VOLUNTEERS at Huddersfield Town Hall are urging passers-by to come in and listen to some of the music still in store at the Mrs Sunderland Music Festival.

The event programme is packed with solo classes, bands, orchestras and choirs and will culminate in a grand gala evening on Saturday.

Committee member and volunteer Jenny Lockwood, from Honley, said: “We’ve had a great attendance, but I wish more people would come in off the street and listen to some of the wonderful music here.

“It's only £1 to pop in and listen to the classes for an hour or so, and there are some greatly talented young musicians and drama students this year.

“At the moment there’s a feeling that Britain is broke and often the young get a bad press.

“But festivals such as this show that there’s a lot of talent out there and it has really lifted my spirits to see the performers.”

Mother-of-two Jenny used to be a librarian and helped to pick out some of the poems for the recital classes. She also provides visitors with refreshments each day.

Among the winners this week was Averil Farrar, from Denby Dale, who clinched the prized Henderson Smith Cup as the overall winner of the poetry writing classes.

Averil’s poem The Treeline is published in the music festival’s anthology that can be picked up at the town hall or viewed at the Library nearby.

The grandmother-of-four was inspired to pen her poem by long walks in Hagg Wood in Denby Dale.

She said: “The poem is about getting back to nature and trying to find a bit of quiet in a fast and busy world.”

Other local winners this week include David Bolt from Mirfield who won the piano solo class with his Beethoven sonata, and Rak Verma from Lindley who has picked up a number of prizes for his verse speaking.

Yesterday saw the end of the piano classes and the beginning of the brass and guitar competitions.

Today’s line-up continues with string solos and woodwind classes and the solo instrumentalists’ challenge.

The challenge sees winners of the separate open instrumental classes come together to compete for £100 and the Mrs Sunderland Medal.

School choirs will take to the stage on Friday, and Saturday’s gala evening will host the adult choir winners challenge and recitals from outstanding performers from the week.

The gala evening begins at 7pm and will be attended by the Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Karam Hussain, and compered by borough organist Gordon Stewart.

For more information visit the festival website: www.mrs-sunderlandmusic.org.uk

HERE are some of the latest results from the Mrs Sunderland Festival.

Results from the piano and drama and speech classes:

Piano Solo, Sonata, Open. 1. David Bolt, Mirfield; 2. Geoff Jackson, Rotherham and Sarah Feehan, York.

Family Piano Duet. 1. Rachael and Emma Graham, Hartshead; 2. Isobel and Chris Moore, Gomersal; 3.Amelia Battle and Linda Thompson, Cleckheaton

Piano Solo, Chopin, Open. 1. Hayley-Danielle Pearson; 2. Stephen Gott, Halifax; 3. Joanna Hadley, Bury

Piano Recital, 12-14 years. 1. Elizabeth Humphreys, Salford; 2. Hayley Parkes, Burton-on-Trent; 3. Georgina Wignall, Quarmby

French Piano Music. 1. Christopher Smith, Guisborough; 2. Stephen Gott, Halifax; 3. Joanna Hadley, Bury

Bible Reading School Year 11 and adult. 1. Rita Chambers, Almondbury; 2. Wendy Limbert, Moldgreen; 3. Hilary Pollard, Waterloo

Prepared Reading, open. 1. Katie Garner, Beaumont Park; 2. Rak Verma, Lindley

Dialect Speaking. 1. Barbara Rhodes, Dewsbury, 2. Alan Walker, Dewsbury; 3. Carol Walker, Dewsbury and Rex Barker, Netherton Hartley

Dramatic Duologue, School Years 7-13. 1. Sadie Karpov and Matthew Slingsby, Stage 84; 2. Monica Marriott-Mills and Philippa Charnley, Huddersfield; 3. Samuel Peace and Harvey Shaw