roof with stylish Barrow Operatic and Dramatic Society bringing proceedings to a spectacular finish on Gala Night with tunes from its forthcoming show Sister Act.

Meanwhile, the previous Wednesday morning was the turn of the young recorder players, playing on descant and treble recorders, in both solos and duets. String and woodwind players also shone. The Instrumental Bursary and Crystal Loving Cup was awarded to Ulverston violinist Maciej Rzepczyk.

Adjudicator, Gill Johnston, on her first visit to SCMF, had some enthusiastic and positive comments for our young performers, giving them some excellent advice and coaching.

Jacqueline Edwards also made her festival debut on the Thursday to adjudicate the vocal classes, which featured folk song, Disney tunes, show songs and 20th Century music.

She said she’d enjoyed hearing the young singers throughout the day. She added: "There’s obviously some good teaching going on and it’s good the parents are so supportive, too.”

The school choirs classes were held in the evening. The highest mark went to Barrow's St James C of E School which received 90 for an exceptional performance.

Youth and adult vocals on Friday included a wide variety of classes ranging from folk song (unaccompanied), musical theatre, songs from the shows, Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta, and Lied. There was a high standard of performance throughout the day with Faye Bowness and Erin Still receiving a mark of 90 in the duet class for an exceptional performance of The Lily and the Rose by Chilcott.

The Georgina Hitchin Memorial Cup and Festival Bursary for a promising vocal soloist in school years seven-13 inclusive, was awarded to Mathilda Kenny of Ulverston.

The adult choir classes were held on the Saturday morning.

All the choirs received a distinction for their performances - ladies’ choir Ottovoce narrowly beat the Ghyll Singers into first place with a programme which included tunes such as Close to You, When Daisies Pied, and Changed Forever. Meanwhile, Kendal Millenium Youth Choir performed You’ve Got a Friend in Me, Firefly, Fields of Gold and Wade in the Water.

In the male voice choir class, Peterborough Male Voice Choir - making its SCMF debut - impressed the adjudicator with its performance. In a tight contest with K Shoes Male Voice Choir and Barrow Male Voice Choir, the choir landed top spot.

Finally, it was Gala Evening with talented Ulverstonian Ben Lewis as guest artiste, opening the entertaining evening.

During the night the audience was treated to performances by competitors from a variety of classes throughout the festival, including Sir John Barrow School, Emily Anne White, Kai Nicholas, Maciej Rzepczyk, and Abigail Stanway.

Millom saxophonist Faye Lewis, won the prestigious Esther C Croskery and Aprille C Bonner Performance Award, and was presented with a specially commissioned crystal trophy plus a cash prize of £200.

The George Nicholls Young Musician of the Year Award, £100 and a trophy to keep, was awarded to Holly Clunie of Millom, who had showed a high standard of performance across a range of classes.

Other awards announced Connor O’Hara was chosen for the European Summer School special award.

Festival accompanist, Anthony Milledge, one of the region's best known musicians and conductors, provided terrific support to competitors throughout the week, and SCMF chairman Keith Butcher praised his playing: "We're very grateful for the work he puts in preparing for the festival.”

Summing up, Mr Butcher added that it has been a very successful festival: "Our adjudicators have all been impressed with the high standard of performances throughout the week. Now we are now looking ahead and beginning to prepare for our 41st festival, in 2017."

Results

Wednesday – Instrumental
Novice Recorder Solo (any recorder). Up to yr 6, The Uren Cup: 1 Heather Lowes; 2 Alice Walmsley; 3= Daisy McLaughlin, Mary Dobson. Recorder Solo (any recorder). Up to yr 4, The Blencathra Cup: 1 Roshana Higginson. The Judith Pool Shield: 1 Mary Dobson; 2 Daisy McLaughlin; 3 Alice Walmsley. Up to yr 6, The Kilshaw Shield: 1 Holly Clunie; 2 Amelie Taylor. The Glen Meay Cup: 1 Amelie Taylor; 2 Holly Clunie. Treble Recorder Solo. Up to yr 6, The Strachan Cup: 1 Amelie Taylor; 2 Heather Lowes. Recorder Duet (any combination). Up to and including yr 6, The SCMF Fistulea Duet Plaques: 1 Amelie Taylor/Heather Lowes; 2 Alice Walmsley/Mary Dobson. Music Making (3 or more players). Up to and including yr 6, William and Dora Jenkinson Cup: 1 Askam Village School (Yr 4/5 Flute Group); 2 Haverigg School (Yr 6); 3= Haverigg School (Yr 5), Askam Village School (Yr 5/6 Flute Group). Any age, Sanderson Family Cup: 1 Anya-Grace Fawcett. Percussion, Any age, soloist or group, The Terry Turner Shield: 1 St James Hand Chimes. Novice Strings Solo. Up to and including yr 6, The Dorothy F. Brown Shield: 1 Andrew Diaz. Strings Solo. Up to and including yr 6, SCMF Award: 1 Martin Greaves. Classical and Romantic, music composed 1750-1900. Yrs 7-9 inclusive, SCMF Award: 1 Maciej Rzepczyk. Yrs 10-13 inclusive, SCMF Award: 1 Laura Brown. Music composed 20th/21st century, Yrs 7-9 inclusive, The SCMF Dotted Crotchet Award: 1 Maciej Rzepczyk. Baroque, music composed between 1600-1750, Yrs 10-13 inclusive, The Doreen Dunlop Shield: 1 Laura Brown. Jazz, Latin, folk, Czardas Style, Yrs 7-9 inclusive, The SCMF Minim Award: 1 Maciej Rzepczyk. Strings Ensemble (2 or more players), any mixed ages, SCMF Award: 1 James Greaves, Martin Greaves and Amelia Greaves. Novice Woodwind Solo. Up to and including yr 6, The Eva Black Shield: 1 Jessica Hartley. Yrs 7-9 inclusive, The SCMF Demisemiquaver Award: 1 Amy Johnson; 2 Katie Cullen. Woodwind Solo. Up to and including yr 6: SCMF Award: 1 Holly Clunie. Baroque, Classical and Romantic, music composed between 1600-1900.Yrs 7-9 inclusive, The Furness Baroque Cup: 1 Kate Moore; 2 Megan White. Yrs 10-13 inclusive, The SCMF Tartini Award: 1 Iona Lee. Music composed 20th/21st century, Yrs 7-9 inclusive, The SCMF Quaver Award: 1 Helen Lecky-Thompson; 2 Lindsey Gibson. Jazz, Latin, Folk, Czardas Style, Yrs 7-9 inclusive, SCMF Award: 1 Katie Cullen; 2 Lindsey Gibson. Woodwind Solo, Open, The Avoca Shield: 1 Iona Lee. The Cumbria Crystal Loving Cup: Maciej Rzepczyk. The Barrow Soroptimists Instrumental Trophy: Jessica Hartley.

Thursday – Youth vocal
Solo. Up to and including yr 4. The William Crawford Memorial Cup: 1 Flora Burditt; 2 Daisy Gilmore; 3 Hannah Thompson. SCMF Award: 1 Hannah Thompson; 2 Daisy Gilmore; 3 Lauren Thompson. The Aprille C. Butterfield Shield: 1 Lauren Thompson; 2 Hannah Thompson; 3 Rowan Matthews. Yrs 5-6 inclusive. The Ulverston Round Table Shield: 1 Freya Lupton; 2 Holly Clunie. The Glaxo Cup: 1 Kai Nicholas; 2 Freya Lupton; 3= Preeya Fallows, Polly Anne Jackson. The John Croskery Douglan Shield: 1 Preeya Fallows: 2= Kai Nicholas, Freya Lupton. The Harold Sharpe Memorial Cup: 1 Preeya Fallows; 2= Freya Lupton, Kai Nicholas. Up to and including yr 6. The Raymond McIlroy Pewter Cup: 1 Kai Nicholas; 2 Preeya Fallows; 3 Freya Lupton. Duet, The Hockaday Shield: 1= Tess Cullen/Preeya Abidi-Fallows, Holly Clunie/Caoimhe France. Solo. Yrs 7-9 inclusive. The Anne Hoyle Shield: 1 Isobel Pringle; 2 Mathilda Kenny. Ulverston Town Mayor’s Shield: 1 Anya-Grace Fawcett; 2= Isobel Pringle, Oliver Banks; 3= Mathilda Kenny, Lara Bremer. The Pamela Rose Memorial Cup: 1 Varenka Briggs; 2 Anya-Grace Fawcett; 3 Connor O’Hara. The 1st Chapman Bequest Cup: 1 Mathilda Kenny; 2= Phoebe Greaves, Connor O’Hara; 3 Anya-Grace Fawcett. Choirs. Up to and including yr 2. The Sandra Adams Shield: 1 Millom Infant School ‘Bluebirds’; 2 Chapel Street Infants and Nursery School. SCMF Award: 1 Dalton St Mary’s Singing for Fun Club. Up to and including yr 6. The Hazel Park Scroll: 1 St James CofE Junior School. SCMF Award: 1 Askam Village School Choir; 2 Roose Community Primary School; 3 Dalton St Mary’s Performing Arts Club. The Ben High Memorial Trophy: 1 St James CofE Junior School. SCMF Award: 1 Haverigg School Choir; 2= Dalton St Mary’s Performing Arts Club, Askam Village School Choir. Hymn singing, up to and including yr 13, The Josephine Sutcliffe Shield: 1 St James CofE Junior School. The John F. Jennings Shield and bursary for young singers: Freya Lupton. The Julie Wills vocal bursary, SCMF Trophy: Kai Nicholas. The Forge Europa Shield and bursary for children’s choir classes: St James CofE Junior School.

Friday Afternoon - Youth and Adult Vocal
Solo. Yrs 7-9 inclusive, Folk Song (unaccompanied) - Enid Proctor Shield: 1 Connor O'Hara; 2 Mathilda Kenny; 3 Anya-Grace Fawcett. Musical Theatre - Mr & Mrs J A Gardner Shield:  1 Oliver Banks; 2 Phoebe Greaves; 3 Connor O’Hara. Duet. Yrs 7-13 inclusive - SCMF Galen Duet Plaques: 1 Faye Bowness, Erin Still; 2 Leah Greaves, Phoebe Greaves; 3 Connor O'Hara, Mathilda Kenny. Solo. Yrs 10-13 inclusive - 2nd Chapman Bequest Cup: 1 Faye Bowness; 2 William France. Song I Like to Sing - Roy Sheldon Cup: 1 Faye Bowness; 2 William France; 3 Iona Lee. Walney Junior Amateur Operatic Shield: 1 Faye Bowness; 2 William France. Folk Song (unaccompanied) - Frank G Crayston Shield: 1 Faye Bowness. The Georgina Hitchin Memorial Cup and Bursary: Mathilda Kenny

Friday Evening/Saturday - Adult Vocals and Choirs
Novice Solo. Yrs 18+ - Robert Bowker Challenge Cup: 1 Linda Walker. Solo. Yrs 18+, British Composer - Barrow Madrigal Cup: 1 Breda King; 2 Linda Walker; 3 Julie Jackson. Songs from the Shows - Esther C Murphy Cup: 1 Jessie Cummings; 2 Breda King; 3= Alastair Rae, Julie Jackson. Jim Noble Rosebowl: 1 Linda Walker; 2 Jessie Cummings; 3 Julie Jackson. Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta - Matt Butterfield Memorial Trophy: 1 Julie Jackson. Lied - Sir Leonard and Lady Redshaw Cup: 1 Linda Walker; 2 Breda King. Folk Song (unaccompanied) - Kenneth Hill Memorial Trophy: 1 Julie Jackson; 2= Elizabeth Queen-Fryer, Breda King. Choir, Ladies' Voice. Yrs 18+ - Ghyll Singers Trophy: 1 Ottovoce; 2 Ghyll Singers. Mixed Voice, any age - SCMF Award: 1 The Kendal Millennium Youth Choir.  Male Voice. Age 18+ - Oxley Developments Rosebowl: 1 Peterborough Male Voice Choir; 2 Barrow Male Voice Choir; 3 K Shoes Male Voice Choir. Esther C Croskery and Aprille C Bonner Performance and Crystal Award: Faye Lewis. The Barrow Arts Forum Shield and Bursary: Dalton St. Mary's Performing Arts Club. The Millom Town Shield and Bursary: Millom Infants School 'Bluebirds'. The Ulverston Town Shield and Bursary: Sir John Barrow School. European Summer School Award: Connor O'Hara. The George Nicholls Award: Holly Clunie.