Dumfries and District Music Festival Association has made a triumphant return for the first time in three years.
Everyone enjoyed the return of face-to-face musical competition for the annual event after the 2022 edition was held online.
After the opening weekend’s speech competition it was the time for the music portion which saw a total of 150 entries and 496 competitors taking part either as soloists, as part of school/community choir or musical group.
The competition was mostly held at The Bridge in Dumfries for the first time, thanks to the generosity of Dumfries and Galloway Council, who also sponsored the printing of the programmes.
Organisers agreed The Bridge was an excellent venue with wonderful facilities and superb acoustics.
The adjudicators were Daniel Chandler from Bolton and Gill Johnston from Hertford. They both gave excellent feedback to the competitors and were very positive and encouraging. Daniel described the standard in the senior secondary singing classes as “stellar”.
Will Archibald from Langholm was judged to be “outstanding” for his performance on the cello and the newly formed Hightae/St Mungo/Tundergarth Primary Schools Choir gained an outstanding award for their rendition of a Gaelic song.
The results are as follows:
Primary School Choirs
Wallace Cup: Troqueer Primary.
Millennium Glass trophy: Hightae/St Mungo/Tundergarth Primaries.
Dumfries Male Voice Choir Shield: Hecklegirth Primary.
County Teachers Cup: Loreburn Primary.
Marie Keillor Shield: Newington Primary.
1923 Orchestra Cup: Duncow Primary.
Dr T Burnett Shield: Closeburn Primary.
Elizabeth Norcott Shield: Closeburn Primary.
DDMFA Shield: Hightae/St Mungo/Tundergarth Primaries.
Noblehill Shield: Newington Primary.
Troqueer PTA Shield: Gretna Primary.
Glendyne Shield (for best overall school): Gretna Primary.
Primary Solo Singing
DDMFA Girls Shield (P1-3): Ella Pickles.
P1-3 Scots Song: Ella Pickles.
DDMFA Girls Shield (P4 girls): Pippa Bolton.
DDMFA Shield (P5 girls): Adreanna McCubbin.
Edward Murray Boys Cup (P6 boys): Luke Collard.
P6 girls: Esme Earl.
Mrs P Allen Challenge Cup (P7 girls): Abigail Thorburn.
Duff Cup (best from P6 and P7 girls): Abigail Thorburn.
P4-5 Scots Song: Ahnah Ross.
P6-7 Scots Song: James Pickles.
Community Groups/EnsembleS
Community Youth Choirs: Rainbow Tribe Annan.
Vocal trio: Seth Byers, Abigail Thorburn, James Pickles.
Miss Reid Shield (brass bands, open) Dumfries Town Band.
Arrol Johnstone Cup (male voices): Dumfries Male Voice Choir.
Willie Black Memorial Cup (choirs, open): Dumfries Male Voice Choir.
Concert bands open: D&G Wind Band
School concert bands: Annan Academy.
String bands: Spectrum Annan.
Secondary Singing
S4-6 girls: Rowan Hastie.
Perform in Dumfries Shield (S4-6 girls): Rowan Hastie.
SSCBA Cup (Scots song S1-3): Ella McTeir.
TSB Cup (Scots song S4-6): Rose Byers.
Brigend Theatre Cup (musical theatre): Rowan Hastie.
Dumfries Cornet’s Cup (Queen of the South): Niamh Stainthorpe.
Andrew Carruthers Cup (boys S4-6): Peter Whitelaw.
Instrumental
Beginners brass small ensemble: Gretna.
Beginners solo trumpet/cornet: Anouk Beattie.
Beginners solo horn: Tiffany Chunda.
Beginners solo baritone: Tyler-Rose Bell.
Beginners solo trombone: Ava McLeod.
Beginners School Brass Bands: Gretna.
Eileen Millar Memorial Shield (piano prelim): Alexa Whyte.
The John Johnstone Rosebowl (piano grade three): Libby Earl.
Janette Dalziel Shield (piano open): Anastasiia Kvitko.
James C Crosbie Cup (piano grade four): Beth McGregor.
Margaret Tate Shield (piano free choice): Oscar Jordan.
William Glendinning (piano contemporary): Bethan Cubbon.
DDMFA Shield (string duet): Will and Douglas Archibald.
1963 Cello Cup (open cello): Will Archibald.
Senior Violin Solo: Rebecca Brown.
Leslie Challenge Cup (intermediate woodwind): Rebecca Brown.
Under-12 Fiddle Solo: Seth Byers.
Under-14 Fiddle Solo: Rebecca Brown.
Ian K/Patrick Quaich (under-16 fiddle solo): Niamh Stainthorpe.
Eric Barbour Cup (under-16 slow air): Seth Byers.
J and J McConnachie Trophy (open solo fiddle): Rose Byers.
BSRS Shield (open slow air): Rose Byers.
Gallovidian Cup (best fiddler): Rose Byers.
Junior Brass: Molly Fleming.
Andrew Carruthers Cup (intermediate brass): Peter Whitelaw.
Composition: Rose Byers.
