VISITORS to the Arts Centre tonight are sure to be blown away when Swindon’s most talented musicians and singers compete in the Supreme Championship.

Today marks the last day of this year’s Swindon Music Festival and performances are expected to reach a crescendo when the top performers go head-to-head.

From 6.30pm performers who have already walked away with a trophy, and those with the highest number of points across a number of classes, will battle it out for the CS Mac-pherson Cup.

Sheila Marcer, vice chairman of the Swindon Music Festival, said: “The winners of all the classes, vocal and instrumental take part and it’s more of a concert than a competition. There will be all sorts of instruments, violins, guitars, as well as singers.”

But the Supreme Champion-ship is only the end of what promises to be a musically triumphant day.

Before the finale, visitors will be able to witness the best of the vocalists in Swindon sing their hearts out for the Free Church Council Challenge Cup.

Singers, ensembles and choirs across 23 different classes and genres, including folk, light opera, jazz, Gilbert and Sullivan, musical theatre, gospel modern and pop, will compete in the Senior Vocal Championship.

Sheila said: “In the Senior Vocal Championship, all the winners in the classes will compete against each other, and the winner of that will appear in the Supreme Championship as well.”

The Supreme Championship is a culmination of several championships that have take place throughout the festival, and last night youngsters once again had a chance to prove themselves in the Junior Vocal Championships.

The most talented 25 youngsters who had topped their classes throughout the week went head to head to compete for the RG Cripps Challenge Trophy and be crowned the Junior Vocal Champion.

Sheila said: “We have had some good children singing this year who have all enjoyed taking part.”

The talent across the board has impressed adjudicators.

Caroline Clemmow said: “It think the level of talent has been tremendous and there’s been a particular interest in modern and jazzy music, especially among the younger ones, so I have been encouraging there to be a youth jazz club of some sort.

“It has been wonderful, even the tiny ones just bounce on stage and have no nerves at all.”

Tickets to the Grand Concert cost £7.50 for adults and 50p for children.

 

THURSDAY’S WINNERS

  • Girls’ Solo, 14, 15 and 16: Marion Bird (The Yvonne Walker Trophy)
  • Girls’ Folk Song, 14, 15 and 16: Helena Tuck (The Sarah Jefferies Trophy)
  • Gilbert & Sullivan, 13, 14, 15 and 16: Harry Apps (The Nora Gill Memorial Cup)
  • Songs from Shows and Films, 15 and 16: Charlotte Corderoy (The Kentwood Trophy)
  • Girls’ Folk Song, 12 and 13: Isabelle Tuck (Ralph & Francis Summers Memorial Trophy)
  • Boys’ Folk Song, 11, 12 and 13: Harvey Cullis
  • Song in Foreign Language, 12 - 16: Matilda Wale (The Don Morse Memorial Trophy)
  • Lieder, to be sung in English, 2 - 16: Matilda Wale (The Sheila Harrod Trophy)
  • Songs from Shows and Films, 13 and 14: Helena Tuck (The Esme Weight Trophy)
  • Songs from Shows and Films,  26 and over: Michael Chivers (The George Snook Trophy)