A letter from our Chair

PLEASE NOTE OUR 2021 FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD ONLINE

WELCOME

It gives me great pleasure to present the syllabus for the 2021 Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival!

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone so we hope that 2021 will bring new beginnings, peace and opportunities.

Creativity has been a comfort for many in these troubled times and I believe emphasises the importance of the arts in our culture. We are proud to be able to offer a performance platform and perhaps some direction and an outlet for that creativity along with an opportunity for advancement and education in the arts.

I would like to thank all of our committee members and volunteers for making this possible through their unerring support across this last year, particularly across the three festival weekends where everyone worked together to adapt on the spot to a changing world.

We have found ways to continue to work together as a committee (remotely) to enable us to offer a festival once again in 2021 despite these uncertain times and to move forward and we are proud to introduce our new paperless online entry system via ‘Run My Festival’. We hope this system will bring ease of entry and online payment.

This year we say goodbye to some very longstanding members of the committee as well as our president Angela Hurley as they resign from their positions. I would like to thank them for their work across the years, building the festival up to what it is today.

In their place we offer a warm welcome to our 5 new committee members who will take on these roles, each bringing with them new ideas to advance our festival even further.

We look forward to a successful 2021 festival!

Mrs. Sam Gill

Hon. Chairperson

2021 Syllabus available NOW!

Adam Yarnton (St. Marks CoE Primary) with his trophy from the 2020 Creative Writing section

About

The Basingstoke Music & Arts Festival Association is a registered charity (Reg. Charity No.1037049) and is affiliated to the British & International Federation of Festivals. Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke RG21 3HF will be hosting the entire 2021 Festival. Our website: www.basingstokemusicandarts.org.uk. Performers’ names will only be used on the Festival website to celebrate their success. No other details will be shared. If you do not wish your name to be included please inform your Section Secretary. The information you provide on your entry form is not held on a computer system.

HISTORY OF BASINGSTOKE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

In the early sixties Hilda Price, Principal of the Summerbrook School of Music in Basingstoke, decided to start a music festival for her pupils. This became so successful that in 1963 its scope was widened, and the Basingstoke Music Festival was formed. The objectives were then as now to provide a platform where competitors can appear before an audience and receive a critique enabling them to improve their performance. It was competitive and marks and trophies were awarded. The first Music Festival which was open to all took place in the Community Centre which is now the Carnival Hall from 9-14 November 1964. It included Dancing, Piano, Elocution, vocal and choral. The President was Wilfred Greenhouse, then Principal of Trinity College, Chairman was Alderman F.C. Townsend, Miss Price was Secretary and there was a Committee of 14. One of the Adjudicators was Keith Stent who adjudicated again for our 40th Anniversary in 2004.

John Greenwood was elected a Borough Councillor in 1968 and was appointed to represent the Council in the Festival Committee. He became Chairman in 1970. During the early years the whole Festival took place over one weekend covering piano, singing, brass, woodwind, strings and dance. There was also a section including one act plays. This has disappeared now, but we have replaced it with a Creative Writing Section which includes play writing.

Archivist – Angela Hurley

SPONSOR OUR FESTIVAL                                           

Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival was established in 1963 and is organised annually by a small group of dedicated volunteers. Committee members and venues have changed over the years and sections have been added or deleted according to public demand. Together with loyal support from teachers and performers who enter the Festival, the ongoing success of each annual event relies on financial help offered by companies and individuals within the local community.                                                                          

Festival entries are received from a wide geographical area, including Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire. Many entrants are attracted as a result of visits to our website: www.basingstokemusicandarts.org.uk which contains Festival information, as well as copies of the Syllabus and entry forms which can easily be viewed and downloaded. Items of topical information and news of current Festival activities can also be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Basingstokemusicandartsfestival

Our committee invites sponsors to advertise in our 2019 Festival Programme, which will include details of programmes for all sections of the festival held over each of the three weekends. We estimate that approximately 500 copies will be printed, offering a potentially valuable advertising window to a wide circulation of individuals and groups, including many friends, teachers and families of entrants taking part in each of our sections.   A full-page coloured advertisement would attract a fee of £120 with smaller advertisements charged pro-rata.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We currently have a vacancy for an extra member to join our committee to assist with the work of the general secretary. If you have an interest in this role or feel you would like to help with any of the sections of our Festival, then we would love to hear from you!

We are always grateful for any offers of help on Festival days, either with setting up rooms and putting up notices, manning reception and certificate desks or being on hand to direct entrants and audience members to rooms at Queen Mary’s College.

For further information please contact our general secretary: 

Jean Filkin:  Email: jeanfilkin@hotmail.co.uk     Telephone 01256 851044  

Committee

President

Marilyn Wright

Vice Presidents

Mrs. Margaret Garland, Mrs. Elizabeth George,

Mrs. Wendy Harding, Mrs. Irene Holman,

Mrs. Sue Morris, Mrs. Jean Murphy,

Mrs. Iris Rodges, Mrs. Mary Vine

Former Presidents

Mrs. Angela Hurley, Mr Paul Holmes

Festival Committee

Chairman – Sam Gill

Treasurer – Sarah Crowdy

Secretary – Jean Filkin

Assistant Secretary – Sky Caves

Web Design, Syllabus and Programme – Eloise Gill, Sky Caves, Sarah Crowdy

Publicity and Marketing Officers – Angie Holmes, Eloise Gill, Afton Aitkenhead

Supply Manager: Awards, Cups, Trophies and Stationary – Miriam Benkova

Sponsorship – Miriam Benkova

Health and Safety – Keith Filkin (Until December 2020)

Safeguarding Officer – Sam Gill

General Officers – Steve Barlin, Ian Holmes

Council Representatives – Cllr. Andy McCormick, Angie Freeman

Festival Archivist – Angela Hurley

Section Secretaries

Band, Choir, Ensemble and Orchestra – Nicky Raimbaux

Brass – Adam Denman

Creative Writing – Tony Corbin (Until December 2020)

Pianoforte – Hannah Lindsey-Clark

Singing – Alex Cassidy

Speech and Drama – Angela Holmes & Afton Aitkenhead

Strings – Jean Filkin

Woodwind & Recorder – Sam Gill

WEBMASTER

Eloise Gill

Awards

MARKS AND CERTIFICATES

OUTSTANDING ~ 90+ ~  An exceptional performance both technically and artistically
(with medal – solo classes only)

DISTINCTION ~ 87-89 ~ An excellent performance both technically and artistically

COMMENDED ~ 84-86 ~ A convincing performance both technically and artistically

MERIT ~ 81-83 ~ A capable performance showing some artist appreciation and/or technical ability

MODERATE ~ 78-80 ~ A performance showing development of technique and/or communication

FAIR ~ 75-77 ~ A performance limited in its communication

OVERALL TROPHIES AND AWARDS

These will be allocated to the entrant gaining the highest mark in each section of the Festival. If the case of a tie, the section adjudicator will be asked to recommend an overall winner.

CHARLES CHUTE CUP Band, Ensemble & Orchestra
HOGAN MUSIC AWARD Choir
JOHN GREENWOOD MEMORIAL TROPHY Creative Writing
SUMMERBROOK STUDENT SHIELD Pianoforte
GARTH & ELIZABETH GEORGE CUP Singing
ROGER MORRIS CUP Speech and Drama

BASINGSTOKE THEATRE TRUST TROPHY Theatrical Award for Speech and Drama
PHILIP BROWN VIOLINS AWARD Strings
WOODWIND AWARD Woodwind, Brass, Recorders
BOROUGH OF BASINGSTOKE CUP is awarded to the highest number of Outstanding Certificates gained by any adult competitor in Music, Drama or Creative Writing classes. The recipient must reside or work in the Borough of Basingstoke.The Overall Awards will be presented during the

Gala Performance and Award Ceremony at Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke
at 2.00pm on Sunday 25th April 2021.

Other trophies and awards are listed in the Schedule of Classes.
Responsibility for the engraving and safe-keeping of trophies rests with the winners or their parents. All trophies remain the property of the Festival and must be returned to the appropriate Section Secretary by the designated date.

THE GAIGER TRUST

The Gaiger Trust was established in 1998 with funds raised during Brian Gaiger’s Mayoral Year. The aim of the Trust is to encourage and assist the development of young people from the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane in the Performing Arts.

A financial scholarship is to be awarded by the Gaiger Trust in 2021 to an entrant of the Music Performance or Speech and Drama sections of the 2021 Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival who:

  • is aged 18 years or under at the time of their performance in the Festival
  • has not previously been awarded a Gaiger Scholarship
  • achieved 87 marks or more in a solo class
  • lives within the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane
  • in the opinion of the judging panel, presents the most compelling case for making the best  use of a financial award of at least £200 to further their development in the Performing Arts

To apply for the Scholarship, please send a copy of the mark-sheet from your qualifying 2021 Festival performance and provide a brief outline of your relevant progress, experience and achievements so far, plus your plans for the future and an account of how you would benefit if awarded the Scholarship. 

Applications will be assessed by a panel of Trustees and professional performers.

The closing date for applications is 5th May 2021. Remember to include your date of birth and home address, and send your application to:

Mrs. Eleanor Burt, 22 Northfield Road, Sherfield-on-Loddon, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 0DR.

For further information please contact Eleanor Burt:  Telephone  01256 882309.

THE ARTS SOCIETY BASINGSTOKE

We are offering a bursary of £250 to a talented young person, aged between 10 years and 14 years, whose mark in the BMAF in 2021, is above 85. Applicants will need to live within the Borough of Basingstoke.

Applications should be made by letter, outlining your plans on how you intend to spend the money. (e.g. to upgrade your musical instrument, to pay for lessons with a top teacher, support you in a placement at a music, drama or writing summer school etc.)

Please tell us why you are passionate about your skill and why you, above others, should be the person to attract this financial reward. In the following year you will be asked to give evidence of how you have spent the money and how having that award has benefitted your progress.

Applications will be assessed by the Committee of The Arts Society Basingstoke and awarded thereafter.

The closing date for applications is May 1st 2021 and should be addressed to:

The Chairman, The Arts Society Basingstoke, 87 Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke RG21 3EY