 /The Festival
The 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 which will be Mozart's Requiem 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. Next year it will be Paul Spicer's Easter Oratorio conducted by David Lawrence
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 2013
The Festival will take place between 9th and 16th March 2013, and will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten.
The Main Events
1. A Bring and Sing Performance of Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb and Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art will be rehearsed and conducted by Frances Chiasson during the afternoon of Sunday 10th March (1pm until 5pm - subject to confirmation) in Kendal Parish Church.
2. Adjudicated classes will start on Monday 11th March and continue until Thursday 14th March (details to be published in the Prospectus which will be published in September 2012). The adjudicators for the 2013 Festival will be Michael Hancock and Christina Thomson.
3. The Festival Choral Concert will take place in Kendal Parish Church on Saturday 16th March. The two works this year will be Britten's Cantata Misericordium and Mozart's Mass in C minor - the "Great" - conducted again by David Lawrence. The Orchestra will be the Northern Chamber Orchestra with soloists Rachel Little, Nicholas Hurndall Smith and John Lofthouse. The Chorus will be made up of singers from local choral societies and youth choirs, and a rehearsal schedule will be available in Spring 2012.
4. The Festival Choral Celebration will take place at the Leisure Centre on Wednesday 13th March at 7pm. Choirs might like to include a piece by Britten in their programme.
5. Details about participation by schools will be available later.
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