FRIDAY’S performances set a demanding precedent for musicians taking part in this year’s Swindon Music Festival, with organists raising the roof of Old Town’s Christ Church.

For the 106th year the popular festival, which nurtured the likes of talented stars Jamie Cullam, Diana Dors and Sarah Covey, has returned to the town to test the musical mettle of cellists, pianists, singers and flautists among a wealth of instrumentalists.

Geoff Walters, chairman of the Swindon Music Festival, was impressed with the level of talent displayed during the weekend.

He said: “I thought Friday was a lovely evening. The quality of the music and especially of the choirs was just amazing. At the end of the evening to hear them all inside a church was just brilliant.

“Overall it was a superb evening.

“It seemed to be a good start to the music festival, we usually start with organ and sacred songs and of course it’s best to have that in a church, and it was brilliant that we could host it in Christ Church in the heart of Old Town. Everything else is held in the Arts Centre in Devizes Road.”

Saturday continued to tantalise those with a musical ear, with classes in brass, guitar, piano and vocals.

Geoff said: “Saturday was mainly guitars and in the evening singing.

“We have always had a lot of support from Swindon with the music festival. The town always gets a bad name but when you have something like this it serves as a reminder that Swindon is a centre of culture and the arts in the region.”

The festival will resume at 9am this morning at the Arts Centre with woodwind, and visitors will be able to hear flutes, clarinets,and saxophones. During the day there will also be a number of string classes, including violin, viola and cello, and some piano classes.

All the competitors are aged from eight upwards and the winners of each class battle it out in their own championships.

The Instrumental Championship is on Wednesday, March 25, the Junior Vocal Championship is on Friday, March 27, the Senior Vocal Championship is on Saturday, March 28 all costing £5.

Entry to the Supreme Championship, which follows the Seniors, is £7.50.

Tickets each day cost £2 for daytime sessions and £3 for evening sessions.

Programmes are available now from Holmes Music in Faringdon Road, and Brian Taylor in Royal Wootton Bassett.

To find out more about this year’s festival visit www.swindonmusicfestival.co.uk.

Friday winners:

  • Church Organ - Grade 4 and under: Stephen Henderson 
  • Church Organ - Grade 5 and over (The Bill Ruck Church Organ Shield): Charlotte Corderoy 
  • Sacred Song (The George Snook Sacred Song Trophy): Catherine Forty 
  • Spiritual / Gospel Song (The Cliff & Marie Cardis Trophy): Caroline Pitt 
  • Oratorio, including arias from major religious works (The Ray Howell Trophy): William Pearson 
  • Adult Church Choirs (The Church Choir Shield): St Sampson's Church Choir, Cricklade 
  • Adult Choirs (The Hill Challenge Shield): Dodecantus UK. 

    Saturday winners 
  • Brass Solo, 12 – 16 years: Alexander Harris 
  • Guitar Solo, Grades 1 - 2 (The Holmes Music Guitar Trophy): Alexander Verdi-Cotts 
  • Guitar Solo, Grades 3 - 4: Naomi Jones 
  • Guitar Solo, Grades 5 - 6: Sam Murphy 
  • Guitar Solo, Grades 7 - 8: Anant Mane 
  • Guitar Duet, Grades 3, 4 and 5 (The Guitar Duet Shield): Simon Crew & Ellen Foster 
  • Guitar Duet, Grades 1 - 2 (The Guitar Duet Shield): Orlagh Sharrock & Naomi Jones 
  • Guitar Duet, Grades 6, 7 and 8 (The Guitar Duet Shield): Samuel Jones & Tom Absalom 
  • Instrumental Solo - Jazz, Grades 5 - 8 (The Eric Day Trophy): Samuel Jones 
  • Instrumental Recital, 17 and over (The Swindon Recital Series Senior Trophy): Helen Brown 
  • Instrumental Ensemble, 11 and under: Swindon Junior Recorder Players 
  • Instrumental Ensemble, (The SYM Ensemble Trophy): Swindon Youth Recorder Players 
  • Instrumental Ensemble, 14 and under (The Swindon Music Co-Operative Trophy): Corinium Players 
  • Family Instrumental, (The Arkell Family Cup): Celine & Duru Heath 
  • Piano Solo, Jazz, 17 and over: Michael Pogany 
  • Nostalgia – Popular Song - 1914 to end of 1940s (The George Snook Nostalgia Trophy): Joseph Annetts 
  • Jazz Song (The Mervyn Penny Trophy): Natalie Forty 
  • Music Hall Song (The Phyllis Mann Memorial Trophy): Jennifer Stevenson 
  • Victorian or Edwardian Parlour Song, 1840-1910 (The Sheila Harrod Parlour Song Trophy): Natalie Forty 
  • Modern Pop Song, 1960s to present day, (The Gary Beint Trophy): Mike Viret