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Rousing conclusion to annual festival
Unprecedented numbers ensured a rousing conclusion to this year's Chichester Festival for Music, Dance and Speech.
Westbourne House School's Millennium Hall was the venue for the end-of-festival concert and attracted close to 300 people – both performers and audience.
"The evening was a sell-out and exceeded all previous years' attendances," said spokeswoman Jenie Pressdee.
"All three patrons of the festival attended and were welcomed by the festival chairman Ron Williams. They were the Mayor of Chichester (Councillor Ray Brown) and the Mayoress; The Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Nicholas Frayling, and the chairman of the district council, John Ridd.
"The Mayor of Chichester presented the Mayor's Trophy to the Bognor Regis Concert Band who were voted the best performing band in the festival this year.
"Other presentations were made by the Dean of Chichester to pupils of the Towers Convent School, Upper Beeding, for winning the Clarke-Jervoise Cup for their interpretation of Strictly Come Choral Speaking in the choral speech class, for which they received an outstanding in the festival.
"Joyce Foote presented the Lily Jane Foote memorial cup to Imy and Maria Luc who played The Sugar Plum Fairy in the concert and who were the best piano players in the festival; the victor ludorum for dance was presented by Diana Taylor to seven-year-old James Moore for his modern solo performance in the ballet solo class.
"Finally, the Rotary Trophy for the most entertaining performance of the evening was presented by David Warwick to Barnham Primary School Choir for their enthusiastic version of Candle On The Water and Consider Yourself At Home."
Jenie, who compered the evening, added: "Each year there is a different emphasis on performance. This year it was on larger groups in choral speech, singing and a 50-strong band.
"The concert covered all genres and generally gave a balanced view of all the various classes covered in the festival – poetry, acting, singing, dance (both modern and classical), choral speech, choirs, bands, guitar, trumpet, piano, flute, cello.
"The youngest performer was five-year-old Tillie Rothwell who danced a cabaret duet with James Moore entitled Pickin Chicken. The oldest performer was 81-year-old Michael Macdonald who sang The Hippopotamus Song and managed to get the audience to join in the chorus."
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Weather for Chichester
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
