I’ve known about the Ryton and District Festival of Music, Speech and Drama since being taken along as a toddler. Sitting in the audience, it was clear to me that I possessed a talent far superior to any of the winners in the speech categories. My mother was less convinced about this, so in response to my bellyaching about not being allowed to enter, she sent me for elocution lessons with a very nice lady 
living in St. Mary’s Terrace, in order that I could be properly prepared. It was harder than I’d imagined, and I gave up after a fortnight. So, my happy expectations thwarted, I’m ashamed to say that I let the Festival be for forty years, only venturing back there when I began writing this blog. As the music adjudicator to this year’s event, Steven Roberts put it, “It’s Ryton’s best kept secret.” It is indeed.
Last year I was surprised and humbled to be invited to join the Festival committee, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the 2017 event. The main reason for this has been the friendly welcome I’ve received from fellow committee members. These include my former teachers Millie Robinson and Richard Reid, both magnanimously prepared to overlook how obnoxious I was as a child.
Apart from pre-festival meetings, my first committee duty was to be a member of the catering core. I’m hardly a domestic goddess, but I did OK and carried out my first ‘proper’ day’s work in eighteen months. Over the course of the three weeks I also stuttered through some announcing, took money on the door, and acted as clerk to personable adjudicator Steven Roberts, as well as having the privilege of seeing and hearing some marvelous talent. I loved every minute of it! Here are some photos followed by the Festival Results. Click on a picture to see the captions. For further information visit Ryton Music Festival.
FIRST SESSION – Saturday 18th February, 2.00pm
Organ Classes
Class O1
1st Owen Woods, Willington
2nd Ya-Jing Chiu, Newcastle
Class O2
1st. Andrew Fiddes, Greencroft
2nd Jamie Whittaker, Newcastle
Class 03.
1st. Adriel Yap, Durham
2nd. Tom Crowther, Slaley
Class 04
1st Ya-Jing Chiu, Newcastle
Class O5
1st. Adriel Yap, Durham
2nd. Jonathan Clegg, Sedgefield
SECOND SESSION – Friday 24th February, 6.00pm
Class 45.
1 Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
2 Nathan Chong, Forest Hall
Class S1.
1 Oscar Huan Xi Ho, Ashington
Class B1
1 Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
Class E1.
1 Elvaston Ensemble
Class D1.
1 Oscar Huan Xi Ho and Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
Class 44
1 Alan Bowers, Sunderland
2. Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
Class W1 1 Anita Arris
Class 40.
1 Anne Porter and Claire Lowery, Gateshead
2 Tony Gibson and Fiona Anderson, Blaydon
THIRD SESSION – Saturday 25th February, 9.00am
Class 47
1 Holly Shek, Gateshead
2 Hayleigh Xin Tian Shek, Ashington
Class 42
1 Edgar Huan Heng Ho & Jessica Prothero, Ashington
Class 43
1 Georgia Hutchinson & Isaac Swarbrick, Ashington
2 Sophie Scott & Emily Muter, Ashington
Class 37
1 Tianna Masters, Bedlington
2 Erica Savage, Ashington
Class 48
1 Ben McClumpha, Bedlington
2 Emily Morgan, Gateshead
Class S3
1 Joshua Connor, Darlington
Class S2
1 Joshua Connor, Darlington
2 Rowan Payne, Durham
Class W/B 3
1 Tianna Masters, Bedlington
Class B2
1 Florence Mills, Alnwick
2 Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
Class D2
1 Oscar Huan Xi Ho & Edgar Huan Heng Ho, Ashington
FOURTH SESSION – Saturday 25th February, 2.00pm
Class 46 Class 46
1st Rory Hobson, Burnopfield.
2nd Lizzie Spencer-Robinson, Burnopfield
Class 28 British Folk Song,
1st Pat Nelson, Workington.
2nd Glenis Holliday, Bridgefoot
Class 26 British Composer.
1st Victoria Coggon, Middlesbrough.
2nd Jordan Appleton, Shotley Bridge
FIFTH SESSION – Saturday 25th February, 6.30pm
Class 17 Operatic Aria female
1st Victoria Coggon, Middlesbrough
2nd Anna Zisimatou, Yarm
Class 29 Female Song.
1st Victoria Coggon, Middlesbrough.
2nd Grace Ridley, Gateshead
SIXTH SESSION – Friday 3rd March, 6.00pm
Class 56
1 Elliott Lackey, Newcastle
Class 68
1 Victoria Miller, Whitley Bay
Class 62
1 Ella Logan, Whitley Bay.
Class 65
1 Elliott Lackey, Newcastle
2 Emily Bell, Newcastle
Class 72
1 Harrison Rowley Lynn & Max Earnshaw, Whitley Bay
2 Emily Bell & Meg Stockwell, Newcastle
Class CA1
1 Elliott Lackey, Newcastle
Class CA2
1 Emily Bell, Newcastle
2 Pippa Charlton, Newcastle
Class 74
1 Cameron LackeyN ewcastle
2 Ellie Whitworth.
SEVENTH SESSION – Saturday 4th March, 9.45am
Class CS2
1 Newcastle High School for Girls
Class CS1
1 Kings Priory School Tynemouth
Class 53
1 Jazell Qusin, Newcastle
2 Mishka Bari-Jones, Gosforth
Class SR2
1 Anna Sudlow, Newcastle
Class 80
1 Hannah Carradice, Crawcrook
Class 67
1 Jazell Qusin, Newcastle
2 Caitlin Dey, Gosforth
Class 55
1 David Lawson, Newcastle
2 Saaniv Chelikani, Newcastle
EIGHTH SESSION – Saturday 4th March, 2.15pm
Class 66
1 Jennifer Craig, Low Fell
2 Tony Algar, Crawcrook
Class SR3
1 Jennifer Craig, Low Fell
2 Joan Elton, Rowlands Gill
Class 73
1 Lynda Henderson & Sheila Tweddle, Throckley
2 Olive White & Brian Coulson, Throckley
Class 78
1 Joan Elton, Rowlands Gill
2 Jennifer Craig, Low Fell
Class 69
1 Alexander Russell, Ryton
2 Christine Hamilton, Throckley
NINTH SESSION – Saturday 4th March, 6.30pm
Class 77 Plays
1 Throckley Drama Group
2 Rowlands Gill WI Group 1
Best Set
Rowlands Gill WI Group 1
Best Performance
Brenda Maughan, Throckley Drama Group.
TENTH SESSION – Thursday 9th March, 6.15pm
Class 36
1 Hannah McGrady, Newcastle
2 Saffron Sims-Brydon, Burnopfield
Class 35N
1 Saffron Sims-Brydon, Burnopfield
2 Arieanne Masters, Bedlington
Class 38
1 Joseph Dale, Morpeth
2 Ben Gardner, Holystone
Class 35
1 Hannah McGrady, Newcastle
2 Lucy Whalen, Durham
Class CG1
1 Tianna Masters, Bedlington
2 Hannah McGrady, Newcastle
Class 35MT
1 Saffron Sims-Brydon, Burnopfield
2 Anna Davis, Castleside
ELEVENTH SESSION – Friday 10th March, 1.30pm
Class 8
Test Piece
1 Scene 17 Youth Choir [Junior]
2 Hetton Lyons Primary School
Own Choice
1 Hetton Lyons Primary School
2 Emmaville Primary School Yr 5&6 Choir
Class 10
1 Hetton Lyons Primary School
2 Hareside Primary School, Cramlington
Class 7
Test Piece
1 Scene 17 Youth Choir [Senior]
Own Choice
1 Scene 17 Youth Choir [Senior]
TWELFTH SESSION – Friday 10th March, 6.30pm
Class 23
1 Michael Gardner, Holystone
2 Jim Pearson, Sunderland
Class 18
1 Jordan Appleton, Shotley Bridge
2 Michael Gardner, Holystone
Class 27
1 Rachel Rew, Newcastle
2 Sarah Johnston, Newcastle
Class 30
1 Michael Gardner, Holystone
2 Jonathan Rew, Newcastle
THIRTEENTH SESSION – Saturday 11th March, 9.45am
Class 16
1 Pamelina Oubinova, Newcastle
2 Lynne Bloxham, Whickham
Class 22
1 Victoria Coggan, Middlesbrough
2 Sarah Johnston, Newcastle
FOURTEENTH SESSION – Saturday 11th March, 2.00pm
Class 19
1 Victoria Coggan, Middlesbrough
2 Stephen Gladstone, Crawcrook
Class 25
1 Glenis Holliday, B ridgefoot
2 Pat Nelson, Workington
Class 15
1 Isabel Moloney, Newcastle & Lynne Bloxham, Whickham
2 Glenis Holliday & Paula Curruthers, Workington
Class 12
1 Cecilla Trio, Workington
FIFTEENTH SESSION – Saturday 11th March, 6.30pm
Class 20
1 Pat Nelson, Workington
2 Rachel Rew, Newcastle
Championship Oratorio/Opera Class Winner – Jordan Appleton,
Championship Solo Song Class Winner – Victoria Coggan, Middlesbrough
Special Awards
Singer of the Year – Victoria Coggan
Sutcliffe Shield – Edgar Huan Heng Ho
Photocall Tropy – Isaac Swarbrick
J K Nicholson Trophy [Speech]- Jazell Qasim
J K Nicholson Trophy [Singer] – Ben Gardner
Harry Guildford Trophy – Joshua Connor
W A Mears Memorial Trophy – Hetton Lyons Primary School
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