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Inverclyde’s annual celebration of the area’s talented performers and musicians kicks off on Monday, and festival president Isabel Lind told the Tele she couldn’t wait for things to get underway.
Excitement is building among the festival’s organisers and participants, not just for this year’s event, but also ahead of next year’s, which will be the gala competition’s 100th edition.
This year the festival has also enlisted the help of young ambassadors from Port Glasgow High, St Stephen’s and St Columba’s High in Gourock to help reach out to the younger generation.
Isabel said: “We have asked them to make a podcast for the 100th anniversary, to modernise how we promote the festival.
“I am delighted, they are very enthusiastic and pleasing. They are the next generation to carry the festival forward.
“Quite a number of the ambassadors have taken part in the festival and range from second year at school to fifth year, we also have Andrea Crumlish who is in third year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.”
For more information about this year’s festival visit https://inverclyde-music-festival.org.uk/.
Local musician Connor Bristow will also be visiting every school in Inverclyde to compose a new piece of music for the 100th anniversary.
But there will be plenty of highlights from this year’s festival which runs until February 7.
Isabel said: “On the first morning we will have five choirs, nearly 300 people taking part in the opening morning at Greenock Town Hall.
“This is 99th festival and we have an exciting festival this year.
“We are holding the ABC competition, the major singing event, which will be held on the penultimate night of the festival instead of the last night.
“It will be the first time that we have Fiona Mclean-Buechel instrumentalist expert to come along to judge at the festival.
“We have more than 1,000 entries, we have such talented young people in Inverclyde.
“All of Inverclyde is represented. The support from schools is like nowhere else in Britain and Inverclyde is the premier festival because of the way the schools support it.”
Other events to look out for will be the piping competition and country dancing, which will run in the Beacon, and for first time The Albany will be used as a venue for the the Gaelic classes on February 5.
Isabel said: “Julie McKellar and her husband Ryan, the new owners of the Albany have kindly offered the use of the venue which is very generous. Julie is very supportive of the festival and has previously performed in the festival and has nieces who still take part.”
The festival will end on a high note at Port Glasgow Town Hall, which is also a first for the festival.
Isabel said: “This year we are showing solidarity for Port Glasgow.
“I think the town receiving that carbuncle award was disgraceful so for the first time we are holding the closing concert on the February 7 in Port Glasgow Town Hall and it also links in with 250th celebrations.”
The festival starts on Monday and runs until February 7.
