“We've managed to revitalise a piece of history”.
The words of Mrs Sunderland Music Festival chairman Ray Brown as the event enjoyed its best performance for years.
More than 3,300 people took part in 10 days of competition at Huddersfield Town Hall and many hundreds more enjoyed workshops and music events.
A big success this year was the staging of The Armed Man as a major event in its own right. Written for the Millennium, the ‘Mass for Peace’ has a dedication to the victims of Kosovo and is a powerful piece of music.
Mr Brown said: “We are trying to revitalise the festival and I think we have succeeded.
“It was a couple of years ago that we thought we were looking a bit stale and we decided on a rebranding.
“One of the advantages of being 127 years old is that you have history and heritage on your side, but there is also the view that you can be seen as a bit old-fashioned.
READ MORE: "I was mesmerised" says Mrs Sunderland Music Festival judge
“We have greatly improved what we offer and it has been heartening to see so many people taking part in a variety of new events.
“We plan to collaborate more with other organisations and with the schools to bridge a gap which may come about as funding cuts bite. I am confident we can progress still further”.
Results
Class 85 - Junior Choir - Hymns or Sacred Songs School year 6 and under: 1 Lindley Junior School Choir, 2 Lindley Junior School Training Choir, 3 QEGS Junior Foundation Choir.
Class 86 - Junior Choir School year 6 and under: 1 Lindley Junior School Choir, 2 Lindley Junior School Boy’s Choir, 3 QEGS Junior School Choir.
Class 87 - Young People’s Choir School year 9 and under (not previously placed first): 1 Treble Talents.
Class 89 - Young People’s Choir 19 years and under: 1 Halifax Young Singers: Chamber Choir, 2 Halifax Young Singers, 3 Halifax Young Singers: Girls/Rastrick High School Senior Choir.
Arthur Rooke Cup was awarded to Lindley Junior School Choir for the best single piece in Class 86.
The choirs invited to sing with the Band of the Yorkshire Regiment at their Festival of Remembrance Service are Rastrick High School Junior Choir, Halifax Young Singers: Chamber Choir and Lindley School Junior Choir.
Class 90 - Adult Choirs not placed first in last five years: 1 Ladybrook Singers, 2 Fixby Songbirds.
Class 91 - Small Choirs: 1 Unique, 2 Opus44/The Melody Belles.
Class 92 - Ladies Choirs: 1 Vocal Expressions, 2 Rodillian Singers, 3 Ladybrook Singers.
Class 93 - Male Voice Choirs: 1 Colne Valley Male Voice Choir, 2 York Philomonic Male Voice Choir, 3 Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choi.
Class 95 - Choir Programme: 1 Opus 44, 2 York Philomonic Male Voice Choir, 3 Rodillian Singers.
Class 96 - Choir Prize Winners Challenge: 1 Opus 44.
Huddersfield Centenary Trophy was awarded to Ladybrook singers for their performance of ‘The Seal Lullaby’.
Adendum from Friday, February 26, correction Class 89 - Young People’s Choir: 1 Halifax Young Singers Chamber Choir, 2 Halifax Young Singers, 3 Halifax Young Singers Girls Choir/Rastrick High School Senior Choir.
Class 28 - Woodwind/Recorder Solo School year 6 and under: 1 Ben Mullins, 2 Emily Watson, 3 Lawrence Vines.
Class 29 - Woodwind/Recorder Solo School year 9 and under: 1 Emily Watson, 2 Grace Turner/Hannah Quinn.
Class 30 - Woodwind/Recorder Solo School year 11 and under: 1 Ben.
Class 31 - Woodwind/Recorder Solo open: 1 Lydia Wyatt, 2 Ben Mullins, 3 Matthew Rhodes.
Class 32 - Brass Solo School year 6 and under: 1 Haydn Osborne, 2 Samuel Fitzsimons.
Class 33 - Brass Solo School year 9 and under: 1 Christie Smith, 2 Ainslee Farrar, 3 Alistair Smith.
Class 34 - Brass Solo School year 11 and under: 1 Edwin Farrar.
Class 35 - Trumpet/Cornet Solo-Slow Melody School year 11 and under: 1 Ainslee Farrar, 2 Haydn Osborne.
Class 36 – Brass Solo - open: 1 Christie Smith, 2 Edwin Farrar.
Class 37 - Two Instruments or Instruments and Voice School year 13 and under: 1 Edwin Farrar, 2 Mia Sedgwick, 3 Alexander Philokyprou/Taran Thiyagesh.
Class 38 - Solo Instrumentalists’ Challenge: 1 Lydia Wyatt.
Class 41 - Large instrumental ensemble School year 6 and under: 1 Silkstone Common J&I School Orchestra.
Class 42 - Large instrumental ensemble - all ages: 1 Hill House School Jazz Orchestra, 2 Hill House School Guitar Orchestra.
Class 44 - Ukulele Group - open: 1 Friends of Beaumont Park Ukuleles.
Class 100 - Jazz: 1 Daniel Llewellyn, 2 Laurence Vines.
