Page 28 - Oundle Life March 2025

FESTIVAL
VIBES
Music and Drama 2025
The end of January is a nervous time for the
team. Rather like HMRC tax returns, most
entries are not made until the closing date. We
are pleased that entries for our 2025 Festival
match 2024 numbers.
Eleven groups from Oundle Primary School
and Kings Cliffe Endowed kick off the Festival
in St. Peters Church at 10am on Friday March
28th. A lively, friendly competition for the
Group Speaking trophies is expected. We are
delighted to welcome the much in demand
Speech and Drama adjudicator Rebecca Vines
for her first visit to Oundle. The solo classes take
place at Fletton House in the afternoon.
Oundle can expect a busy day on Saturday
March 29th. As well as the choirs who come to
Oundle regularly, we are welcoming new choirs:
Peterborough Take Note Community Choir,
Jubilate from North London and Côr y Gleision
from Cardiff. The choral classes take place in
Oundle School Chapel.
Timothy Barratt, highly respected piano
adjudicator, is delighted to be returning to
Oundle. He has a full day in the Gascoigne
Recital Room. The last class of the day will see
eight pianists, aged 18 years and under, hoping
to win this qualifying class for Oundle Young
Musician of the Year Competition. Last year the
class was won by Nelly Palmer from Bedford,
who went on to win that award, sponsored by
The Arts Society Oundle.
There will be two sessions in the Gascoigne
Recital Room on Sunday March 30th. Adrian
Goss will listen to instrumentalists in the
morning and solo singers of all ages in the
afternoon.
We move back to the Chapel on Monday
March 31st for school choirs and ensembles in
the morning. String solo classes will follow in
the afternoon.
Audiences are a very important part of a
Festival. Your support makes the experience
more special for the performer. Entry to
these sessions is free, but we do welcome
donations on the door to help cover the costs.
Programmes, £3, can be bought in advance
from the Oundle Bookshop or at the Festival.
The Festival Concert will take place on Friday
4th April at 7pm in St. Peter’s Church. This will
feature the final of the Oundle Young Musician
competition and other performers. Tickets are
£7.50 for adults and £2.50 for children, available
during the Festival or at the door.
Although it is too late to enter the 2025
Festival, it is not too late to join our friendly
team of volunteers. To find out more about
volunteering at the Festival, please contact
info@ofmd.org.uk
For more information, please look at our
website: www.ofmd.org.uk
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