HUDDERSFIELD Town Hall was filled with the sound of beautiful voices this weekend.

The annual Mrs Sunderland Music Festival started on Friday and promises to be one of the best ever.

Vocalists aged between nine and 59 took part in this weekend's various classes.

One of the most successful was Kath Ireland, who travelled to Huddersfield from Peterlee in Durham.

She scooped the mezzo/alto open age prize as well as the top award, the Samuel Firth Silver Rose Bowl. She also took home the title of Top Solo by Mozart - a special class this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Austrian composer's birth in Salzburg in 1756.

One of the most hotly-contested classes was that of Junior Vocal Recital - 16-20.

This was won by Huddersfield University student Anna Page.

Anna, 20, is in the second year of a music degree at the university. She said she was delighted to have won the prize.

Anna, originally from Cowbridge in South Wales, said: "I took part last year, but I hadn't been very well so I didn't do as well.

"I love singing and have done since I was very young. A music teacher told me I had a good voice, so I swapped my violin for singing."

Second in the class was Jenny Stafford from Kirkburton.

The 18-year-old said: "I just enjoy singing and it's nice to hear and work with other singers in a competition such as this.

"I'm pleased with my second place as the standard was very high."

Maxine Taylor, from Doncaster, was third in the class.

The 16-year-old, who attends Leeds College of Music, said she had been singing since she was eight.

"I would love to be a singer/songwriter," she said.

Festival chairman Michael Hampshire said the standard of competition was very high this year.

"I think in terms of standard it is one of the best years we have had," he said. "There has been a real spread of ages.

"We have a class for nine-year-olds and under and we have singers in their fifties. One year we had a chap of 84 taking part."

The festival continues throughout the week at the Town Hall and at Huddersfield University's St Paul's Hall and Recital Hall, until Saturday.

RESULTS:

Music Theatre -17 & over: 1 Sally Mitchell (Kirkheaton), 2 Laura Crowther (Linthwaite), 3 Rebecca Hill (West Yorkshire Vocal Academy). Junior Music Theatre - 11-13: 1 Ann Wilkes (Beaumont Park), 2 Catrin Pryce-Jones (Ripponden) and Jessica Ramsay (Wyke), 3 Samuel Dumigan (Netherton).

Joyce Exley Trophy: Hayley Johnson (Horsforth).

Light Operatic Solo -open: 1 Richard Buxton (Huddersfield), 2 Alexandra Webster (Sheffield), 3 Helen Appleton (Sheffield). German Lieder - open: 1 Debra Ogden (Beckenham), 2 Richard Buxton (Huddersfield), 3 Simon Anderson (Paddock).

Vocal Duet - open: 1 Jennifer Haggart and Anna Page (Huddersfield), 2 Sarah and Debra Ogden (Brockholes).

Operatic Solo - open: 1 Kath Ireland (Peterlee), 2 Sarah Ogden (Brockholes), 3 Laura Crowther (Linthwaite). Tenor Solo - open: 1 Harold Earnshaw (New Mill), 2 Richard Buxton (Huddersfield), 3 Simon Anderson (Paddock).

Oratorio Solo - open: 1 Rebecca Parr (New Mill), 2 Helen Appleton (Sheffield), 3 Simon Anderson (Paddock). Baritone/Bass Solo - open: 1 James Paskell (Shepley), 2 Matthew Brown (Bradshaw), 3 John Whelan (Wakefield).

Soprano Solo - open: 1 Jennifer Haggart (Crossland Moor), 2 Sarah Ogden (Brockholes), 3 Sally Mitchell (Kirkheaton). Mezzo/Alto Solo - open: 1 Kath Ireland (Peterlee), 2 Debra Ogden (Beckenham), 3 Rebecca Parr (New Mill).

British Composer - open: 1 Alexandra Webster (Sheffield), 2 Harriet Smith (Shiptonthorpe), 3 Jenny Stafford (Huddersfield). English Song - 18 & over: 1 Jenny Stafford, Huddersfield, 2 Anna Page (Cowbridge), 3 Richard Buxton (Huddersfield).

Girls' Solo 14 & 15: 1 Sarah Killian (Halifax), 2 Sarah Plews (Kirkburton), 3 Cloebeth Hamer (Northowram) and Rachel Crisp (Clifton). Girls' Solo 16 & 17: 1 Harriet Smith (Shiptonthorpe), 2 Maxine Taylor (Doncaster), 3 Rachel Spencer (Holmfirth).

Boys' Solo - unbroken voice: 1 David Fearn (Ripponden), 2 Tom Law (Holmfirth) and Thomas Lambert (Rastrick). Young Men's Solo -18 & under: 1 Matthew Thomson (Huddersfield), 2 Kristian Cleworth (Bradford).

English Song - 17 & under: 1 Ann Wilkes (Beaumont Park), 2 Matthew Thomson (Huddersfield), 3 Rachel Crisp (Clifton). Folk Song - 16 & under: 1 Rachel Crisp (Clifton), 2 Maxine Taylor (Doncaster), 3 Catrin Pryce-Jones (Ripponden).

Girls' Solo - 9 & under: 1 Lydia Bradd (Halifax), 2 Lydia Berry (Holmfirth), 3 Bethany Garside (Huddersfield). Girls' Solo - 10 & 11 & Under: 1 Monica Marriott-Mills (Huddersfield), 2 Hannah Caldwell (Huddersfield), 3 Reanna Geisler (Huddersfield).

Girls' Solo - 12 & 13: 1 Jessica Ramsay (Wyke), 2 Catrin Pryce-Jones (Ripponden), 3 Ann Wilkes (Beaumont Park).

Junior Music Theatre - 10 & under: 1 Lydia Bradd (Halifax), 2 James Field (Huddersfield) and Natalie Batchelor (Stainland), 3 Khadna Badri (Razzamatazz).

Rose Bowl For Young Singers: 1 Sarah Killian (Halifax), 2 Matthew Thomson (Huddersfield).

Vocal Solo by Mozart - open: 1 Kath Ireland (Peterlee), 2 Rachel Spencer (Holmfirth), 3 Jenny Stafford (Kirkburton).

Samuel Firth Silver Rose Bowl: Kath Ireland (Peterlee).

Percussion Solo - 13 & under: 1 Jonathan Mansfield (Shepley), 2 Logan Hartley (Golcar), 3 Charlie Buckley (Shepley). Percussion Solo - 16 & under: 1 Jonathan Beevers (Shelley), 2 Tom Inglis (Newsome), 3 Jake Buckley (Shepley).

Drumkit Solo - 13 & under: 1 Dominic Lodge (Golcar), 2 Karl Dransfield (Golcar), 3 Barney Lister (Holmfirth). Drumkit Solo - 16 & under: Oliver Entwistle (Meltham), 2 Tom Inglis (Newsome), 3 Jonathan Beevers (Shelley).

Percussion (or Drumkit) Solo - open: 1 Simon Whittaker (Emley).

Vocal Recital - 21 & over: 1 Helen Appleton (Sheffield), 2 Jennifer Haggart (Crosland Moor), 3 Debra Ogden (Brockholes).

Junior Vocal Recital - 16-20: 1 Anna Page (Cowbridge), 2 Jenny Stafford (Kirkburton), 3 Maxine Taylor (Doncaster).