We need to keep some information about all festival entrants so we can plan our programme, produce a printed programme, prepare marksheets and certificates, let them know when they are performing etc. We also know that many of you would like us to inform you about future festivals.

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation we aim to keep you informed and not to keep more information about you than we need to. So we have developed a Privacy Policy, which you can see here. We shall also send it to all entrants.

Wishing all our competitors, teachers, parents, volunteers, audience members, adjudicators and accompanists a happy and harmonious 2019.

We hope to see you  many of you at this year’s Festival at The Hall at Challow Park on 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th June and 6th July.

This year we have had a vintage year with plenty of entries and helpful and friendly advice from our expert adjudicators. It finished with exciting competitions for the instrumental prizes of Town Shield and Cooper Cup for young and not-so-young performers followed by the festival concert with excellent snippets from some of the best singers and instrumentalists.

While the festival is a great success we would be grateful for input from people who appreciate the goals of the festival and would be willing to help us to run it,  as well as from those who would just like to know more about what happens “behind the scenes”.

Please come to the AGM this year at the The Hall at Challow Park, Challow Road, Wantage, OX12 9RH) on October 11th at 8pm.

We will  welcome anyone coming to the meeting to find out how the festival runs and provide your feedback as to how it could be improved.

We hope to see you there.

The Committee

The festival programme has now been agreed, and entrants will soon be receiving their time-cards  – if they haven’t received them before they read this! We have also agreed our new Privacy Policy, which we shall be sending to all entrants. You can see it here.

The outline programme is shown below. A full printed programme showing all entrants and details of their music will be available for £3 on the door and for a couple of weeks beforehand at the Vale and Downland Museum.

We have been trialling online entries this year, and we are pleased to see how many people have tried it out – we’ve been watching the entries come in! And of course you haven’t had to hunt for those stamps and envelopes that are never there when you want them, and you’ve been able to get instant confirmation..

We realise it took us a while to get everything set up and tested to make sure everything would be working properly for you, so those of you entering online haven’t had a lot of time to do so. So we’ve decided to give you the Easter weekend for those of you that haven’t got your entries in yet. (Or perhaps you have, but were thinking of entering another class as well.)

We’planning to relax a little over Easter and start processing the entries afterwards, so if you get your entries in by April 3rd you won’t miss your chance. And if you are entering by post, get it in the post by then and we’ll see it – might be best to put a 1st class stamp on, though!

We’ll look forward to seeing you in June!

We are pleased to announce that the 2018 Festival Syllabus is now available. So if you, or your child or your pupil, are an enthusiastic or aspiring singer or musician, download the syllabus now and see what classes you would like to enter.

You have the opportunity to perform in front of a sympathetic audience and a highly qualified adjudicator who will provide helpful advice while assessing you, and you will receive a written adjudication and a certificate. You will be able to enjoy hearing other performers. If you do really well you may even get the chance to perform in the Final Concert or be considered for one of our cash prizes or trophies.

There is a not to be missed opportunity to be accompanied at no extra cost by our widely experienced accompanist on one of the world class grand pianos in the Hall at Challow Park.

We have classes for all ages from 9 and under to 55 and over, singers in many genres, instruments including strings (guitars as well as orchestral) , woodwind, brass, piano. organ, percussion, even handbells, for soloists and groups of all sizes from 2 to 30!

Preparations for this year’s Festival are proceeding apace and the syllabus is now complete, with solo and group classes for all ages from 9 and under to 55+, and all levels from beginner to Grade 8 or Open.

So if you enjoy singing or playing an instrument, come and perform in front of a sympathetic audience and a professional adjudicator who will give you feedback. There are prizes for the very best singers and instrumentalists, but every performer will get comments on their performance and a certificate.

Those who enjoy listening to live music will also find plenty to enjoy during the Festival. A selection of the most interesting and outstanding performances during the festival will be presented at the final concert – not to be missed!

The 2018 outline provisional programme is given below

Saturday 16th June – Piano Classes
Sunday 17th June – String Classes (Bowed Strings and Guitars)
Sat 23rd June – Vocal Classes
Sunday 24th June – Brass, Woodwind and Miscellaneous Classes
Saturday 30th June – Instrumental Prize Finals (John Durrant Prize and Cooper Cup) and Final Concert

It will be at The Hall at Challow Park, OX12 9RH.