Streamlined festival will be on song

St John’s Methodist Church in Albert Road, the town’s main street, is the venue for this year’s one-day festival.

This year’s Luther Greenwood music festival will have a streamlined new look and a slightly different title, with all competitive classes held on one Saturday instead of two.

It will be the Luther Greenwood ‘Festival of Song’ without the usual instrumental classes, with all junior and adult classes held on the same day, Saturday, November 30.

The emphasis will be on the enjoyment of singing and performance, and there’s a crowd-pleasing ‘Cavalcade of Choirs’ contest planned for the evening.

Organisers were disappointed to learn that their usual venue for the first weekend’s competition for junior music and choirs, The Muni at Colne, had been double-booked in favour of a local theatre group and was unavailable.

The festival’s music committee decided to make the best of a tricky situation by concentrating all classes into one day at St John’s Methodist Church, where adult singing classes are usually held on the second weekend.

Piano classes, which had been attracting fewer competitors, have been discontinued, and the number of singing classes trimmed.

“The double-booking could turn out to be a blessing in disguise,” said festival chairman Eric Beardsworth.

“For years we have been losing money over the traditional two weekends, but holding all the classes on one day will save money, and we hope it will create some extra interest.”

“Choirs usually have their concerts in the evening, so having all the choirs competing in the evening will make it a grand sing to remember.”

The 2019 syllabus is available to download now on this website.

We do not have the technology to accept entries and fees online, so please post entries to Music Secretary Doreen Smith at the address on the syllabus.