WELCOME TO BASINGSTOKE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

2025 Entry information and Syllabus AVAILABLE NOW!

2025 SYLLABUS – CLICK HERE

 


A Letter From Our Chair

Welcome,

It gives me great pleasure to present the 2025 Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival!

Once again the Festival will be hosted within the now familiar facilities of Queen Mary’s College, and we thank the college for their hospitality.

This year brings more exciting changes and new classes including the re-introduction of a Percussion section and new Rock/ Pop band classes in the Ensembles section. Our committee of volunteers are always open to communication so please do make contact if you have any queries or suggestions.

Once again we will be offering our non means-tested, financial grants and awards which I urge you to take a look at. Information can be found on our web page.

I would like to take this opportunity to officially welcome the new members of our committee and thank those stepping down for all of their hard work. The festival is run entirely by volunteers and we are grateful for everyone who has been a part of the festival so far. We are always looking for more volunteers and committee members so if you’d like to be a part of the festival ongoing please do get in touch via email bmafchairperson@gmail.com.

We are frequently commended on being a friendly festival with a strong emphasis on fun and all-round participation and we would love to see entrants of all ages and abilities taking part this coming year. We hope to see smiles, creativity and enjoyment from all involved and we look forward to seeing you all in March 2025!

Sam Gill

Hon. Chairperson

2024 Syllabus available NOW!

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

About Us

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 2025 Festival. Our website: www.basingstokemusicandarts.org.uk. Performers’ names will only be used on the Festival website and social media 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.

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 2025 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 500-600 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 members to join our committee to assist with the running of our festival. We are currently recruiting for a Strings Section Secretary and also a Bands / Choirs / Ensembles Section Secretary. If you have an interest in either 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 Chair: 

Sam Gill:  Email: bmafcharperson@gmail.com     Telephone 07765 408587  

Committee

President

John and Diane Fuller

Vice Presidents

Mrs Angela Hurley, Mrs Marilyn Wright 

Mrs Elizabeth George, Mrs Jean Filkin

Mrs Sue Morris, Mrs Iris Rodges

Mrs Margaret Garland, Mrs Wendy Harding

Former Presidents

Mr Paul Holmes (1992-2002) Mr John Greenwood (2002-2011)

Mrs. Angela Hurley (2011-2020) Marilyn Wright (2020-2022)

Festival Committee

Chairperson

Sam Gill

Vice Chairperson

Hannah Lindsey-Clark

Treasurer

Diane Wagland

Secretary   

Rita Moczulski

Web Design, Syllabus and Programme   

Eloise Gill

Catering

Andy Gill

Supply Manager: Awards, Cups, Trophies and Stationery  

Miriam Benkova

Sponsorship

Miriam Benkova & Rita Moczulski

Health and Safety

Steve Barlin

Safeguarding Officer

Steve Barlin

Council Representatives

Cllrs. Andrew McCormick & Angie Freeman

Section Secretaries

Band, Choir, Ensembles & Orchestra

Steve Barlin

Brass

Sam Gill

Creative Writing

Amy Underdown

Piano

Hannah Lindsey-Clark

Singing

Rebecca Cooch

Speech & Drama

Afton Aitkenhead

Strings

Claire Eldridge

Woodwind & Recorder

Jessica Gill

 

 

Awards and Bursaries

BMAF GRANT & AWARDS

Special Announcement – New Grant and awards

BMAF Young Musician Grant

BMAF is a registered charity dedicated to the advancement and education of the public in the Arts, and in particular the Arts of Music, Speech, Drama, and Creative Writing.

In honour of our 60th year, in 2024 we launched a grant to further support this aim.

A new annual financial award of up to £500 will be available by application to solo entrants of BMAF who live within a 20 mile radius of the centre of Basingstoke.

Additional criteria:

  • Applicants must be aged 18 years or under and in full time education (Year 13 and below)
  • Achieve a minimum score of 87 marks at BMAF 2025
  • Not previously been awarded the grant
  • Winners will be chosen by an independent panel

Money awarded must be used to further the applicants musical / artistic education for example; instrument purchase, auditions, residential course, lessons with a specialist tutor.

Applications should be made via the below link by 1st May 2025 and winners will be notified by 1st June 2025

https://forms.gle/MSUkD1AFp3ToKmWd8

Successful applicants may be featured on social media / future BMAF publications and will also receive an invitation to perform at the following years Gala Concert.

New Overall winner awards

In addition to our new grant, from 2024, Overall section award winners (Highest mark in section and Adjudicator’s choice) will receive a financial award of £30 to be used towards furthering their art.


MARKS AND CERTIFICATES – New BIFF marking scheme from 2025

EXCEPTIONAL – 95+ – A superlative performance, displaying exceptional artistic individuality (with medal, solo classes only)

OUTSTANDING ~ 90+ ~  An impressive performance technically and artistically, displaying spontaneity & clear individuality

DISTINCTION ~ 85-89 ~ An excellent performance, demonstrating fluent technical and artistic skills with emerging individuality

COMMENDED ~ 80-84 ~ A convincing performance both technically and artistically, with increasing stylistic & communication skills

MERIT ~ 75-79 ~ A competent performance showing some artist awareness and/or technical ability

PROGRESSING ~ 70-74 ~ A performance showing development of technique and/or communication and commitment

DEVELOPING ~ 65-69 ~ A performance demonstrating an awareness of technical skills, requiring more consistence and artistry

OVERALL TROPHIES AND AWARDS

Each section of our festival has 2 overall awards with the first cup being awarded for the Highest Mark achieved across the weekend of competition.  The second award will be the ‘Adjudicators choice’ and this would usually be presented to an entrant who has consistently performed well across a number of classes in the section or who shows the greatest potential.

In addition to our new grant, from 2024, Overall section award winners (Highest mark in section and Adjudicator’s choice) will receive a financial award of £30 to be used towards furthering their art.

All awards are given at the adjudicators discretion and correspondence will not be entered into.

Section

page11image3923201264

Highest Mark

page11image3923537824

page11image3923538448

Adjudicators Choice

page11image3923542288

Bands, Choirs, and Ensembles

The Charles Chute Cup

The Douglas Shield

Brass

page11image3967312736

Steadman Cup

page11image3967315536

page11image3967317744

David James Cup

page11image3967317072

Creative Writing

Sara Turner Saunders Award

Callum James Shield

Pianoforte

page11image3967332928

Summerbrook Student Shield

page11image3967337200

page11image3967337808

James Lisney Award

page11image3967341424

Singing

Alexandra Cassidy Memorial Trophy

Ashley Rose Bowl

Speech and Drama

page11image3967355632Roger Morris Cup page11image3967359296

Basingstoke Theatre Trust Trophy

Strings

Phillip Brown Violins Award

page11image3967373312

Roger Tapping Shield

Woodwind

page11image3967378816

Ovation Award

page11image3967380336

Woodwind Cup

BOROUGH OF BASINGSTOKE CUP –  The Borough of Basingstoke Adult Award 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.

JOHN GREENWOOD MEMORIAL TROPHY – The Borough of Basingstoke Junior Award is awarded to the highest number of Outstanding Certificates gained by any competitor aged 18 or under in Music, Drama or Creative Writing classes. The recipient must reside or attend school 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 2.30pm on Sunday 23rd March 2025 .

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.