Last Year’s Message from the President (April 2018)
Dear Friends,
On behalf of our Chairman and Committee I am delighted to welcome you most warmly to the 102ndFestival in Alderley Edge.
This year we have 115 Music Classes and 52 Speech and Drama Classes for ages ranging from 5yrs to adulthood. Let me whet your appetite for some of classes during the 8-12th May and I hope you will join our audiences. We open on the 8th May with choral singing involving 10 excited junior choirs and on 10th May there are 9 adult choirs to entertain us. There are recitals involving wind, brass, strings and piano in many age groups during the week. The vocal entry is high and culminates in the Young Singer of the Year 2018 on Friday 11th May. The open Piano Recital on Saturday has attracted 12 experienced pianists, each playing three contrasting pieces. Our experienced ‘musicians of the year’ are a great joy to listen to as are the many younger musicians who work so hard with their teachers and deserve success.
On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th May we include Speech and Drama. We have performers in set and own choice pieces, in Shakespeare classes, solo and group drama and in duologues. In addition we have Junior Thespian and Young Thespian of the Year 2018 and, in contrast, there is the Party Piece for those young children of Reception age. All these classes are well supported and enjoyed by those taking part and their audiences. This section of the Festival attracts many entries and 9 classes have been split into smaller groups. The standard is always high and visibly builds self-confidence in our young performers.
Special for this year is the Leonard Bernstein and Spike Milligan class – a joint music and speech venture. We are marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of these well known, talented men. This class takes place on Thursday evening at 8.30pm until 9.30pm in the Festival Hall, admission is free to all for the entire evening at the Festival Hall from 6.15pm. Bring your family and friends!
The above highlights are a mere sample of the variety and content of our Festival in 2018. There is Artistry, Achievement and lots of Action to behold. Our venues will be filled with Enjoyment, Enthusiasm and Encouragement for all. Do come along, enjoy yourself and encourage others to come and listen.
Thanks are due to our Committee and Stewards, who are all volunteers. We are so fortunate to have these hardworking, dedicated and enthusiastic people. To those of you who support the Festival, whether performing, teaching, adjudicating, accompanying or just attending – our special thanks and good wishes.
The Committee and I are looking forward to meeting you during this remarkable week of music, speech and drama in Alderley Edge.
Marie Grant
President, Alderley Edge Festival 2018
