Welcome to the Wharfedale Festival Syllabus for 2009.

We are proud to be celebrating our hundred and third Festival in May 2009, and I hope you will agree that although our Festival is old in years, it is young in imagination and innovation as it continues to develop and introduce exciting new classes and put new spin on  old ones. 

We extend our thanks once again to the Ilkley Bandstand 2000 Trust for offering concert engagements to winning brass and concert bands and also to the Guiseley Music Centre for their generous provision of a year’s free admission to any ensemble of the winner’s choice.  We are also most grateful to SAA-UK and the Yamaha School of Music for their support in the production of this Syllabus.

Please note that some of the Instrumental classes do not run in numerical order and that due to the inclusion of exciting new classes in the Speech and Drama section, the numbers in the Poetry and Creative Writing section are now prefaced by P and S as appropriate.

This year we have created a new Speech & Drama section aimed specifically at those aged  over 21 years.  We hope this will prove to be a popular addition and that the classes on offer are sufficiently enticing.  We have tried to include every aspect of the original Syllabus.

On the music side, we have developed a range of classes aimed at students studying electronic instruments and other school music syllabus classes, including Electronic Keyboard and Guitar and Percussion. We hope that this will make a more exciting Festival Syllabus.   

We have also included some advice for performers which we hope will help them to get the most out of their performances, thus increasing their enjoyment and that of the audience. 

 Although the proposed scheduling of classes is indicated alongside each one, I  would respectfully remind you that the Festival reserves the right to alter these should circumstances so dictate.  Such a decision will not be taken lightly and only as a last resort.  For further information, please contact the Secretary either by telephone, e-mail address or via the Contact Us page on the website. 

 I would like to appeal to all who submit entries that they ensure these are posted in time to arrive on or before the closing date, i.e. 24^th February 2009.  Whilst every effort is made to accommodate late entries, it does place an unbearable strain on the preparation of the programme with regard to class schedules and the calculation of timings, bearing in mind the programme printing deadline, which is not negotiable. 

With this in mind, therefore, the Management Committee has decided to impose a late entry penalty fee of £2.00 per entry received significantly later than the closing date.  PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU RISK HAVING YOUR ENTRY REFUSED.

I do hope you will be able to support me and comply with this request, thus assisting us to improve the quality of timekeeping and the efficient running of all classes during the week of the Festival.  

All musicians are allowed to use the services of their own Accompanist.  If you wish to use a Festival Official Accompanist, you are asked to indicate this on your Entry Form in the appropriate place.  All music must be sent by 30^th April at the latest, or better still, with the entry form.  Failure to comply may result in performing without accompaniment.

 Please return the whole of the Entry Form, and not just the first half, in order to avoid the loss of important information.  Please read your Entry Form carefully as it contains new and important additional information.  It would aid our scheduling if you would indicate whether or not you are available to attend daytime classes.

 Meanwhile, why not visit our exciting and innovative, multi -award-winning website on www.wharfedalefestival.co.uk  and find out all about us.  

Many thanks,  

Elizabeth M Sharp

Festival Secretary