speech music festival

Edmonton Music & Speech Arts Festival

116 years of Music & Speech Arts in the Edmonton Region

2024 Festival to be Held April 15 – May 1

The 116 th Annual  Edmonton Music & Speech Arts Festival   (formerly known as the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival)  creates over 2,500 opportunities for over 20,000 music students, actors, musicians, and music lovers to perform in front of an audience and receive professional adjudication. Performances are FREE to attend. Choirs will run April 15-19; Bands will run April 22-26; the regular Solo Festival will run April 20 – May 1. Come out and see the stars of tomorrow, and help us celebrate over 100 years of Festival!

FESTIVAL DATES: April 15 – May 1, 2024

Festival-at-a-Glance

Festival Programme

Please note: CHOIR WEEK is April 15-19, 2024 and BAND WEEK is April 22-26, 2024

Did you know? Registration Fees only cover about 25% of expenses.

Feel free to support the Festival through our 48 in ’24 Fundraiser .

Schedules for Duets, Trios, Choirs, Bands, Chamber Music, and other groups only get sent to the teacher. Students should contact their teachers to see when they perform if they are in a group.

Performances (FREE Admission)

Performances will be held at MacEwan University – Alberta College Campus (10050 MacDonald Drive NW) , McDougall United Church (10025 101 Street NW) , the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre (8426 Gateway Boulevard NW) , and Archbishop MacDonald Catholic High School (14219 109 Avenue NW) .

The Edmonton Music & Speech Arts Festival acknowledges that we are on Treaty 6 territory, and that we are beneficiaries of this Treaty of peace and friendship signed in 1876.

In that spirit, we extend our hands and hearts to the Indigenous nations of the Cree, Dene, Blackfoot, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, as well as the Métis who have made Edmonton their home long before the building of our city — and to all Indigenous people who continue to make this city their home. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations, including the many places that you are joining from. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. They have been great stewards of the land and incredible creators of art, music, life, and love. Our recognition of this land is an act of reconciliation and an expression of our gratitude to those whose territory we reside on, or are visiting.

Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2024 lethmsf.

This year our Festival saw nearly 2500 participants perform at our many downtown venues. The LethMSF wishes to express our sincere congratulations to each and every one of the performers, and thanks the audiences that came out to support them. The dedication of over 100 volunteers helped to make this Festival a truly wonderful experience for all involved!

We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 LethMSF March 31 - April 11!

2023 Alberta Provincial Music Festival Results

Congratulations to all of our Lethbridge Representatives who performed at the 2023 Alberta Provincial Music Festival. For a full list of Festival results, click here !

2022 Annual General Meeting

The Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts AGM will take place

in the CASA Meeting Room on October 26, 2022 at 7:00.

This meeting is open to the public.

Access our AGM Agenda Package Here!

General Manager Announcement

Welcome to our new General Manager, Jaimee!

[email protected]

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Past Issues

Check out previous editions of our newsletter!

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• National Institutes of Health
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

May Is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month

Each May, Noisy Planet joins the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in observing National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. Noisy Planet celebrates this annual opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and hearing health. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from noise-induced hearing loss.

Exposure to loud noises can damage your hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss may not be noticeable at first, but it can get worse over time, particularly as you get older. Speech and music may begin to sound muffled or unclear, making it difficult for you to interpret sounds.

You can protect your hearing — and your children’s hearing — from noise damage with these three steps:

• Lower the volume.
• Move away from the noise.
• Wear hearing protectors, such as earplugs or protective earmuffs.

Promoting and modeling healthy hearing habits can help children and teens protect their hearing for life. During National Speech-Language-Hearing Month and beyond, join Noisy Planet in spreading the word about noise-induced hearing loss prevention. Share our National Speech-Language-Hearing Month image, available in English and Spanish , on social media.

Learn more about disorders related to hearing, voice, speech, and language on the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) website.

April 22, 2024

Journey of Sound to the Brain

Learn how sounds make their way from the source to your brain.

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It's a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.®

This national public education campaign is designed to increase awareness among parents of children ages 8 to 12 about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. With this information, parents and other adults can encourage children to adopt healthy hearing habits before and during the time that they develop listening, leisure, and working habits.

It's a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.® and the Noisy Planet logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Wadebridge Festival of Music and Speech

Inaugurated in 1925, the Wadebridge Festival has a long and successful history of providing a platform for Cornish musicians, young and old, to share their passion for both music and the spoken word; it is a well attended, friendly festival enjoyed by so many.

Over the six day festival, individuals, music ensembles, choirs and schools compete to win trophies across a range of categories. Subject to entries, the festival runs from Monday to Saturday inclusive.

The Wadebridge Festival of Music and Speech is a member of the British and International Federation of Festivals as are all adjudicators.

Members of the public are warmly invited to attend all competition sessions at the Town Hall in Wadebridge.

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Speech on Music

Speech on Music for Students in English

Music is quite vital in our daily life, it gives a background to different moods, different moments of life. Music helps the soul to rejuvenate, to find the purpose, this music somehow aligns with the soul and hence we feel so connected to the music. It brings joy and happiness to the life of a person. 

Beethoven, a dominant music figure, has rightly said music has the ability to change the world. Music helps us soothe both physically and mentally. Music is the best ailment, according to physicians.

Good Morning to one and all present here on such an auspicious occasion.

Today, June 21 we are celebrating World Music Day to upright the different forms of music and tunes which uplift our earbuds and soothe our soul. 

Just imagine, how would our life be without music? In my view, it would be a life without harmony, without a purified soul. Music is a pleasant flow of melody in the air, which changes with rhythm and with a systematic playing method. This is the skill or art which a musician qualifies in himself and this gives a soothing and cheerful musical performance for an audience.

Music is considered one of the greatest boons of God for all living creatures.  Music helps the sounds to get classified into a rhythm, which helps us to learn and practice music. Also, we can enjoy the harmony and the pleasant rhythm that is made by the musical sounds. The styles of music have changed in recent years drastically. To say there are six eras of musical history - Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classical, Baroque, Romantic music, and the current one in the twentieth century. Music is a common form of entertainment for everybody.

The dictionary meaning of music is a form of art of sound, that explains the ideas and emotions via the elements of rhythm, harmony, and melody. Music soothes our brain and nerves, it helps us to feel relaxed and also refreshed, this soothes our bodies and mind. It removes the anxiety and the stress level from our everyday life. Also, great physicians prescribe music dosage for our ears to heal better from the pain, music is excellent medicine. It is proven that women who are carrying children in their womb are given music therapy from the everyday rush and pain, this soothes their minds.  Music takes us into the world of melody which helps us in forgetting disturbing memories or thoughts.

Music revives the old memories. Music therapy is often considered a great way to solve bigger problems, stress-related issues, our emotions in our daily life. Music also helps the brain to function quickly and effectively and this allows calmness in our daily life schedule. Music helps doctors and psychologists treat their patients well. It helps to calm the patient’s state of brain and their behavior, it soothes the nerves and stabilizes the heartbeat of the patient. Music also helps those patients to recover from brain injuries. Music is a great way to activate our brain cells in different ways. This helps in healing the damaged areas which allows the people to regain their speech and their physical movement. Thus, music can take out people from stressful situations.

I want to end this speech by thanking God for such a gift, music. While if you have the skill to create music you surely have a gift to cherish forever. Also, I would love to thank those talented musicians, who with their beautiful melodies, supported my low times also helped me to celebrate in my good times.

2 Min Speech on Music

Once the famous Shakespeare said, “If music is the food of love, play on, give me excess of it; that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die.”

Good Morning Everyone present.

Today on this great occasion of World Music Day, I would love to enumerate the importance of music. Music is a quite pleasurable sound that is combined with melodies, and this helps to soothe the ear. A musician is such a person who knows music.

Music is of various styles. This is said that all sounds got the music. Starting from the sound of the waterfall, the sound of the ocean waves, or the simply flowing of the river have got harmony in themselves.

Music can heal a person emotionally and also mentally. Music serves as a form of meditation to quieten the mind. Music cures emotional disorders like anxiety, depression, and also lack of sleep called insomnia.

Music conveys many such emotions to the people. The power of music is inevitable. Without music, life would be very dull and boring, but with the music, even your bad times will sound perfect, as now you can align your emotions well, this, in turn, will help us to deal with bad times. 

For me, music uplifts the soul, energizes me. While I derail from the purpose music pulls me back on track. The word ‘music’ is as lovely as it serves. In the concluding part I would like to say, let the world heal with the melodies of music and let your life flow with the rhythmic cords of music.

10 Lines on Music

For any culture, music captures an essential part. 

Our country is known for its rich musical culture and diversity. 

India has different types of music, and here people have different music tastes.  

The northern part of India is famous for Hindustani music, while the southern part of India is famous for  Carnatic music.

Music can be of 2 types- Vocal music and instrumental music.

Gives us peace of mind. 

Music is played on every occasion. 

Music helps in the treatment of the patients.

To connect with the supreme being, the best way is through the help of music.

Without music, life would be lifeless.

FAQs on Speech on Music

1. How is World Music Day Celebrated?

World Music Day takes place on the 21st of June to honor all the musicians. Around 120 countries celebrate World Music Day by organizing free public concerts in various other public places. In 1982, there was a  music festival that took place in France called Fête de la Musique which later on was called World Music Day. This day honors budding and seasoned artists and allows them to showcase their accomplishments through their music. It also celebrates equality of opportunities in the world of music.

2. When was Renaissance Music Got Alive?

During the Renaissance time, Renaissance Music was written in European Countries. It saw the growth of new instruments, classical music as well as a burst of new ideas related to harmony, rhythm and music notation. During the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a rise in instrumental dances and the introduction of a wide range of classical music and different genres which also comprised masses, motets, madrigals, chansons, etc. By the 20th century, early musical ensembles came into form as Renaissance Music.

3. What are the Various Styles of Music in India?

Classical, Folk, Baul, Bhajan, Rabindra Sangeet are the different music styles in India. In India, there are two different forms of music. One is Carnatic Music which is associated with South India and the other is Hindustani Music which is played in North India. Carnatic Music is called Karnāṭaka saṃgīta and the lyrics of such songs are mainly devotional and dedicated to Hindu deities. The main features include raga and taal which are mandatory to be understood. Hindustani Music has four forms: Dhrupad, Khyal (or Khayal), Tarana, and the semi-classical Thumri.

4. What is the difference between Medieval and Renaissance music?

Unlike medieval music which comprised only vocals, Renaissance music included both instruments and vocals. The main instruments would be harps, flute, violin, etc. Medieval music was monophonic which in the later ages transformed into polyphonic. Renaissance music largely contained buoyant melodies. The Medieval period saw the beginning of music and by the time it reached the Renaissance era, the musical era was already developed to an extent with many music composers in existence like William Byrd and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

5. Is Indian classical music difficult to learn?

Indian classical music sounds too complicated for easy listening. Although it is not difficult to learn, mastering the music forms, both Carnatic and Hindustani, is an uphill task. Unlike Western music which has fixed notes, a note played by two classical music instruments may not sound the same. There are no set compositions or fixed scales. Instead, there are ragas that form the musical framework. Rather than learning the melodies, Indian classical music focuses more on improvisation and there are multiple techniques involved for emoting certain emotions.

Welcome to the website of the

Bromley (Kent) Festival of Music and Speech

The 2024 Festival Syllabus is now available

IMPORTANT NOTICE

VENUE CHANGES

Please note the revised venue changes as follows:

 SINGING                 9 & 16 March              Farringtons School

  CHOIRS                   8 & 15 March             Bromley High School

  PIANO                     23, 24 & 25 February  Bromley Parish Church

                                  1, 2 & 3 March  

  STRINGS                  2 & 3 March               Bromley High School

  WOODWIND/BRASS                                 St George’s Church

  & ENSEMBLES        25 February                Bickley Park Rd  BR1 2BE

  GUITAR                     3 March                     Bromley Parish Church

  HARP                         25 February     Bullers Wood School for Girls

  SPEECH & DRAMA  9 & 16 March           Farringtons School

  STAR AWARDS        24 March TBC

Please note the syllabus has not been updated at this time

Welcome to St Austell Festival of Music & Speech

2023 festival 22nd november to 2nd december 2023, what’s on when.

We are an annual Festival to encourage the study, performance and appreciation of music and speech by affording amateur performers the opportunity of having their performances assessed by highly qualified Adjudicators, and above all, to enjoy performing.

Classes for School-Age

We aim for a fun inclusive Festival, celebrating the developing performance skills in both Music and Speech, in both classes for individuals and groups.

Classes for All Types of Instrument

We run classes for voice (spoken word and singing), strings, percussion, brass, woodwind, accordion, piano, electronic keyboards…. and if you can’t find the class you want, you can always ask for one!

Classes for Adults

We offer open classes for both individuals and groups ranging from small ensembles to choirs.

Classes for Everyone

From beginners to advanced performers, there is a class for every amateur!

Founded in 1948, we offer the chance to perform in a supportive environment .

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The countdown has begun!

• The 2021 Festival takes place from 24th April to 1st May

The coundown has begun!

The Festival is almost here. Get your season tickets from the Villa Marina Box Office. Only £35 for the full eight days.

Welcome to the official home page of the Manx Music Festival (The Manx Competitive Music, Speech and Dance Festival to give it its full name) or “The Guild” as it is affectionately known on the Island.

It's now less than one week till our 2024 Festival gets underway! Eight days of classes in dance, singing, music and drama commences on Saturday 27th April and runs through till late on Saturday 4th May .

There's something for everyone to enjoy, whether that's ballet and modern dance, junior and adult choirs, brass bands, Songs from the Musicals, or Stand Up Comedy. If you've never been before, come along and join us. Tickets are £5 per day for the whole day - that covers the morning, afternoon and evening sessions - and are available online on the Villa Gaiety website, or from the Villa Box Office or the Welcome Centre.

Our programmes are also now on sale from various retail outlets around the island and are not just a listing of our classes and entrants, but also mini magazines with interesting articles about the Festival and notable performers and performances from previous years.

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We're always looking for people to join us as volunteers to help us with the Festival. If you would like to come and help and become part of our great team do get in touch with the Festival Secretary, Sandra Loach by emailing  [email protected] 

The Isle of Man has very strong musical traditions and since 1892, when it was formed, The Guild through its competitive nature, has provided motivation to improve, initially for choirs, followed by solo singing and later to a wide range of music, spoken word and dance. The climax of the Festival occurs with the competition for the Cleveland, Ohio (USA) Manx Society’s Gold Medal, donated annually by this organisation and competed for by the three highest marked ladies and three highest marked men from across the special solo classes held during the week.

The Festival is a member of the British and International Federation of Festivals.

The Festival is held annually in April at the Villa Marina on Douglas promenade. To see the range and size of competitions check out our results section.

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Alderley Edge Festival 2024

30th April - 4th May 2024

Alderley Edge Festival

30 April – 4 May 2024

Welcome to the Alderley Edge Festival of Music, Speech & Drama

For well over a hundred years the Festival has been providing an annual platform for performers of all ages to showcase their skills as singers, musicians, actors and public speakers.

Every year more than 2,500 people take part in competitive classes held in venues around our pretty village of Alderley Edge.  There is a buzz in the village when the Festival is in full swing: children and adults from the region arrive armed with instruments, sheet music and books of poetry, all having prepared for weeks, if not months, to perfect their pieces.

Our aim is to encourage young people, and older, to grow in confidence through performing in front of an audience and a professional adjudicator. Our adjudicators are all accredited by the British and International Federation of Festivals and have many years of experience from festivals across the country and beyond.

The majority of our performers are of school age (Reception – Year 13), but we have open classes for performers of all ages. We have a wide range of classes: children’s and adult choirs; solo and group instrumentalists; poetry recitals and Shakespearean soliloquys and much more besides.

Even if you can’t perform in one of our classes, you are more than welcome to be part of the audience – parents, grandparents, friends, neighbours and anyone else who enjoys seeing talented performers taking to the stage, will be entertained and delighted at the talent the local area has to offer.

Please do come along and support our Festival so we can carry on giving performance opportunities to future generations.

2024 Festival Countdown

2023 Festival Results

OUR SUPPORTERS

This Festival has an outstanding reputation. It has moved with the times while still preserving the best of the past. Long may it continue.

I salute the indefatigable work of all involved. May the Festival continue to go from strength to strength.

Having seen the huge benefit and enjoyment that my daughters derived from taking part in the Festival, it is very rewarding as well as being great fun to be able to return as a steward.

Every child who enters the Alderley Edge Festival is incredibly lucky to have such a hard working, dedicated committee ensuring that children of all levels of talent, in both music and speech & drama, have the opportunity to develop their life skills and passions.

I have definitely seen my children’s confidence grow as a consequence of taking part in the Festival. Thank you for providing them with such a great opportunity.

The Alderley Edge Festival provides a brilliant opportunity for every competitor to challenge themselves to the best of their ability. It’s a really fulfilling experience.

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Festival 2024 Information

Here you can download the festival syllabus plus all music and speech and drama programmes.

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Scooter Braun, Mayor Eric Adams appear at Nova Music Festival exhibit opening in NYC

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An exhibit honoring the victims and survivors of the Nova Music Festival called “6:29 AM The Moment Music Stood Still,” opened in New York City last week, displaying bullet ridden bathroom stalls, burned cars, and harrowing testimonials from those on the ground October 7.

Hamas terrorists killed 370 people at the concert dedicated to peace and love and kidnapped 44. (In total, 1,200 were killed in Israel that day and some 240 people were taken hostage.)

Scooter Braun, who helped bring the exhibit that first showed in Tel Aviv to the United States, gave a speech at an opening party where Mayor Eric Adams also spoke.

Braun’s hope is to “educate” people, saying, “This is not a political issue. It’s not an issue of race or religion, it’s a music festival. This is Coachella, this is Stagecoach, this is Governors Ball. This is any festival you, your kids or you, or your brother or sister have attended.”

He asked that “People to see themselves in this moment.” 

Survivors from the massacre have also been on hand.

“It was my first trance festival ever,” survivor Tomer Meir, 21, told Page Six. “At 6:29 AM the music stops. From a moment of everybody dancing and laughing, it turned into a horror movie. A lot of rockets, terrorists coming after us who wanted to kill everybody.”

Tomer told us he was near a road where his car was parked, but that his vehicle was hit by a rocket and they had to flee.

“We were hiding in a tunnel,” behind the road, he explained. “After we left the tunnel and returned to the road we met a lot of cops who didn’t know what to do, and in that moment a lot of cars came with AK47’s and started shooting everyone.”

A clearly emotional Tomer told us, “I ran away,” until they found a ride.

He was lucky. “We came as 14 friends, we returned as 14 friends,” he said.

He is now trying to recover from the traumatic experience.

“I am healing myself, it’s a big journey,” he told us, saying he is relying on other survivors of the tragedy. “The Nova community is the best thing that could happen. Our healing is healing each other in the community. This is the biggest thing I have right now.”

The exhibit allows viewers to see the discarded tents and items left in the chaos, as well as hear a heartbreaking last phone call that Romi Gonen, who is still being held hostage in Gaza, made to her mother.  

One room contains information on sexual assaults that happened at the festival by Hamas. As part of the display, a member of ZAKA, a voluntary community emergency response team, tears up and describes the sexual mutilation he saw.

The exhibit is created and directed by Nova’s founders and Reut Feingold, along with US partners including Braun, Joe Teplow and Josh Kadden.

Yoni Feingold, who helped initiate the exhibit, says that what happened is not only about Israel.

“There were guests from all over the world, over 300 people from different countries,” he said. “There were DJs from India, DJs from Brazil, from Europe, from America. It is important for us to separate it from the Israeli idea, and let the world know this was an international music festival that was attacked by vicious people. It can happen anywhere.”

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News | Fashion designer Christian Siriano to be grand marshal of Annapolis Pride Parade in June

The annapolis native and "project runway" star will also give a keynote speech.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, left, and Annapolis Pride Board Chair Joe Toolan unveil the 2024 Pride Parade and Festival logo at an official reveal party Thursday night at the Graduate Hotel. (Courtesy photo)

Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette

Annapolis Pride Parade marchers carry a rainbow flag on West Street in Annapolis on June 3.

Delegate Heather Bagnall marches. The Annapolis Pride Parade makes its way down West Street Saturday, June 3, 2023.

The Annapolis Pride Parade makes its way down West Street Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Fashion designer Christian Siriano will be returning to his hometown of Annapolis in June to serve as the grand marshal of the fourth annual Annapolis Pride Parade.

The Parade and Festival take place June 1 at noon. The parade route this year will be different, starting at City Dock, moving up Main Street and ending where Amos Garrett Boulevard and West Street meet. Following the parade, a festival will be held outside Maryland Hall and the Bates Athletic Complex until 5 p.m.

Siriano, who graduated from Broadneck High School, is known for winning the fourth season of the Bravo television show “Project Runway” in 2007. He was 22 years old at the time of his victory, making him the youngest winner on the show. After his win on the show, Siriano launched his eponymous collection in 2008, and has since dressed celebrities such as Ariana Grande  and Michelle Obama .

Siriano, 38, will be giving the keynote speech at the festival at Maryland Hall at the end of the parade.

“This will probably be the biggest year yet,” said Joe Toolan, board chair for Annapolis Pride.

This year’s theme is “Anchored with Pride,” centering on the Chesapeake Bay and its importance to the area. The theme also represents “the feeling that you get when you can proudly stand in your pride, anchored by your community, your chosen family, and as unapologetically you,” Toolan said.

L. Rodgers is headlining this year’s musical entertainment. Rodgers, a Baltimore native, has performed at Annapolis Pride for the past two years, Toolan said. She is currently receiving national attention as a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice.”  During her blind audition in March, Rodgers’ cover of “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones caught the attention of country star Reba McEntire, who ultimately became Rodgers’ coach for the season after hitting the “I Want You” button in the last few seconds of the performance.

Rodgers is also a former contestant on the ABC’s “American Idol.” She is an Americana/soul artist, according to a news release from Annapolis Pride, and performed in the second annual Songbird Festival at Maryland Hall in Annapolis on April 20.

“L. Rodgers has been an integral part of Annapolis Pride since we started,” Toolan said in a statement. “She is a model in our community and has been open about her experience and coming out as a lesbian and navigating her journey with autism through music. We are so excited to have her back this year.

Rodgers is expected to perform in the show’s playoff round on April 29 where the judges select 12 contestants to advance into the final round of live performances.

This year entertainment is also scheduled around the Annapolis area to kick off and close out the Pride celebration, including the launch of an Annapolis Pride beer at Forward Brewing on May 28.

The celebration closes on June 5 with a panel at Maryland Hall that will include Chris Haley, nephew of Alex Haley and director of the study of the legacy of slavery in Maryland for the Maryland Archives; Mihee Kim-Kort, an Annapolis Presbyterian minister; and Hess Love, a writer/poet from Annapolis.

The panel, which will be led by the Coalition for LGBTQ+ Students, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy group will discuss their history in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County and how LGBTQ+ and other marginalized identities can heal together, Toolan said.

For more information about Annapolis Pride and the Pride Parade celebration, visit annapolispride.org

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Blackburn Festival

Speech, music and dance.

Welcome to the website for Blackburn Festival of Speech, Music and Dance

Miss Dance Master Change of Date

We have had to change the date of our Miss Dance Master heat to May 5 - please contact the Dance Secretary if you had entered for our old date and now can't make it.

News : from our Chair

Dear Festival Friends

Welcome to the syllabus launch of Blackburn Festival of Music, Speech and Dance 2024. Our dates in March, April and May are confirmed and the adjudicators booked. I am writing to let you know of changes and adjustments.

Music Secretaries Suganya Reddy and Suzanne Lowe have introduced three new guitar classes, and Primary, Secondary and Open Choir classes. Our adjudicators are Maria Jagusz, Joanna Garcia and Andrew Sherwood with accompanists Catherine Hall-Smith and Tim Kennedy. High Scoring performers and Section Trophy winners may be invited to perform at a Blackburn Festival Gala Concert on Sunday 24th March 2024 at The Croston Theatre, Westholme School, Blackburn.

Until a few weeks ago, the Speech section of the Festival had no Secretary and was in danger of being cancelled for 2024. Thankfully, Suganya Reddy has volunteered to take on the Speech Secretary admin role in addition to her Music Secretary post. T his is very generous and I am sure that you will all support her during the run-up to and throughout the Festival dates. Consequently, a reduced number of classes have been confirmed for 2024 whilst our well-loved and local adjudicator Susan MacKay has chosen the set verse. The adjudicators for 2024 are Christopher Marlow and Jenny Thornton. Changes in Speech, apart from the obviously reduced number of classes, are the introduction of two new Choral Speaking classes; one for Primary and one for Secondary age groups. This is in response to requests from schools and drama groups in the area. Please spread the word and support the Speech section.

Dance 2024 will be held on three weekends in April and May which should give us plenty of hours to fit in the hundreds of entries expected. New to Blackburn this year is the use of the online platform, Festival Connect through which entries and payments for Dance will be made.

BIFF (British and International Federation of Festivals) are introducing new marking schemes for all three disciplines in 2024. The trials and final consultations are almost complete. We will be in touch with the full details when all three areas have been ratified and published.

So, over to you Festival friends. Get those syllabuses downloaded and entries in. 

The final and absolutely last date for entries in Speech and Music is January 13th 2024

The last date for entries in Dance is February 28th 2024

Best wishes

Debbie Northin

Chair of Blackburn Festival

To keep up with the latest news follow our Facebook Page and the Twitter feed.

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76th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (2024)

A guide to Moscow’s summer festivals

May 26, 2018 • 4 min read

People attend open-air concert during Usadba Jazz festival at the Archangelskoye Estate @ Anton Gvozdikov / Shutterstock

Believe it or not, in summer Moscow usually gets rather hot. It’s also the season when the city is fully awake, with more events happening than at any other time of the year. Almost every weekend a new market, exhibition or festival takes place, making it pretty hard to choose which one to attend.

Of course, the highlight of this summer in the Russian capital will be the celebration of football, as Moscow gets ready to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup (from 14 June to 15 July) along with 10 other cities across the country. Nevertheless, over the years some big annual events have become an integral – and fun – part of Moscow’s summer culture. Here are our top picks.

Usadba Jazz at Arkhangelskoe

This iconic open-air jazz festival has been taking place in Moscow for over a decade, making it one of the city’s favourite outdoor events. The location is always the same – the gorgeous 19th-century  Arkhangelskoe Estate and its surroundings. Apart from some great classical and modern jazz, blues, funk, soul and world music, there’s a new theme each year: in 2017 it was ecology, introducing some local eco-designers and culinary artists to jazz-loving Muscovites.

Dates: 2–3 June 2018

Red Square Book Fest

This year Moscow’s annual book festival will be taking over the historic Red Square for the fourth time. The event celebrates the reading culture, introduces the best local publishing houses, and allows visitors to purchase books, attend masterclasses and listen to some well-known modern Russian writers. The program covers several themes, including fiction, non-fiction, ebooks, children’s and educational literature, antique and secondhand books, as well as Russian regions.  Famous Russian museums present their publishing projects and catalogues, and there are live concerts and performances throughout the festival.

Dates: 3–6 June 2018

Moscow Flower Show

Who knew Moscow could be a rose? Last year a new sort of rose was created just to celebrate the 870th anniversary of the Russian capital. This international garden festival is a paradise for the admirers of landscape design and all things green and blooming. Both recognised and up-and-coming landscape designers present their works and compete for the main prize, awarded by an international jury. And visitors get a chance to release their inner flower child.

Dates: 29 June–8 July 2018

Taste of Moscow

This international food festival   has been around for a long time, covering 19 cities of the world and gaining huge popularity in Moscow. The city’s 30 best restaurants will take part in the program this year, offering visitors their most renowned dishes and products. You can treat yourself to delicacies from one of the exclusive menus created specifically for the festival, attend degustations or learn how to cook from a professional chef. The interactive program will also include concerts, masterclasses, pop-up performances and children’s activities.

Dates: 26–29 July 2018

Much loved by both locals and visitors to the city, the annual Park Live rock festival has achieved international status in its six years of existence, treating the fans with performances from world-famous and local rock stars. Hosting Muse in 2015 has been the highlight in the festival’s history, while Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Limp Bizkit and System of a Down have also headlined. In 2018 revellers will have a chance to see David Guetta, Gorillaz and Massive Attack at the vibrant Gorky Park  in the heart of the city.

Dates: 27–29 July 2018

Afisha Picnic

Moscow’s biggest open-air festival is a summer rave for food and music lovers. Organized by Afisha magazine, it’s been expanding year on year, eventually moving from concert halls and stadiums to the vast Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve , a former royal estate and a Unesco World Heritage Site by the Moscow River. The organisers make sure there’s lots going on, so apart from multiple music stages you can find food stalls with local products, a designers’ market, gaming and lecture areas – all with a strict no-alcohol policy.

Dates: 4 August 2018

The Times and Epochs re-enactment of a battle between Polish and Ruthenian archers © Degtyaryov Andrey / Shutterstock

Times and Epochs

The ultimate historical festival in Russia expands with each passing year, taking over Moscow parks, recreational areas and some of the main streets. It brings together the best from the world of historical re-enactment, boasting more than 6000 geeky participants in 2017 (many of them from abroad). Soldiers, merchants, craftsmen, musicians all walk the streets in traditional costumes, performing or teaching the arts, crafts and games of the past. Best of all, the festival is focused on getting the audience involved in the lifestyles of different eras, from the Stone Age to the Soviet times.

Dates: 10–22 August 2018

Moscow City Day

Moscow turned 870 in 2017, and to celebrate the occasion, the city administration decided to host a 10-day festival under the slogan ‘Moscow is a city where history is being made’. With Russian avant-garde the main theme, dozens of events, lectures, performances and street markets celebrated the history of the capital as well as its prominent inhabitants. Plenty of music, food and modern art is always to be expected on the city streets during this time. Don’t miss the magnificent fireworks.

Dates: 1–10 September 2018

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The death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack rises to 143, while 80 others remain hospitalized

Flowers lie in front of the Crocus City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Russian officials persisted Tuesday in saying Ukraine and the West had a role in last week’s deadly Moscow concert hall attack despite vehement denials of involvement by Kyiv and a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Toys and flowers lie in front of the Crocus City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Russian officials persisted Tuesday in saying Ukraine and the West had a role in last week’s deadly Moscow concert hall attack despite vehement denials of involvement by Kyiv and a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, rescuers work in the burned concert hall after a terrorists attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. Russia is still reeling from the attack Friday in which gunmen killed 139 people in the Crocus City Hall, a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow. Health officials said about 90 people remain hospitalized, with 22 of them, including two children, in grave condition. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)

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MOSCOW (AP) — The death toll from last week’s Moscow concert hall attack rose to 143, Russian authorities said Wednesday. Around 80 other people wounded in the siege by gunmen remain hospitalized.

The Friday night massacre in Crocus City Hall, a sprawling shopping and entertainment venue on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest extremist attack on Russian soil in nearly two decades. At least four gunmen toting automatic rifles shot at thousands of concertgoers and set the venue on fire.

An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, while U.S. intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France also has intelligence pointing to “an IS entity” as responsible for the attack.

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, rescuers work in the burned concert hall after a terrorists attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)

The updated fatalities from Russia’s Emergencies Ministry didn’t state the number of wounded, but Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said earlier Wednesday that 80 people were in hospitals and another 205 had sought medical treatment from the attack.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, or the FSB, said it had arrested 11 people the day after the attack, including four suspected gunmen. The four men, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

Russian officials, however, have insisted that Ukraine and the West had a role , claims that Kyiv vehemently denies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of trying to drum up fervor as his forces fight in Ukraine.

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has also alleged, without providing evidence, that Western spy agencies could have been involved. He repeated Putin’s claim that the four gunmen were trying to escape to Ukraine when they were arrested, casting it as proof of Kyiv’s alleged involvement.

But that assertion was undercut by Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, who said Tuesday that the suspects were headed for Ukraine because they feared tight controls on the Belarus border.

The Islamic State group, which lost much of its territory following Russia’s military action in Syria after 2015, has long targeted Russia. In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian jetliner over the Sinai desert, killing all 224 people aboard, most of them Russian vacationers returning from Egypt.

Toys and flowers lie in front of the Crocus City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It has recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

The United States warned Moscow two weeks before the massacre about a possible imminent attack. Three days before the tragedy, Putin denounced the U.S. Embassy’s notice on March 7 urging Americans to avoid crowds in Moscow, including concerts, calling it an attempt to frighten Russians and “blackmail” the Kremlin before the Russian presidential election.

Bortnikov said Russia was thankful for the warning but described it as very general.