STANDFIRST

FOLLOWING on from last week's coverage The Westmorland Gazette celebrates the achievements of those taking part in the second half of the eminent week-long 2015 Mary Wakefield Westmorland Music Festival with more words and results.

ONCE again the Mary Wakefield festival provided a fantastic platform for music-making with festival chairman Jolyon Dodgson, himself a distinguished bass-baritone and conductor, thrilled by the high standard of performance.

"There have been some really quite spectacular displays of real talent this year from the upper age ranges." said Mr Dodgson. "People who will undoubtedly become really expert performers in their fields if they choose to pursue it.

"Even if they don’t want to make music their career, with talent like we have seen this week they will be in great demand as amateurs and will derive huge enjoyment from it.

"At the other end of the age range, it was heartwarming and inspiring to see so many very young people willing to get up there and do their best, whether as singers or instrumentalists. If they continue to be as determined as they are now to give it a go, they will be our star performers in future festivals, and will perhaps remember the festival which gave them their first platform, along with the outstanding teachers behind their achievements. Our two adjudicators, Margaret Smith and Christina Thomson, commented very favourably on the high standard."

When I was a teenager in Chester just after the war I was a regular competitor in the Chester Festival and even at that young age I do remember mention being made of the grandmother of all festivals – the Mary Wakefield Festival in Kendal. "where is that? I remember asking.

"Of course, nowadays, we're frowned upon if we mention the word competitive but in those days it was used as the description of exactly what it was.

"Today, despite the fact that the word is banned, we still acknowledge the competitive element by awarding first, second and third place certificates, and many examples of sometimes very beautiful hardware in the form of cups to those displaying the most talent.

"This year all of our classes were sponsored, often by individuals, sometimes by more than one individual.

"On many occasions the sponsors came to present the cups to the winners and at this point it became very obvious that the Mary Wakefield Westmorland Music Festival is still held in very high regard by many in this town and beyond. It was fascinating to hear brief stories by those - now rather more mature - folk who were sponsoring classes in which they themselves took part many years ago as nervous but determined young performers.

Wednesday morning’s classes featured piano, strings and vocal classes for the year six and under age group, plus the classical guitar class for years 10-13 and the composers class for years 7-9. Edmund Hui won the Margaret Armitage Cup and the Mrs Reade Cup for years 4-6 piano, and was rated Outstanding by adjudicator Margaret Smith. Millie Gordon won the Sybil Cropper Cup and the Charlotte Mason Cup for years 5 and 6 vocal solos. In the afternoon, it was the turn of the older age groups, including a vocal duet class for years 10-13 which Margaret described as "by far one of the best duet classes I’ve ever had;" the Burneside Cup was won by Annabel Sharp and Rebecca Chandler with their outstanding performance of the Flower Duet by Delibes.

The sessions brought the week’s classes to a close.

Margaret Smith was thanked by festival chairman Jolyon Dodgson for her sensitive and positive comments which had been very much appreciated by all the performers.

Mary Powney compered Friday's Festival Showcase Concert, which highlighted a number of special performances from the week’s classes. The first half of the programme featured the younger performers and was opened by Poco Amabile, conducted by Hannah Fleming. Other performers included Paddy Davies (violin) and Chloe Martin (piano), while Mille Gordon was presented with the Amabile Bursary for the year 5-7 age group by Marlene Little, sponsoring the concert. The finalists in the Jim Noble Award, adjudicated by Hester Willink, John Hiley and Alan Noble, performed next: Rachel Coombs (cello), Fiona Duxbury (trombone), Molly Faulkner (violin) and Faye Bowness (soprano). Kendal Millennium Youth Choir, conducted by Tracie Penwarden, started the second half with Chattanooga Choo Choo and So It Goes, and were followed by the other Amabile Bursary winners Eve Handy (years 8-10) and Faye Bowness (years 11-13), as well as a harp duet and a string quartet. Finally, Hester Willink introduced the adjudication of the Jim Noble Award finals and Alan Noble presented Molly Faukner with first prize, along with awards for the runners up.

Meanwhile, the hard-working team of festival volunteers continue with preparations for the festival's choral concerts which follow in July - the Come and Sing, July 11, Herdwyck Consort concert, July 11, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater performance on July 12. The schools events come later on October 16.