The Alderley Edge Festival culminated on Saturday, 10th May, with an amazing Finalé held at The Festival Hall. The 2014 Finalé entertained 240 people with acts as varied as an outstanding rock guitar player in Katie Hampton of Poynton who played 'Hocus Pocus' by Focus, to a top class comical performance by Oliver Rushton of Prestbury of 'The Lion and Albert' by Marriott Edgar.
The Finalé was attended by the Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor Dorothy Flude; Emersons' Chief Executive Peter Jones OBE and his wife Audrey and the Chairman of Clonter Opera, Patrick Furlong and his wife Margareta.
Councillor Flude described it as "a wonderful evening with some outstanding talent." One of our prestigious adjudicators Keith Allen also praised the Festival as "one of the best organised and best run Festival he has ever attended".
This is what makes the Alderley Edge Festival what it is – we provide a conduit through public performances for our young children to express themselves through music, speech and drama and to showcase and nurture this talent in the performing arts. It provides a platform for amateur performances with an educational element provided by professional adjudicators.
We still believe in the ideal that the youth of today are talented in the arts and will always have something to offer. We recognise that this talent is in all young children, and if, as a Society, we can nurture even a small amount of that talent, then we are making a difference. It is this difference that keeps us working so hard to make the Festival what it is.
We opened with the Year 6 and under choirs at St Philip and St James Church on Tuesday morning. The first session was won by an amazing choir from The Alderley Edge Community Primary School, with Wilmslow Prep School coming in second and Alderley Edge School for Girls coming in third. The Alderley Edge School for Girls Schola Angelorum then went on to win the Year 9 & under choir class with The Ryleys Chamber Choir coming in second.
Wilmslow Preparatory School Chamber Choir then won the Small Choral Group Year 6 and under, and finally Pownall Hall School Junior Choir went on to win Year 3 & under choir class. This is a fantastic testament to the talent that lives in our very local community, and congratulations go the teachers of these choirs for their commitment and dedication, and to the sheer hard work of the children themselves.
Other major winners from our local schools were Bertie Dudley who won a Festival Award for the Year 8 Vocal Solo and Jasmine Ayaz who won the Voysey Cup for the Woodwind Solo Grades 4 & 5, both from Alderley Edge School for Girls.
Millie Hall from Wilmslow Preparatory School won the Bradshaw trophy for Year 6 Recorder Solo; from The Ryleys School Tobias Jackson won the Kennedy Cup for the Year 4 and under Solo Drama, Alfie Johnson won both a Music Award and a Festival Award for both the Year 5 Vocal Solos and from Pownall Hall School, Malachi Al-Radhi and Joe Butler-Smith won the Brockenshire Cup for the Year 4 & under Duologue and Yu Mikami won the Busby Award for Year 5 piano solo.
The four prestigious awards were awarded as follows:
The William Roache Award for best Speech and Drama Performance throughout The Festival for NC Year 10 and above was awarded to Isabel Webb of Didsbury.
The Sara Roache Memorial Cup for best Speech and Drama Performance throughout The Festival for year 9 and below was awarded to Oliver Rushton of Poynton.
The Joyce Lowe Trophy award for best Music Performance throughout The Festival for NC Year 9 and below was awarded to Simeon Evans of Altrincham.
The Jill Copping Cup for best Music Performance throughout The Festival for Year 10 and above was awarded to Rosie McMahon of Chester.
I would like to say a big thank you to all our volunteer stewards without whom this Festival would not be as successful as it is. Also, of course a massive thank you to my Committee who plan, organise and implement a fantastically smooth running that I know is the envy of many other Festivals in the country - long may it continue.
Finally, a large reminder to all in the village, that 2016 will be our Centenary Festival, and we are preparing for a special concert. I would welcome any local entrepreneur or business that could consider sponsoring this event, or part of the event, to contact me by e-mail on [email protected].
Member post by Keith Lowe, Chairman of Alderley Edge Festival.
Photos courtesy of Amy Laughton: Alderley Edge Community Primary School Choir – winner of the Junior Choir Year 6 & Under, Lilla Baublis – winner of the Year 1 Own Choice Verse Speaking (AESG) and winners from Terra Nova who had their most successful festival to date with seven first places, five second places and eleven third places.
