Exciting changes for Ballymena Music festival

This year’s Festival, which will be held as usual in the Braid Arts Centre, will feature new competitions in each of the disciplines.

There will be four new classes in Instrumental Music: a programme class; a class for primary school Instrumentalists of the Year; an unaccompanied Bach class; and an Instrumental Trio for Primary Schools.

Speech and Drama has a very interesting new section entitled ‘Communication’.

This entails six new classes which put the emphasis on communication skills. They are all non-competitive and are free to enter.

The Vocal section has two new classes: Girls and Boys Vocal Solo five years and under, and a Boys Vocal Solo, 14 to 18 years.

An important change in the Traditional Music section is that only on-line entries will be accepted this year. Otherwise the programme in this section is as before – apart from a new primary age Traditional Musician award.

Closing date for all entries is Friday 17th January 2014.

The 2014 Festival dates are:

Dance: Confined 7 & 8 February. Open 17 – 22 February; Traditional Music: Saturday 22 February; Instrumental Music and Vocal: 24 February – 8 March; Speech and Drama: 27 February – 8 March.

Information on all events is available at www.ballymenafestival.org.