The 2016 Programme

The printed version of the 2016 Programme is now available at Music House, 18 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate, price £2.00.

This contains full details of the almost 200 classes to be held at this year's Festival, which will be held at Harrogate Ladies' College on Clarence Drive over three weekends; February 26th to 28th; March 4th to 6th and 12th to 13th (no classes on Friday 11th March).

Every class at the Festival is worth watching because they all represent the culmination of an enormous amount of preparation work, combined with real ability and the courage to get up and perform in front of an audience, but there are some undoubted highlights.

The Non-competitive Year 3 and under Piano Solo class will be held on the first Saturday morning and that evening will see both the Ernest Hopper Trophy Competition for woodwind instruments (with the winner potentially going through into the Young Musician competition) and the Concerto Class (Year 13 & Under), where the winner may be offered an engagement with the Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra if the instrumentation is appropriate and the performance is considered to be of a suitable standard.

The new Elizabeth Hopkins Trophy (Virtuoso Class), (2 different instruments/disciplines at least at Grades 8 & 6 standard respectively) will be held on the first Sunday evening.

Over forty 7 year olds will perform in the Verse Speaking class on the second Saturday afternoon, while that evening will see the ever popular Olde Tyme Music Hall Song class - costumes and props encouraged!!

The final Saturday will see the Young Musician Singer Competition in the Chapel, an excellent venue for that class and on the last Sunday morning the College's Sports Hall will host a number of choir classes. This is always a really well attended session, from both the performers' and the audience perspective.

The Festival will culminate in the Final Concert to be held on Sunday 13th March at 7:30 pm in the Assembly Hall at the College. This will also feature the Young Musician of the Festival Competition in which the leading performers on the Piano, Strings/Guitar/Harp, Woodwind (including Recorder), Brass, Percussion and Singing will each perform an “Own choice” programme of 8 minutes duration before a special jury of adjudicators whose decision will be announced at the end.

The concert will also include a cross-section of outstanding performances heard during the competition. Each finalist in the Young Musician of the Festival Competition will receive free tickets for themselves and their families to attend a concert given by the Ripon Cathedral Concert Society.

So there will be lots to enjoy. See if you can find our posters scattered throughout the town and don't forget to check us out on Twitter #HCFMSD