Music festival gives talent its chance to shine
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THE curtain came down on the Moray Music Festival with a concert celebrating the talent which had taken part in the week-long event.
The performance by Lili Anderson of Applegrove Primary in Forres was one of many highlights, featuring as it did a particularly hilarious and heartfelt tale about homework.
The youngster walked off with the Jean Maciver Memorial Award, presented to the best performer in speech and drama in memory of the former festival stalwart and chair, who died last year.
Mrs Maciver would have admired the passion and panache with which young Lili delivered her performances.
The concert had been opened by piper Christopher Hyndman and drummer Douglas Caldwell, who won one of the few ‘Outstanding’ certificates handed out during the festival.
The Moray Music Centre Junior Strings – more than 50 of them – highlighted in one fell swoop the depth of musical talent in the local area.
This was followed by a delightful violin solo by Emily Morris from Elgin, and an excellent performance on euphonium by Lesley Nicol of Rothes.
Margaret Macfadyen, festival chair, said the performances were undoubtedly the best Mother’s Day present for the mums in the crowd.
Unfortunately, the town hall was not as full as it might have been, but that did not detract from the enjoyment of those who were there.
A new addition to the festival this year was the clarsach, and Elgin Academy pair Kirsty McLean and Jasmine Dickinson provided a sweet demonstration of the instrument at its finest.
Kerry Alexander from Buckie upped the tempo with some Scots fiddle music which got the audience’s feet tapping.
With Spring just around the corner, a lovely piano solo with that theme was played by Toria Laidlaw, from Cawdor.
The first half of the concert concluded with the P1-3 choir from Bishopmill Primary School, who sang two pieces, including Hollie the Hedgehog.
When the curtain came up again, it was the turn of Applegrove Primary, from Forres, to highlight their storytelling ability, with a tale about the village ‘Awysmoanin’ and how the pursuit of gold and other material possessions is not always the best path in life.
Golden memories, golden moments and hearts of gold, said the children, were the best thing to have as they transformed their village into ‘Dunmoanin’.
Lili Anderson then performed her solo English verse, and the winner of a competition to design a poster for the festival, Emma Donald, received her prize from Alistair Farquhar, head of educational resource services with Moray Council.
He paid tribute to the "stunning array of talent" on show at the festival, and to the work and enthusiasm of the voluntary team who organise the festival. "This is undoubtedly the jewel in Moray’s musical crown," he added.
A haunting jazz saxophone solo by Pete Greer, from Elgin, was followed by ‘Songs from the Shows’ by Ruby Downie from Brodie, displaying a powerful voice in her festival debut.
The concert came to a rousing end with a fantastic performance by the Gordonstoun Pipes and Drums.
That was it all over again for two more years, but the wonderful performances could only whet the appetite for 2014.
