The Festival movement in its current form will be 100 years old in May 2011, it is not the 100th Festival yet as five years were missed during WWI, but it is nevertheless a significant milestone in the history of not only the Festival, but of the village as a whole.
The Alderley Edge Musical Festival Society came into existence in 1911 and back then there were 17 classes covering only music. In 2011, 100 years later, there are 186 classes which now include speech and drama.
To mark the centenary, three very special competitions have been launched. Aspiring poets of any age are being invited to compose a poem of celebration to be performed at the 2011 Finalé. Musicians of all ages can compose a rousing fanfare to open the 2011 Finalé and all budding artists are being invited to design a special pin badge, using the existing logo, which will be worn by over 1800 competitors who enter the Festival next year.
Keith Lowe, Festival Chairman said "We are celebrating the Centenary of the existence of a Festival in Alderley Edge at the same time as the centenary of the Alderley Edge Festival committee. We made a committee decision to run these three competitions as they are intrinsically linked to what the Festival is all about - speech, music and fun. They are open to anyone who wishes to enter, it is not age restricted. We have also extended the deadline to the end of December."
The centenary celebrations will commence with a musical evening on 7th May, with a number of past winners of the Festival appearing. The committee are also working on ideas for next year and they are hoping to put together a book of good wishes from local artistes, past winners and well-known local personalities, which they can sell to raise funds to enable the Festival to continue past its 100 years.
Keith says "In a time when the economics of this country do not endear itself to supporting the third sector, when more and more Festivals are finding it difficult to continue, when businesses are finding it harder and harder to support community projects, and where individual income is constantly threatened, we feel immensely proud that our Festival continues to prosper.
"With a 32% cut in departmental capital expenditure and a 24% cut in resources for Culture, Media and Sport as a result of the 2010 Government Spending Review, it is very evident that funding for the arts will be heavily hit. Therefore, we must not be complacent in thinking that our Festival will continue to prosper.
"We currently have a very strong and committed funding base with a number of our local businesses giving us great financial support. However, the committee works exceedingly hard in ensuring a successful Festival, and we all know that we will have to continue in this vein, and with this commitment, to ensure that the Festival is still here after 200 years."
Further details regarding the three competitions can be found on the Alderley Edge Festival website. All entries can be sent by email to Keith Lowe, or posted Mr Keith Lowe, 19 Beaufort Close, Alderley Edge, SK9 7HU.
The deadline for entries is the end of December and all entries will be judged by an independent literary scholar.
