The 100th Alderley Edge Festival of Music, Speech and Drama gets underway next week.
Talented young performers from the local area and beyond have been practising their pieces in preparation for this prestigious festival which starts on Tuesday 3rd May and runs throughout the week - culminating in a Finale on Saturday 7th May.
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 in venues around the village, including local schools, churches and the recently refurbished Festival Hall.
The festival is a showcase for both budding and accomplished performers, from reception children to Grade 8 virtuosos. Everyone is welcome to go along to support the Festival and enjoy a few hours of pleasant entertainment.
Throughout the week there will be classes for woodwind, brass, piano, string and percussion, as well as many vocal classes, both solo and choral. Then on Friday and Saturday, it is the turn of the young speech and drama performers with over 50 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 - tickets for which will be available from the Festival Hall from 10am on Thursday 5th May.
Keith Lowe, Chairman of The Alderley Edge Festival said "Following on from the huge success of our opening Celebratory Concert of last Saturday, we are so looking forward to welcoming our new and returning performers to The Festival next week. The standard of the entrants continues to enthral everyone that comes to watch, and we welcome anyone from the village and the environs to join us and enjoy the outstanding entertainment that will inevitably be on show.
"This year we have over 120 Music Classes and over 50 Speech and Drama Classes ranging from beginners to Grade 8 in music, and beginners to top grades in Speech and Drama. The competition is enjoyable, the talent immense and the ethos of 'having fun' is held by all concerned. It will certainly be a special 100th Festival."
Tickets are available from each venue on the day, and will give admission to all morning and afternoon sessions for just £3. Evening sessions are £2.50. £15 tickets are also available which give access to all daytime and evening classes (excluding Saturday evening). Children may enter day and evening classes free-of-charge.
See the Festival website for a list of all the different classes.
Alderley Edge Festival Update: The Alderley Young Singer of the Year 2016 (Class 101) will be held at the Festival Hall on Friday 5th May 6.30pm, not at AESG as advertised.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I still recall the burst of pride in my manly bosom when my owh daughter won a prize (I still take it out and polish it from time to time!: the prize, not the manly bosom!).