Other Music Festivals similar to Wantage Music Festival
(i.e.not “muddy wellies” festivals).

Wantage Music Festival was affiliated to The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech (BIFF), which has nearly 250 member festivals. The Federation also provides adjudicators and accompanists. Federation adjudicators, who are already highly qualified musicians as performers and/or educators, receive training and assessment in the particular skills of adjudication.

Nearby festivals include:

Abingdon Music Festival,
Chipping Norton Music Festival
Oxford Music Festival
Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival
Swindon Music Festival
Woodley Festival of Music and Art

Other Music Societies in or near Wantage

Below are just some of the societies we know in the Wantage area for those who enjoy making music:

Caritas Children’s Choir
Wantage Choral Society
Wantage Orchestra
Wantage Parish Church Choir
Wantage Silver Band

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A very big thank you to all those who have contributed towards the Festival’s success over the years.

The Trustees would like to thank:

All the committee members over the years who have given their time to organise the Festival.

Particular gratitude is owed to Bob McLatchie, who was instrumental in founding the Festival in 1977 and has been active in organising the Festival in roles such as Chairman and President ever since. Also to the late Graham Blyth, a long-time supporter of the Festival and Chairman from 2014 to 2020, who made the Hall at Challow Park, with its exceptional pianos and organ, available after the previous venue at St Mary’s School was closed in 2007.

The volunteers who helped to ensure the smooth running of the Festival weekends each year, undertaking such tasks as manning the doors and welcome desk, assisting the adjudicator with sheet music, certificates and mark sheets, producing refreshments etc.

Our sponsors and those who have donated grants or prizes, including:

Arts-Hub Wantage
The Challow Park Music Trust
Challow Park Studios
Co-operative Society Community Fund
The Guild of King Alfred Players
John Lewis & Partners
Kutana Ltd
Opera Unmasked
Vale of White Horse District Council
Waitrose
The Wantage Bunting Project
Wantage Town Council

as well as other sponsors who prefer to remain anonymous.

Thank you also to 34SP.com, who offer free Web hosting for charities and have been very patient when we have needed support.

Thanks must also go to:

Our highly experienced adjudicators, who have encouraged many with their helpful tips and advice.

Our versatile accompanists, who have so ably supported our entrants whatever their choice of music.

Those teachers, parents and friends who have helped and encouraged our entrants during their rehearsals and performances,

Our supportive audiences who helped to provide a sense of occasion.

And, most of all we would like to thank our entrants who have had the courage to submit themselves to an adjudicator’s judgement in public. Their performances have brought joy to our audiences and all have learnt from the adjudicators’ comments. Without our entrants there would have been no Festival!

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There were enough funds to run at least one more annual festival when the decision was taken to close it – there were just not enough remaining volunteers with time available to organise it.

The Trustees decided to distribute the remaining funds to other organisations that can further the Festival’s activities of promoting music performance and education, with a particular emphasis on children and young people, and focussing on the Wantage area. Continue reading Our Legacy →

Goodbye! Continue reading GOODBYE! →

For over 45 years the Wantage Music Festival has been encouraging aspiring musicians young and old and delighting audiences. Singers and instrumentalists alike have taken part in the joy of music making,  and the feedback they have received from our expert adjudicators has helped  many to progress their performing to the next level.

Now we have reached a crisis point. Without more volunteers we cannot continue the Festival. We really would be very sad if we have to discontinue the Festival after it has made such a difference to the musical life of Wantage and surrounding areas for so long.

If you think you can help in any way please come to the special meeting at Wantage Methodist Church at 8pm on Thursday 28th September 2023.

If you may be able to help but cannot come to the meeting, please contact our Vice Chair, David Lynch on 0755 435 0055 or  compsec@Wantagemusicfestival.org.uk Please also pass this on to anyone you know who may be able to help.

A big thank you to the Wantage Herald,  Round and About and other local publications for helping us to get the word out.

https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/23812429.wantage-music-festival-at-risk-discontinued/

FINAL CALL

Wantage Music Festival provides an opportunity for singers and instrumentalists to perform before a supportive audience and receive expert feedback on how to improve their performance. The Festival receives entries from adults and children with all levels of skill. Some entrants enjoy music making as amateurs and some go on to make music their career. We are pleased to have helped all these people get more enjoyment from their music and gain valuable performing experience.

As you may be aware we were unable to run a Festival this year because we no longer have enough committee members to organise and run a Festival. To continue we need to recruit someone willing to lead the organisation as chair and three more people prepared to join the committee and take an active role in organising the Festival.

Can you help, or do you know someone who can? We are calling a General Meeting next Thursday 28th September 8.00pm at the Methodist Church, Wantage to discuss the future of the Festival. Regrettably if we don’t get the volunteers we need after that we will have to wind up the Festival. The Festival has contributed to the musical life of Wantage for over 45 years and we hope it has a future but this can only happen if we get more support.

If you would like more information about the Festival and what help is needed, please contact the vice-chair, David Lynch, compsec@Wantagemusicfestival.org.uk or phone 0755 435 0055

It’s not too late to forward this invitation to anyone you know who is interested in music making in Wantage.

David Lynch (acting chair, WMF)
email: Compsec@WantageMusicFestival.org.uk

With regret we have decided we cannot run our normal Festival this year. For a while the rate at which volunteers retire from the committee has exceeded the rate at which people volunteer and we have reached the point where we feel we don’t have the resources to put on our traditional Festival.

We hope to run a smaller, more local, event this year and see if we can attract support to revitalise the Festival for future years. Anyone who would like to help with this do please get in touch. We could use help with advertising, organising and fund raising, and you should be rewarded with a sense of achievement.

To all the people who normally enter the festival, either themselves or encourage their pupils to enter, our thanks for past support and apologies. We do hope to be back.

SEEKING A WAY FORWARD

You are invited to the AGM on October 13th where you can give your feedback and put your ideas forward. We also need more volunteers to help with planning and administration to secure the future of the festival.

Our Offering

Since 1977 the Wantage Music Festival has been offering amateur musicians of all ages the opportunity to perform in public before a professional who then gives supportive comments aimed at encouraging even better music making.

This Year’s Festival

Reflections on 2022 and our Officers’ reports.

The Future

How relevant is our offering? New classes? New ideas? New events?

Local Musicians

We are proud to welcome performers from a wide area but we have noticed that nowadays fewer people from Wantage, Grove and surrounding areas take part than used to be the case. We’d like to find good ways to reverse this trend, and we’d like to hear from you how we might do this.

Volunteers Urgently Needed

We need people to join our small, friendly committee and help with planning and administration of the Festival for it to continue. There are various tasks required ranging from social media postings, advertising the Festival, seeking sponsorship, arranging concert refreshments and food for adjudicators, secretarial activities, safeguarding and others. If you think you may be able to help in any way, however small, contact us on: wmfinfo@wantagemusicfestival.org.uk or let us know at the meeting.

Financial Support

Sponsors? Advertisers?

Where & When

Thursday 13 October at 8pm in the Methodist Chapel, 20 Newbury Street. This will be a hybrid meeting. If you can’t come in person please email wmfinfo@wantagemusicfestival.org.uk for a Zoom link. If you have ideas or are willing to help but are unable to join us at the AGM, do contact us using this email link.

The Roll of Honour lists the prizewinners at the recent Wantage Music Festival which took place in June 2022 with the Festival Finale on July 3rd when exceptional performers played and the prizes were awarded.

The festival is open to musicians of all degrees of ability and all ages. Performers receive  sensitive advice from our very experienced adjudicators to help them on their musical path. The most outstanding performers can also be invited to play at the Festival Finale concert or can be awarded cash prizes or trophies. The prizes for exception musical performers are intended to provide an incentive to continue their musical journey up to the highest levels.

Some performers at the festival have continued to the BBC Young Musician contest and a life in music while many others have continued both to give and receive pleasure with their singing and playing.

A big thank you to our sponsors and advertisers, without whose contributions we could not run the Festival .

If you are interested in sponsoring any aspect of Wantage Music Festival or in advertising in the 2023 Syllabus and/or Programme please contact the Treasurer.

A big thank you to our sponsors and advertisers

A big thank you