Chairman’s 2024 report
The 69th Chichester Festival of Music, Dance and Speech has come to a close, and what a fantastic event it was! We are thrilled to report that this year's festival was a huge success, thanks to the tireless efforts of our wonderful volunteers, committee members, and section leaders.
With over 2,200 performers taking part, this year's festival was one of our busiest and most successful yet. We are grateful to each and every one of our volunteers who gave up their time to ensure the smooth running of the festival. From our section leaders to our committee members, every single person played a vital role in making this festival a success
Section Highlights
This year's festival was divided into 11 sections, each with its own unique charm and talent. Here are some highlights from each section:
Speech & Drama: Held at Oakwood School, this section saw 231 performers take part, with the poetry classes being particularly popular. Well done to section leader Mini Elliot and her team!
Classical Guitar: With 81 performers, this section was a great success, thanks to section leader Alexander Levtov and his team.
Strings: Congratulations to Mark Anstead, our new section leader, who did a fantastic job organizing this section. The adjudicator gave very positive feedback to all 49 entries.
Dance: This section, held at Bishop Luffa School, was our biggest and busiest, with 835 entries taking part over 5 days. Well done to section leader Angela Watkins and her dedicated team!
Organ: Held at St. George's Church, this section saw 10 talented organ performers take part. The Organ Section was run by Sarah Plumley. For the first time the West Sussex Organists Association partnered with the CFMDS to run this organ section. We hope to see many more performances next year!
Musical Theatre: With 66 entries, this section was a huge success, thanks to section leader Sue Webb and her wonderful team.
Woodwind & Recorders: Congratulations to Emma Milne, our new section leader, who did a fantastic job organizing this section. We saw a big increase in entries this year, with 47 performers taking part.
Brass, Orchestras, Bands & Percussion: This section, held at St. Joseph's CE Junior School, saw over 350 musicians take part, with 16 different classes ranging from individual soloists to full bands and orchestras. Well done to section leader Alfie Hughes and her team!
Junior Singing: With 158 entries over 2 days, this section was a huge success, thanks to section leader Jo Wardroper and her wonderful team.
Choir: This section, held at St. Joseph's CE Junior School, saw 19 entries from 15 different choirs, with an estimated 300 singers taking part. Well done to section leader Kate Goodchild and her enthusiastic volunteers!
Pianoforte: Our final section, held at the Regis School of Music, saw 180 entries take part over 3 days. Well done to section leader Christopher Johnstone and his dedicated team of volunteers!
I would also like to extend a special thank you to our additional committee members who worked behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly. Ron Williams, Janet Topping, Mary Smith, Fiona Methven, Elizabeth Cruttenden, and Angela Stephens - your hard work and dedication are truly appreciated.
Once again, we would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved in making this year's festival a success. From our performers to our volunteers, committee members, and section leaders, every single person played a vital role in making this festival a memorable one. We can't wait to do it all again next year! With all good wishes,
Alan Rodger, Chairman