Funds raised at Larne Music Festival to support Larne Foodbank

An evening reception was held on March 3 to thank the Friends of the Larne Music Festival who are helping to make it possible to hold the annual four-day festival.

Charlotte McIlroy, a talented local singer and also a previous award winner at the festival, provided entertainment at the recent reception.

The Larne Music Festival has a proud history dating back to its earliest classes in the 1920s; and, the Chairman of the Larne Music Festival Association, Richard Barnes, took the opportunity to welcome the members of the Friends-of-the-Festival scheme and guests and to thank them for their loyal support through the difficult years of the pandemic.

The Chairman also extended the association’s gratitude to the Mayor and the staff of the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the use of the Larne Town Hall for the reception.

Over the years, the Friends-of-the-Festival scheme has helped to meet the costs of holding a local music festival that features a wide variety of classes for music and voice.

Mr Barnes said: “Members of the community, charities and local businesses make contributions on an annual basis to the scheme. This ensures the continuation and progression of the event and makes it possible to engage adjudicators of the highest calibre.

“However, with the costs of running the festival continuing to rise, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so without good attendance at the festival and also strong support from our local community for the Friends-of-the-Festival scheme.

“The Gala Concert will also return this year. This will take place on the final evening of the festival on April 29 and the Festival Association is hoping for record attendance. The concert will feature a selection of previous award winners and participants from the 2023 festival classes who play or sing exceptionally well and, in addition, some of the promising young musicians who show notable enthusiasm for performing their music.

"The Gala Concerts have in the past always been well attended and this has enabled the Festival Association to donate the proceeds that are raised on the final evening to deserving charitable causes.”

The Larne Foodbank has been chosen as the principal designated charity for the 2023 festival.

Entries will close on April 8 and participants are able to choose to sing or play in classes ranging from guitar and piano to other string, woodwind, brass and traditional instruments. A variety of different types of music will be performed, including popular, traditional and classical music genres.

Mr Barnes added: “There have been several entrants in the classes that were reintroduced this year for Adult Choirs and Instrumental Groups. These classes will take place during the afternoon on April 29 and I’d encourage anyone who might be thinking about joining an adult choir or music group to come along. This is an ideal opportunity to get to know these groups and meet some of their members.”

The festival’s adjudicators will be Richard Yarr MBE – Vocal, Piano and Instrumental classes; Conal Oakes – Guitar classes and Colleen Tunney – Traditional classes.

Further information about the syllabus, entering the festival classes and Friends-of-the-Festival membership can be found at www.larnemusicfestival.com