Returning your Trophies from 2022 - change of process

The Rules of the Festival require trophy winners to return those to the Festival in January 2023. We are changing the procedures for this year so if you have done this before on the old basis please read the new instructions below. 

We have arranged with Harrogate Library for trophies to be returned there (to Festival representatives who will be in the library) on Saturdays January the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th between the hours of  09:30 and 15:30 please. We have over 130 trophies to deal with so it will be very helpful if you are able to return yours on one of the above days. 

We simply do not have the resources to pursue everyone individually. 

It would be very helpful if trophies could be cleaned before they are returned. 

The Harrogate Library is on Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, HG1 1EG. This is in the disc parking zone. 

If you need further information please email Alan Connell: treasurer@hcfmsd.co.uk

2023 Syllabus

Apologies for the slow release of the Syllabus for 2023. It will be released on hcfmsd.co.uk soon.

Catering at the Festival for 2022

In previous years the school's catering company provided a great service within the school which was really appreciated.  Since our last Festival, in 2020, the catering company has been changed.  The new company have been hesitant about providing a service to us, so we have had to look elsewhere.

 

A van based catering companies have agreed to come on site to provide partial cover.

 

We have an outline schedule from them which may change, up or down, depending on demand.

 

Mike Hanson at "What a Pizza" will, at times, have a van parked at the front of the school to help in providing catering. They will be offering hot and cold drinks, wood fired pizzas, sausage and bacon sandwiches, cakes & biscuits.

The schedule is:

"What a Pizza'' van from midday-ish every Saturday and Sunday for the afternoon, and possibly later, depending on demand and most of each Sunday.

If you want to know more about these offerings here is a link for further information:

https://www.facebook.com/whatapizzauk

The 2022 Timetable is fixed and all correspondents have been sent timetables

If you made entries into the Festival but have not yet received your personalised timetable from starlingnest@gmail.com then please check your spam folder.  If you cannot find it, then please contact me on the above email address or by phone, 07711 059314.

Good luck with your practising - all 1200 entrants!!

See you soon.

Derek

The 2022 Syllabus is ready and on the hcfmsd.co.uk website

 The syllabus  for the 2022 Festival, which starts on Friday 4th March 2022, is now finished and is up on our website at hcfmsd.co.uk

It is very similar to the 2021 Syllabus, but has been updated for the latest board changes and has had a restructuring of the Piano section, courtesy of Julian Saphir.

We have yet to print hard copies of the syllabus although we expect to do that within the next few weeks.

The silver lining of the COVID-19 cancellation of 2020 Festival

We know that the performers, teachers and parents were disappointed that we have had to cancel the last weekend of the Festival.  As organisers, we feel this pain too.   Like the performers, a lot of work has gone into preparing for it. 

We continually strive to make the event a worthwhile learning environment for the performers that from our end really starts when they enter the building and finishes when they leave, hopefully buoyed up and with the confidence that comes from performing in public.  We encourage all of our volunteers to establish this atmosphere.  The adjudicators too.  This year it seems that we mostly got it right.

We don't often get much feedback, but this year is different.  We have received more emails than normal due to the regular communications about the developing COVID-19 issue.

Personally, I have been really touched by the very positive feedback we have been getting about the value of the Festival, the atmosphere on the days and the obvious disappointment of loss.

Many of the volunteers/committee give up our time either because we just love Music and Drama, and/or as payback for what previous Festivals have done for us or our families.  It is so nice to know that there is another generation that feel the same way we do, and one that may field the successors to the current organising team.

If you are reading this and already feel you can start to help now, you will be welcomed on board.  The more the merrier in these times.  We could do with spreading the roles a little wider and providing more resilience.

Here's to next year then.

Very touched
Derek

2020 Syllabus now available

The 2020 Syllabus has now been published.

It is available on the website at hcfmsd.co.uk/Syllabus.html as a PDF file.  Hard copies are at Music House in Harrogate and are being distributed to local Libraries in the Harrogate area.