Festival News
Sunday Highlights
The Royal Hall echoed to the sound of Brass Bands and Ensembles all afternoon and evening as the 2009 Guild entered its second day. Stars of the day were Manx Concert Brass under their conductor Ian Clague MBE.
The Open Brass Ensemble Class winners were Manx Concert Brass 'A', while their 'C' Quartet were victors in the Quartet Class.
In the main Band competitions during the evening Manx Youth and Concert Brass had a clean sweep of victories in all three classes held. The George Ridgeway Trophy for the best soloist was won by Martin Norbury.
In the Promenade Suite there were three vocal Solo Classes, and winners were Emily Coates (Vocal Solo - All Voices - Female 16 to 25 years - Male 18 to 27 years), Sue Mills in the Open General Vocal Solo, and Mandy Griffin in the Oratorio Solo.
There were also classes for Organ held in St Thomas' Church, where the winners were Sam Creer (Beginners Class) and Hilary Sewell (Advanced).
posted on: 27/04/2009
2009 Festival
The 2009 Festival got underway at 9 am on Saturday 25th April when Chairman Allan Wilcocks MBE welcomed audiences in the Royal Hall and the Promenade Suite of the Villa Marina to the event, ahead of eight full days of competitions.
The first day in the Royal Hall saw classes for junior choirs and ensembles, Country and Manx Folk Dancing, and junior Vocal Classes for Popular Standard Songs and Songs from the Musicals; there was also a full day of competitions for Brass Solos and Ensembles in the Promenade Suite.
Among the solo winners on day one in the Vocal classes were Simon Lynch of Peel in the Popular Standard Song Class (14 and under 18 years) for songs written after 1930, Bryony Grant of Castle Rushen High School in the Songs from the Musicals (14 and under 18 years) Class, and Ernie Thorn in the Adult Popular Standard Song Class for songs written after 1979.
In the Brass classes there were solo successes for Breesha Foxton in the under 12 years Class and James Aire in the 16 and under 19 years Class, while in the Adult Instrumental Brass Solo Class the honours went to Karen Mahood for a stunning performance of Demelza by Hugh Nash, which earned her high praise from adjudicator Colin Hardy.
For full results as they come in please follow the link above to the "Results 2009" pages.
posted on: 26/04/2009
Syllabus download
The Syllabus for the 2009 Festival from 25th April to 2nd May is now in local newsagents Please click here to download the pdf.
posted on: 08/12/2008