98-year-old Southend Music Festival is showcase for excellence (From Echo)

98-year-old Southend Music Festival is showcase for excellence

BUDDING stars as young as three, and talented adult performers, have been showcasing their skills at Southends’ 98th music festival.

On piano – 94-year-old John E Thomas

The annual festival proudly highlights the town’s musical and dramatic scene, and since it started on November 14, competitors have taken part in the strings, speech and drama, piano and wind instrument categories, while the singing classes began yesterday. The festival is spread between two venues. Crowstone Christian Centre, in King’s Road, Westcliff, hosted a majority of the competitors, while Southend’s Civic Centre, in Victoria Avenue, hosted the piano classes in the council chamber.

Festival secretary Annette Forkin said: “This year has been great so far, and the standards have been fantastic.

“In the woodwind section, we have had marks up in the nineties, which is almost unheard of.

“The ensembles have been of professional standard, they are wonderful.”

Melody makers – Westleigh Junior School Woodwind Group’s George Tothill, Brienny Allard, Alex Usher, Annabel Riley, Alex Haiser and Adriana Dvorakova

Mrs Forkin said: “We are just beginning the singing now, and we welcome people along to watch the competition.

“It’s really first-class entertainment.”

The competition runs until Saturday, with a prizewinners’ concert marking the end of the competition in the afternoon on Sunday.

Expert judges from across the performing arts spectrum ensure the standard of the festival remains as high as when it was founded in 1911.

Mrs Forkin said: “All our adjudicators are wonderful, and they make sure the whole festival is encouraging for everyone.

Dramatic scene category – Crowstone Preparatory School’s Aaron Cocks, front, with Annis Choo, Daniella Reeve, Megan Mortlock, Hafsa Khan, Ashley Jackson, Finley Hopson, Jack Murphy and Noah Jordan in a scene from Mummy, oh Mummy

“It’s all very friendly but still has that sense of performance, which gives everyone experience of performing in a more formal setting.”

With more than 145 competitors taking part across 56 classes, the piano category, last Saturday and Sunday, saw strong performances from musicians of all ages.

Competitors were judged by Rochford-born Royal Academy musician Anthony Williams, who now teaches music at a prestigious Oxfordshire college.

Eileen Hamilton, piano section secretary, said: “The classes all went very well and we had a very high standard.

“The adjudicator was excellent, and was full of advice and help for all the performers.”

The piano section culminated with the presentation of the Dorothy Bose Memorial Cup for the highest mark achieved across five senior classes.

The prize is only awarded if participants score more than 85 marks, meaning the standard of playing has to be universally high.

Mrs Hamilton said: “Mr Williams was very impressed with the standard, and was able to award the Dorothy Bose cup to Aviv Cohen.

“He was very impressed with the standard of his playing, as he was with all the youngsters.

“The Chopin class for under-15s was of a very high standard, too.”

Mrs Hamilton singled out the Sunday night presentation awards as her highlight of the festival, when its president, former Rochford and Southend East MP Sir Teddy Taylor, presented the cup.

She added: “It’s always nice to see the young talent coming through.”

Tickets to the prizewinners’ concert, which takes place from 2.30pm on Sunday, at Crowstone Christian Centre, cost £4 each. They are available at the festival sessions or by calling 01702 341195.

Full results for all classes can be found online, at www.musicinessex.info