THE syllabus for the 109th Swindon Music Festival, which takes place in March, has just been announced.

Over the course of eight days as many as 1,000 people will head for the Arts Centre and Christ Church.

They will be drawn from all backgrounds and ages but, united by a love of music, they will compete in categories ranging from choral singing to woodwind, from brass to harp, and from classical music to modern songs.

“We’re always looking to include new classes if we feel there’s a demand for those classes,” said Geoff Walters.

“We’ve done that as long as the festival has been there. If there is a demand for particular classes we will try to match up as required.

“The biggest trend we have noticed is the increase in piano classes, particularly junior piano classes.

“In fact, 35 per cent of entries to the festival are now for piano. That is staggering.”

So popular is piano that there is to be an extra category for the instrument at the 2018 festival.

Geoff puts much of the surge down to the availability of high-quality instruction, although he’s quick to point out that excellent teaching is available across the board in Swindon.

He is full of praise for organisations such as Swindon Music Service and Swindon Music Co-operative, as well as the schools who manage to teach musicianship in spite of limited resources.

“I think we’re very fortunate in Swindon to have excellent teachers in all areas,” he said.

“And I have to say that’s so crucial to the success of the festival; high quality teaching, not just in Swindon but in the Swindon area, which takes in Cirencester, Marlborough, Devizes, because we do get entries from all these areas and further afield.

“The one thing that always amazes me is the number of children and adults who want to get involved in performing music.”

Geoff himself has become involved with Swindon group Everybody Sing over the last two years.

“I think this is an example of the sort of numbers we’re talking about. They’ve only been going for nearly three years and in their organisation they’ve got nearly 700 of all ages,” he said.

“There are so many groups in Swindon – they’re just one of many.

“I think Gareth Malone has certainly encouraged organisations like the NHS or the postal service or whatever to get involved, and we would like to tap into that in the festival.

“We would encourage more choirs to get involved.”

Geoff taught music at Ferndale, Churchfields and Commonweal schools between 1964 and his retirement in 2000.

His skill as a pianist has seen him accompany choirs, including a 40-year stint with Kentwood and countless schools performances at venues including the Wyvern. He is also the organist at St Margaret’s Church.

His connection with the festival goes back to its very beginning, long before his own birth.

His maternal grandfather, Reginald Choules, was born in 1881 and trained as a Railway Works clerk. He also sang in choirs and served in the Boer War and the First World War.

He was one of the organisers of the first festival at the Mechanics’ Institute in 1909, which attracted a handful of choirs but was very popular.

“It was so successful that they set up a committee the following year,” said Geoff.

Reginald’s daughter – Geoff’s mother, Betty - was a fine pianist who played for lots of organisations, including WADAMS - Wroughton Amateur Dramatics and Musical Society, in her later years.

Geoff’s father was a member and conductor of choirs, was a Swindon Music festival committee member by the 1950s and chaired the festival in the 1980s. Geoff’s mother was also a committee member.

Geoff’s personal connection to the event dates back to 1952 when he was second in the singing category for ages eight and nine. He still has the certificate of merit.

“I always said I wouldn’t get involved until I retired from teaching, because I didn’t have enough time,” he said.

“As soon as I retired from teaching in 2000 I became involved. I went on to the committee pretty nearly immediately. It was always my intention to be involved because my parents and my grandparents had been involved. It was a family thing, and for me a natural progression.”

He believes competition is highly beneficial, although judging at the festival is the very opposite of the brutal treatment sometimes handed down in The X Factor.

“The great thing about the festival is that everybody is so supportive. They’re not there to criticise, they’re there to support and enjoy,” he said.

“For me it’s giving people of all ages the opportunity to perform in front of very supportive audiences and having excellent adjudicators to assess their progress.

“I know there are a number of people that don’t like competitive festivals. I don’t personally think the word ‘competitive’ is necessarily applicable here.

“I think the most important thing is to have the opportunity to perform.

“Over the years it’s been good for me to perform in front of people and I think that’s something most people will say. It builds up your confidence.”

He would like to see more singers in the adult solo classes, as numbers have dropped in recent years.

“I know there are good singers in Swindon and I would just like to encourage them,” he said.

Geoff would also like to see bigger audiences for some of the sessions. Admission starts at £2 for what might be hours of music.

He has lost count of astonishing and heart-warming festival moments, from the emergence of great talents such as teenaged piano prodigy Kimberley Mok to seeing children playing Chopin even though their legs are too short to reach the floor.

“I have to say that there isn’t an adjudicator who comes to Swindon who isn’t full of praise for the standard of music.”

One of last year’s adjudicators lives on a Scottish island, and deliberately made the long trip south because she was about to retire from the role and wanted her last memory of adjudicating to be from the festival.

“She said: ‘I would like to finish with Swindon because I know it will be an outstanding festival.”

Visit www.swindonmusicfestival.co.uk.