Curtain falls on another successful Festival

Several thousand performers aged four to adult participated and entertained audiences over the four weeks of competition.

Once again the Braid Arts Centre provided a magnificent setting for the Festival and all the adjudicators referred to its attractiveness as a venue.

Ballymena Borough Council was represented during the Festival by the Mayor, Alderman P,J.McAvoy, who acknowledged the diligence of the dedicated Festival Committee, also by the Deputy Mayor Beth Adger and by Councillor Declan O’Loan.

The final Gala evening audience was entertained by representatives from each of the disciplines and by performers from the final competitions.

The Montgomery’s Young Voice Award was won by Cormac McCool from Belfast while Queen’s student Susan Graham carried off the Stevenson’s Award for the overall Vocal Championship, adult section.

Dorothy Collie, the Vocal secretary, was particularly pleased with this year’s festival, stating: “We had the usual high standard in vocal classes, with large entries from school choirs, and in the Songs from the Shows and the Folk Song competitions.

“The Northern Ireland Singer competition attracted 11 highly talented entries and provided an excellent evening’s entertainment, as did the Female Voice Repertoire and other adult vocal classes.”

Speech secretary, Hazel Bonar, said: “A thousand children aged four to 17 participated in the Speech and Drama section. They took part as individuals or in duos or in groups.

“The Choral Speaking classes were a highlight for many, with six choral teams from local schools producing highly imaginative and entertaining work. Performers, teachers and parents are to be congratulated for their hard work, which was acknowledged by the adjudicator, Maeve O’Donoghue.”

A spokesperson for the Festival added: “The curtain has come down on another very successful Festival. It is an annual event which engages thousands of performers of all ages, locally and from across the Province, projecting a very positive image of the borough.

“Now the work of planning next year’s Festival begins again soon.”