This year's festival for Music, Speech and Drama is fast approaching.
Talented young performers from the local area and beyond have been practicing their pieces in preparation for this prestigious festival.
Organisers of the Alderley Edge Festival for Music, Speech and Drama are all set to welcome over 2,700 performers for the five day event to be held from Tuesday May 5th to Saturday 9th. In venues around the village, the festival is a showcase for both budding and accomplished performers, from reception children to Grade 8 virtuosos.
Throughout the week there will be classes for woodwind, brass, piano, string and percussion, as well as many vocal classes, both solo and choral. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, it is the turn of the young speech and drama performers with 55 classes in verse-speaking, prose-reading, drama, mime, improvisation and Shakespeare.
The highlight of the week is the Festival Finale on Saturday evening, when the 'best-of-the-best' are invited to perform once again in front of an appreciative audience. Tickets will be available from Thursday 7th May from the Finale Committee at the Festival Hall, and are highly sought after, so do book early if you want an evening of incredible entertainment.
The committee members who organise this huge event have been working hard to ensure that, despite being unable to use the Festival Hall for performances, everything will go ahead without a hitch. The Festival Hall will, however, remain the centre of their operations this year, and the Committee can be found here every day.
Other venues have kindly opened their doors and invited the Festival to hold the classes that would normally be scheduled in the local landmark, which is currently undergoing a major transformation.
Festival Chairman, Keith Lowe said; "It has been an interesting logistics challenge this year without the Festival Hall. However, we are very grateful to the Head, Mrs Susan Goff and the Caretaking staff at the Alderley Edge School for Girls for use of the school every evening of the Festival. Also a big thank you to the staff at the Methodist Church, St Phillips and St James Church, St Pius X Church, The Scout Hall and The Ryleys School for allowing extra sessions in these venues. It is this support from out local community that has allowed our Festival to continue not just this year, but for many years."
As well as the performers, there will also be fifteen highly-experienced professional adjudicators who have been engaged from around the country, and who have the unenviable task of deciding who gets the trophies!
Keith added "More important than trophies though, is the sincere hope that all the performers have an enjoyable experience and come away from the festival with happy memories."
Tickets for morning or afternoon sessions are available throughout the week from all the venues taking part.
Photos: James Berry and Madeleine Edmondson and Alderley Edge School for Girls 'Schola Angelorum' choir.
