UP-and-coming singers took centre stage at the Arts Centre yesterday as Swindon Music Festival went from strength to strength.

A full day of activities began with a host of young performers singing in a variety of categories including folk, Gilbert and Sullivan and musical theatre.

Georgina Rees, 16, took top spot in the teenage songs from the shows category. She did the number What Ever Happened to My Part? from the Monty Python musical Spamalot.

She said: “It was really nerve-racking as it was a tough competition and all the performers were of a very high standard.

“It feels absolutely amazing to have won and I never thought that I would.”

The youth categories continued in the afternoon with an adult vocal competition being held at the Devizes Road centre in the evening.

This is the 106th year the popular festival has taken place and it celebrates all disciplines of music.

It is often quoted as being the place where the likes of pianist Jamie Cullum and actresses Diana Dors and Sarah Covey first spread their rhythmic wings.

Yesterday, adjudicator Maria Jagusz, assessed all the talented singers.

Yvonne Walker, festival secretary, said: “The singing competitions started yesterday and it has been wonderful to hear the great talents. It has been thoroughly enjoyable and I know that our adjudicator Maria has been very impressed.”

Yvonne has held her position with the festival for 10 years and has been incredibly impressed with the standard of this year’s entrants.

She said: “The quality is very high, that is testament to the performers but also to the very good teaching that we clearly have in Swindon.”

More singers will be assessed today as part of the festivities with the festival coming to a close with the Supreme Championship on Saturday.

Entry to the closing event, again taking place at the Arts Centre, costs £7.50.

To find out more about the programme visit www.swindonmusicfestival.co.uk.

 

FESTIVAL RESULTS

70 Piano Solo Grades 3 and 4, The Betty Walters Trophy, Tanisha Navaratne, 88; 132 Modern Popular Piano Solo, 9 and under, Ben McLean, 87; 71 Piano Solo Grades 5 and 6, The Geoff Walters Trophy Dan Davis, 87; 90 Piano Trio 16 and under, Amy Canning, Eleanor Hyde & Alexandra Hunt, 86; 94 Keyboard Initial and Grade 1, Amberleigh Buttery, 84; 95 Keyboard Grades 2 and 3, The Holmes Music Keyboard Trophy, Joshua Rowe, 86; 117 Recorder Solo up to Grade 1, Sadie Bathe, 85; 118 Recorder Solo Grade 2, Emmi Elizabeth Raine, 86; 119 Recorder Solo Grades 3-4, Bonny Robins, 86; 120 Recorder Solo Grades 5 - 6, Stephen Kwong, 86; 121 Recorder Solo Grades 7-8, Gillian Farkas-Blake, 87; 123 Recorder Duet Grades 5-8, Hannah & Megan Burkhardt, 85; 135 Modern Popular Piano Solo 16 and under, The Gordon Talbot Trophy, Anant Mane, 87, 134 Modern Popular Piano Solo 13 and under, The Holmes Music Trophy, Mrunal Mane, 87; 4 Novice any voice, Jack Winter Memorial Trophy, Christopher Patterson, 88 5 Folk Song, The Esther and Reginald Eatwell Trophy, William Pearson, 87 2 Duet Songs from Shows and Films, The Pauline Grant Memorial Trophy, Natalie and William Forty, 90 1 Duet The Don Oliver Memorial Trophy, Natalie Chequer and Stephanie Walsh, 86; The Instrumental Challenge Cup, Alexander Harris.