EXCEPTIONAL performances on brass day got this year's South Cumbria Musical Festival off to a terrific start.

The 2016 festival opened with Sunday's brass day, featuring John Doyle making his festival debut as adjudicator.

Brass solos, duets and ensembles in both age restricted and open classes featured and the standard of play was good throughout the day, with several competitors awarded distinctions for their performances.

In the junior classes Abigail Stanley of Dalton was awarded the Kimberly-Clark Shield and Bursary of £100 for a promising young brass competitor; and the Robert J Lacey Memorial Plate for a promising young brass competitor was awarded to Holly Clunie of Millom. The Dr Fred Yeadon Cup and Bursary was awarded to Millom's Jeffrey Bailey. Meanwhile, in the schools section, Holborn Hill Royal Brass Band landed the Rotary Club of Ulverston Shield and Bursary for Junior Brass Bands.

Derek Horne, from South Cumbria Retirement Band, received the James M Fryer Memorial Shield for the best solo in the brass band classes; the Ulverston Town Band Shield was awarded to Dalton Town Band and Holborn Hill Brass Band Juniors won the general section entertainment class.

Mr Doyle complimented the standard of playing and was impressed by the good attendance in the junior ensemble classes.

Monday's Speech day was another first on the adjudicating front for Brian Hindle. Once again, well supported by local schools, the classes included poetry, prepared reading, bible reading, and acted dramatisations with good standards during the day. Several competitors received distinctions while Connor O’Hara, Mathilda Kenny and Adam Kirby of Ulverston, and Thomas Nussbaum-Richman and Sanjana Sing of Barrow, each received a mark of 90 or above for outstanding performances in age-restricted classes. Among the awards was Ulverston's Mathilda Kenny, who won the Patrick Croskery Award for meritorious speech. Sir John Barrow School received a score of 92 for an outstanding performance in the choric speaking class.

The hired Steinway Pianoforte took centre stage for Tuesday's piano day. Adjudicated by Caroline Clemmow, Edwin Hui of Grange-over-Sands, was awarded the Julie Wills Piano Bursary, and Charlie Whalley received the Douglas Poulter Piano Bursary. There was a range of music from all eras from Bach through to the theme from Star Wars.

In the afternoon, players from school years seven upwards took to the Coro stage with several distinctions and outstanding performances, performing Baroque through to music from the 21st century. Olivia Sheila Smith of Farleton was awarded the Peter Gray Memorial Piano bursary for senior piano players. A celebrated instrumentalist and performer in her own right, Ms Clemmow said the festival was a "wonderful event," encouraging all local musicians to go along to the festival to play or just listen. "You can learn as much from listening, even if you’re not brave enough to have a go."

SCMF chairman, Keith Butcher, said that the festival had got off to a great start with some exceptional brass playing in the solo classes, particularly from ensemble groups, which was encouraging for the well-being of the brass competition. He added: "We're looking forward to the rest of the week continuing the same high standard set today."

As usual the festival will end with the glittering Gala Night on Saturday (March 19, 7.30pm), once again promising a highly entertaining evening, showcasing the week's festival winners together with local talent such as Ben Lewis.

Tickets for the gala event are available from the festival office at the Coronation Hall, or on 0777-3403686.

 

Results:

Sunday, March 13
Brass. Novice Solos - up to Yr 6, Dunlop Cup: 1 Tash McQuire; 2 Charlie Park; 3 Ruby Jackson. Yrs 7-9, SCMF Arban Award: 1 Fred Moore; 2 Toby Sainty; 3 Tom Leech. Solo - Yr 6, Hartman Award: 1 Tess Cullen; 2 Holly Clunie. Yrs 7-9, SCMF Ball Award: 1 Nicholas Kitchingman; 2 Connor O’Hara; 3 Toby Sainty. Yrs 7-9, Clarry Dunlop Shield: 1 Connor O’Hara; 2 Nicholas Kitchingman; 3 Toby Sainty. Yrs 9, Duet, SCMF Award: 1 Tash McQuire. Yr 10-13, SCMF Award: 1 Abigail Stanway. Open, Howard Olds Shield: Jeffrey Bailey. Yrs 10-13, Jack Manning Pewter Cup: 1 Abigail Stanway. Open, Robert Latimer Cup: 1 Jeffrey Bailey. Open, Harold McEneney Shield: 1 Jeffrey Bailey. Open, Ulverston Town Junior Band Shield: 1 Jeffrey Bailey. Junior Brass Ensemble, 3 or more players/max 12, Vickers Shield: 1 Holborn Hill Royal Brass Band Junior Ensemble; 2 Barrow Shipyard Brass Ensemble; 3 Captain Shaw’s Brass Ensemble. Ensemble, 3 or more players/max 12, any age, Lonsdale Brass Band Shield: 1 Cumbria Horn Ensemble; 2 MKS Brass Collective. Junior Brass Bands, Rotary Club of Ulverston Bursary and Shield: 1 Holborn Hill Royal Brass Band Schools Section; 2 Barrow Shipyard Junior Band; 3= Brasstastic, St. Pius School Orchestra. Brass Band ‘Entertainment’ Class, J W Latimer Cup: 1 Holborn Hill Royal Brass Band Juniors; 2 Dalton Town Band; 3 South Cumbria Retirement Band. Brass Bands, Ulverston Town Band Shield: 1 Dalton Town Band. Robert J Lacey Memorial Plate: 1 Holly Clunie. Kimberly-Clark Shield and Bursary for Young Brass Instrumentalist: 1 Abigail Stanway. Dr. Fred Yeadon Cup and Bursary: Jeffrey Bailey. Rotary Club of Ulverston Shield and Award for Junior Brass Band: Holborn Hill Royal Brass Band, Schools Section. Kimberly-Clark Awards for Senior Brass Bands - 4th Section and Unregistered: 1 Dalton Town Band. James M Fryer Memorial Shield: Derek Horne, South Cumbria Retirement Band. 
 
Monday, March 14
Speech. Poetry - up to Yr 2, Windermere Shield: 1 Heidi Lawson; 2 Daniel Round; 3 Ruby Kitchin. Yr 3, First Advertiser Shield: 1 Nathan Lee Cheong; 2 William McCullough; 3 Niobe Mitchell. Yr 4, Mini Langdale Cup: 1 Phoebe Lever; 2 Rose Cropley; 3 Holly Heffeman. Yr 5, Buttermere Shield: 1 Thomas Nussbaum-Richman; 2 Abbie Tyson; 3 Antonio Magio Poyntz. Yr 6, Rydal Award: 1 Freya Ashcroft; 2 Rebekah Clayton; 3 Jeremy Ashley. Yr 7, Keats Award: 1 Connor O’Hara; 2 Sanjana Singh; 3 Mathilda Kenny. Write and Recite - Up to Year 6, Bill Shaw Great Gable Cup: 1 Ava Park; 2 Dylan Kenny; 3= Holly Clunie, Tabitha Britton. Yrs 7-9, Bill Shaw Helvellyn Cup: 1 Connor O’Hara; 2 Lydia Hetherington; 3 Mathilda Kenny. Prepared Bible Reading - up to Yr 6, Miriam Townson Trophy: 1 Daniel Knott; 2 Freya Ashcroft; 3 Jayden Milby. Yrs 7-9, Fluted Cup: 1 Subhash Chatterjee; 2 Adrian Lee Cheong; 3 Hugh Williams. Acted Dramatisation (single character) up to Yr 6, Ullswater Shield: 1 Lucy Coward; 2 Ruby Worrall; 3 Laura Brown. Yrs 7-9, Robson Award: 1 Lydia Hetherington; 2 Libby Woods; 3 Roxana Gittins. Prepared Reading - up to Yr 6, New Westmorland Gazette Shield: 1 Aman Kshetrapal; 2 Shubham Kukreti; 3 Holly Clunie. Yrs 7-9, Bronte Award: 1 Adam Kirby; 2 Connor O’Hara; 3 Adrian Lee Cheong. Yrs 7-9, Bronte Award: 1 Adam Kirby; 2 Connor O’Hara; 3 Adrian Lee Cheong. Shakespeare Class - Yrs 7-9, SCMF Award: 1 Mathilda Kenny; 2 Connor O’Hara. Choral speaking - up to Year 6, Heather J Stenhouse Shield: 1 Dalton St. Mary’s Performing Arts Club. Choric Speaking - up to Yr 6, Barbara Wrigley Cup: 1 Sir John Barrow School; 2 Dalton St. Mary’s Performing Arts Club. Patrick Croskery Trophy for Meritorious Speech: Mathilda Kenny. The Julie Wills Speech Bursary: Thomas Nussbaum-Richman. Barrow Soroptimists Shield and Bursary for Speech: Connor O’Hara
 
Tuesday, March 15
Novice Piano Solo - up to Yr 3, The Sutton Shield: 1 Iris Illingworth; 2 Neve Blamire; 3= Evan Beach, Charlie Whalley. Yrs 4-6, Hamer Shield: 1 Rosie Murray; 2 Sean Kerr; 3= Tash McQuire, Pranav Singh. Yrs 7-9, Muriel Dixon Shield: 1 Ruairi France; 2= Ireyimika Bamigboye; 3 Andrew Bell. Yrs 10-13, DP Music Services Shield: 1 Ife Bamigboye. Piano Solo - Yr 3, Iris Henry Award: 1 Edwin Hui; 2 Charlie Whalley; 3= Sean Kerr, Evan Beach. Yrs 4-6, 20/21st century music (from 1900), Liz Waller Cup: 1 Edwin Hui; 2 Tash McQuire. Yrs 4-6, classical and romantic (between 1750-1900), Vera Wall Memorial Shield: 1 Edwin Hui. Yrs 4-6 Harlyn Shield: 1 Edwin Hui; 2 Tash McQuire. Yrs 7-9, Burnsmead Shield: 1 Connor O’Hara; 2 Edmund Hui; 3 Jack Matthew Spencer. Yrs 7-9, classical and romantic (between 1750-1900), Gertrude H Leach Shield: 1 Lawrence Diffey; 2 Thomas Clayton; 3 Edmund Hui. Yrs 7-9, 20/21st century music (from 1900), Mabel Hargreaves Cup: 1 Connor O’Hara; 2 Jack Matthew Spencer; 3 Edmund Hui. Yrs 7-9, Lyric Cup: 1 Edmund Hui; 2 Thomas Clayton; 3 Sanjana Singh. Yrs 10-13, Dryden Cup: 1 Olivia Sheila Smith; 2= Emily Anne White, Iona Lee; 3 Ife Bamigboye. Yrs 10-13, Lisa Parkes Shield: 1 Olivia Sheila Smith. Yrs 10-13, 20/21st century music (from 1900), Margaret Rizzi Cup: 1 Emily Anne White; 2 Olivia Sheila Smith; 3 Iona Lee. Year 10-13, classical and romantic (between 1750-1900), Harold Petersen Lidded Cup: 1 Olivia Sheila Smith. Yr 13, Baroque (between 1600-1750), Marion Pearson Cup: 1 Olivia Sheila Smith; 2 Edmund Hui. Yr 18+, Don Usher Cup: 1 Peter Wild; 2 Stephen Eccles. Open, Mabel Dewar Shield: 1 Peter Wild; 2 Stephen Eccles. Open, Clair Bonner Shield: 1 Peter Wild; 2 Stephen Eccles. Mixed ages, Duet/Trio for one piano, SW McIlroy Cup: 1 Edwin Hui, Edmund Hui. The Douglas Poulter Memorial Shield and Bursary for piano: Charlie Whalley. The Julie Wills Piano Bursary and Trophy: Edwin Hui. The Peter Gray Memorial Shield and Bursary for piano: Olivia Sheila Smith. The Martyn Tonge Rosebowl: Stephen Eccles. 

 

More words and results from the second half of the festival next week