Blackburn Festival of Speech, Music & Dance.

MUSIC SECTION
May 25th, 26th and 27th 2012

Hon. Music Secretaries

Cheques and Postal orders should be made payable to'Blackburn Festival' and should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Where age is stipulated this should be given on the entry form. Acknowledgement of entry will be given by competitor's ticket only, which will be sent to each competitor or group. Performers should report for the class 20 minutes before the stated time. (see Reg. 6)

Closing date for entries - 16 March 2012

Own Choice Music - (see Reg. 4)

Copies for the Accompanist - (see Reg. 4)

Copies for the Adjudicator should be brought to the competition

Photocopying - When an'Own Choice' piece is selected from a publication containing several different works, and the piece is not published separately, one copy may be made for the use of the Adjudicator at the Festival, provided that the competitor has already purchased his/her own copy and that the photocopy made is retained, and destroyed by the Administrator of the Festival at the end of the competition.

Copies should be clear and properly assembled not stapled together

MUSIC ENTRY FEES

         Solos   18 years & under                   £4.50

         Solos    Open                                     £5.00

         Senior Vocal 18 years and over        £6.00

         Duets 18 years and under                  £6.00 per class 

         Duets Open                                        £6.50 per class

         Groups 18 years & under                   £10.00 per class

         Choirs 18 years & under                    £10.00 per class

The amount to be paid is for the age 18 years & over group of the class not that of the competitor

ADJUDICATORS

Colin Touchin - MA (Oxon), LTCL

Colin Touchin gained his LTCL performers diploma at the age of 16.  He is a conductor, composer, clarinettist and recorder player and has been an adjudicator for 35 years  He was at Chetham's School of Music for eight years including two as Head of Composition and fifteen years at the University of Warwick as Director of Music. Colin has a distinguished record of conducting, composing for, and encouraging young musicians in orchestras, bands and choirs.  With the University of Warwick Chamber Choir he gained gold or silver awards at almost every international festival they entered including the semi-finals of the Sainsbury Choir of the Year.  He has founded several ensembles with Warwick, the British Universities Honours Band and the National Youth Recorder Orchestra.  His compositions have been broadcast on radio and television and he is in great demand to compose and lead workshops, having given presentations in over twenty countries. Colin is Composer in Residence at schools in Warwick and Coventry and Director of Music and conductor of several orchestras both in the UK and overseas. He is an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals and has held the post of Vice Chairman for the past three years.

Kathryn Page - LRAM, ARCM, DipRCM

"She played magnificently" - The Guardian

Kathryn Page has given over 20 recitals at the South Bank and Wigmore Hall, both as a soloist and chamber mucic pianist.  She has toured Norway, Italy, Ireland and Australia where she gave seven recitals at the Sydney Festival and broadcast for ABC.  At home Kathryn has performed at many of the leading music festivals and has given numerous live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 from Broadcasting House, St George's Bristol, and St David's Hall Cardiff.  Her interest in contemporary music has led to many world premiers including works by Gary Carpenter, Alisdair Nicholson and Django Bates. She has worked with many established artists including David Campbell, Joanna MacGregor and Sting!  TV work has reanged from a live recital from Paris on CNN, an appearance on the Korean Broadcasting Network, several performances on Irish TV and a much treasured Blue Peter badge.

Maria Jaqusz - GRNCM

Maria Jaqusz trained at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio.  Since then she has worked as solist for many of the leading opera companies in the UK and Europe.  She has sung many of the leading Mezzo Soprano roles and sung with international artists including Carreras, Domingo, Dame Kiri Te Kenewa, Mirella Freni and Dame Felicity Lott.

Maria started teaching twelve years ago and teaches young singers many of whom are are creating careers for themselves in opera and musical theatre.  Maria is passionate about creating opportunities for up and coming artists and runs M J UK which helps provide performing and training opportunities.  Through this company she has directed La Boheme, Dido and Anaes, Little Sweep and Les Miserables for Loughborough Festival Opera.  Other directing credits include Carmen (Swindon Opera), Tom Sawyer, Jesus Christ Superstar, Secret Garden, Chess, West Side Story for MJ UK.  She has just finished directing Carmen for the Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham.  Ealier this year the Silurian Consort made her their honorary chairman because of her contribution to music in he Cotswolds.

 Accompanists

Mr Russell Lomas - GRSM, ARMCM

When he was 15 he won a scholarship to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music with Gordon Green, Franz Reizenstein and Clifton Helliwell. He received the Ricordi Prize for Piano Accompaniment, and graduated with a distinction in both Performer's and Teacher's Diplomas.

Mrs Catherine Hall-Smith - GBSM, PGRNCM

Catherine has a busy and varied career as a pianist,accompanist and teacher.  She studied piano and organ at Birmingham Conservatoire and later went on to specialize in accompaniment with David Lloyd at the Royal Northern College of Music. Whist there she was awarded the John Ireland prize for accompanists, the Dora Gilson scholarship and most memorably, at time of study at the Britten-Pears school in Aldeburgh.  Since settling in Glossop with her family she has been a freelance pianist to the Edication Unit of the Northern Ballet Theatre.  She teaches privately and at Bolton School and is a festival accompanist throughout the North West.

The Festival is affiliated to the THE BRITISH & INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FESTIVALS for Music, Dance & Speech Patron HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Registered Charity No 222789