Festival News
Friday Highlights
The line up for this year's Sheffield Plate Final was completed on Friday morning in the Royal Hall when Michelle Jamieson won Class JS8 Girls' Solo (Years 7 to 8). She will compete in the Final on Saturday evening against the winners of the other Junior Solo Classes, who are: Aalin Wilson (Girls Solo Year 4), Rhianne Charnley (Girls' Solo Year 5), Katrina Holmes (Girls' Solo Years 9 and 10), Maebh Worthing (Girls' Solo Year 6), Shayla O'Brien (Girls' Solo Years 1 to 3), Patrick McCord (Boys' Solo Years 1 to 4), Stuart Perks (Boys' Solo Years 5 and 6) and Daniel Quayle (Boys' Solo Year 7 and over).
Friday night in the Royal Hall was taken up with the Duet Classes. The winners who will sing on Finals night, competing for the Billown Rose Bowl, were Denise Groenewald and John Qualtrough (Mixed Voice Class), Harry Galbraith and Graham Crowe (Male Voice Class) and Marlene Hendy and Dilys Sowrey (Female Voice Class).
The final day of this year's Festival sees the Folk Songs (Years 4 to 8) in the Royal Hall, and the Character Study (Up to Year 6) in the Promenade Suite during the morning. The afternoon in the Royal Hall is taken up with Classes for Choirs, before the stage is set for Finals Night, which gets underway at 7 pm. Those who will compete for the Festival's top honour, the Cleveland Medal, are Andrew Williamson (Bass), Sian Callow (Soprano), John Qualtrough (Baritone), Victoria McLauchlan (Contralto), Michael Corkhill (Tenor), and Linda Corkish (Mezzo Soprano). Adjudicator for all of the day's vocal classes, including the Finals, is Fiona Chryssides, who makes a welcome return to the Island, having adjudicated many classes at last years Festival.
posted on: 01/05/2010
Thursday Highlights 2010
A phenomenal performance of 'Gethsamane' from Jesus Christ Superstar brought a standing ovation and the Manx Ladies Choir Trophy for Simon Lynch of Greeba in Thursday night's Songs from the Musicals Class in a packed Royal Hall. It was a truly memorable performance, and one which will be remembered and talked of for a long time to come.
In the afternoon, Kelly Collard was the first ever winner of the newly introduced Lieder Class for All Voices (Female 16 - 25 years) and Male (18 to 27 years).
posted on: 30/04/2010
2010 Update
Two more full days of competition at the Villa Marina and many fine performances in singing, the Spoken Word and instrumental classes.
The line up for this year's Cleveland Medal Final has been completed, with some new faces ready to make their bid for the Festival's top honour.
Making their first appearances in the Final on Saturday night will be Sian Callow (Soprano), and father and daughter Michael Corkhill (Tenor) and Victoria McLauchlan (Contralto). They will be joined by John Qualtrough (Baritone), who appeared for the first time in a Final last year, two time medallist Andrew Williamson (Bass), and Linda Corkish (Mezzo Soprano) who won the Medal in 1998.
Tuesday evening's main competition in the Royal Hall was the Victorian or Edwardian Ballad Class, which was won by Graham Crowe with a superb performance of Stephen Adams' "Thora". Wednesday evening saw wins for Emma Sayle in the French or Italian Song Class, while Andrew Williamson won the Vocal Solo - British Composers Class singing Vaughan Williams' "The Vagabond."
posted on: 29/04/2010