The Festival
The Mary Wakefield Westmorland Festival The Festival began in 1885, making it one of the earliest competitive festivals, and certainly the earliest to focus particularly on choral music. Many other festivals have been inspired by this example, and it continues to hold a very special place not just in the local area but nationally. From its beginnings with competitions between small rural choirs, the programme has expanded to include workshop and presentation days for both Primary and Secondary schools, a comprehensive timetable of adjudicated classes for vocalists and instrumentalists of all age groups, and other events such as ‘Bring and Sing’ concerts and the recently introduced Festival Showcase concert. The Festival usually concludes with a major Choral concert featuring a large scale work beyond the scope of any one choral society, bringing together singers from many local choral societies under the baton of an invited conductor. The Festival still maintains its local entry qualification, and does not give money prizes. Many of the trophies carry the names of the families who gave them and several are nearly as old as the Festival itself. About Mary Wakefield…. Mary Wakefield was born in 1853 at the Old House, Kendal, the daughter of a local banker, and lived later at Sedgwick House, near Kendal. From her earliest years, she was a talented singer who, after training with notable London teachers, gave many charity concerts, sang at the Gloucester Festival and was acclaimed by many eminent critics. Barred by the conventions of the day from pursuing a career as a professional singer, she poured her love of music into a desire to make music more available to rural communities. She founded and trained a number of choirs in the villages around Kendal and brought them together for the first time in 1885 to take part in a “Singing Competition” to raise money for Crosscrake Church. The idea took hold and within a few years a large choir could be assembled to sing larger works. Several of the choirs founded by Mary Wakefield still thrive and still support the Festival for which they were created. Mary Wakefield died in 1910 but her name and her Festival live on, still supported by the Wakefield family, along with many other local individuals and organisations, who all value her unique contribution to the musical life of this area. Plans for 2011 The Festival will take place between 19th and 26th March 2011. Main Events 1. A Bring and Sing Performance of Mozart's Requiem will be rehearsed and conducted by Frances Chiasson during the afternoon of Sunday 20th March in Kendal Parish Church. 2. Adjudicated Classes will start on Monday 21st March and continue until Thursday 24th March (details to be published in Prospectus which will be published in September 2010) 3. The Primary Schools Workshop Day will take place in Kendal Parish Church on Tuesday 22nd March, followed in the evening by a concert, and the Presentation Day in the Westmorland Hall, Kendal Leisure Centre, on Thursday 24th March (further details in Prospectus). 4. A Workshop Day for Secondary school-age pupils will take place on Friday 25th March, followed in the evening by a Concert, featuring the Westmorland Youth Orchestra and the finals of the Jim Noble Award. 5. The Festival Choral Concert will take place in Kendal Parish Church on Saturday 26th March. The main work will be Paul Spicer's Easter Oratorio, conducted by David Lawrence. The Orchestra will be the Northern Chamber Orchestra with soloists Nicholas Hurndall Smith, Rachel Little and John Lofthouse.. The Chorus will be made up of singers from local choral societies and youth choirs. 6. The Festival Showcase Concert, highlighting special performances from Festival week, will take place in the United Reformed Church in the week following the Festival (further details in due course).
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