Fife Festival of Music News
This is our 40th Anniversary Year
Fife Festival of Music enjoys the support of a great many elements in its locality - performers, parents/carers, teachers, volunteers at its events, as well as the aptly named Friends of the Festival and is grateful to all those who were part of this year's January/February Fife Festival of Music in Cupar, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. The publicity which the Festival receives at the hands of papers, on-line sites and voluntary organisations does a great deal to enhance its existence and for this we are also very grateful.
If you were unable to attend, you missed out on some great performances, some excellent musical sharing and a great chance to celebrate music making.
The Festival has changed in many ways since the first in 1981 but basic principles persist viz. providing a platform for the performance of music. Nowadays, there is an equal balance between competitive and non-competitive classes and a strong emphasis on encouragement and enjoyment in music making.
FFoM's next event is the popular Family Funday of Music now in its eight year, on Sunday 22nd November. The 2021 Festival will commence in the week beginning 1st February 2021.
Graeme Wilson Chairman
February 2020
If you were unable to attend, you missed out on some great performances, some excellent musical sharing and a great chance to celebrate music making.
The Festival has changed in many ways since the first in 1981 but basic principles persist viz. providing a platform for the performance of music. Nowadays, there is an equal balance between competitive and non-competitive classes and a strong emphasis on encouragement and enjoyment in music making.
FFoM's next event is the popular Family Funday of Music now in its eight year, on Sunday 22nd November. The 2021 Festival will commence in the week beginning 1st February 2021.
Graeme Wilson Chairman
February 2020
Press Launch - Fife Festival of Music 2020
Pupils from Madras College mixed voice choir
January 28th 2020 sees the start of the 40th Fife Festival of Music and the prospectus for the events during the January/February period is now available.
As always, the main aim is to provide a platform for performance, this year in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Cupar. Opportunities for schools and community groups, individuals and ensembles are all catered for in both competitive and non-competitive classes and the Committee looks forward to welcoming participants and prospective audiences to ten days of exciting music-making.
Entry forms, which must be completed and returned by October 1st 2019, are available from schools, libraries and on-line, with early entries, received by September 15th, attracting a discount!
Further information can be found on the Festival’s website; ffom.org.uk and on Facebook and full details of the event will be available before things get underway in January.
Arrangements for the now firmly-established Family Fun-day in November 2019 are well underway; this will take place in Parkhll Primary School in Leven on Sunday 24th November when activities including music workshops, ‘come and try’ sessions in a variety of instruments e.g. ukulele, samba, drum kit, pipe band drumming will be available. The youngest family members can participate in drawing, face painting and enjoy the return of ‘Travelling by Tuba’.
Meantime, the committee looks forward to welcoming participants, friends and the wider community to the 40th Fife Festival of Music and hopes as many as possible will take the opportunity to join in the vibrant music-making event taking place in January/February 2020.
As always, the main aim is to provide a platform for performance, this year in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Cupar. Opportunities for schools and community groups, individuals and ensembles are all catered for in both competitive and non-competitive classes and the Committee looks forward to welcoming participants and prospective audiences to ten days of exciting music-making.
Entry forms, which must be completed and returned by October 1st 2019, are available from schools, libraries and on-line, with early entries, received by September 15th, attracting a discount!
Further information can be found on the Festival’s website; ffom.org.uk and on Facebook and full details of the event will be available before things get underway in January.
Arrangements for the now firmly-established Family Fun-day in November 2019 are well underway; this will take place in Parkhll Primary School in Leven on Sunday 24th November when activities including music workshops, ‘come and try’ sessions in a variety of instruments e.g. ukulele, samba, drum kit, pipe band drumming will be available. The youngest family members can participate in drawing, face painting and enjoy the return of ‘Travelling by Tuba’.
Meantime, the committee looks forward to welcoming participants, friends and the wider community to the 40th Fife Festival of Music and hopes as many as possible will take the opportunity to join in the vibrant music-making event taking place in January/February 2020.
Report from Chairman
The 39th AGM of Fife Festival of Music took place on 21st August 2019 when Members and Friends heard Chairman Graeme Wilson's positive and encouraging report on the year's activities.
Success was noted at the November 2018 Family Funday of MusicMaking held in Dunfermline High School, the occasion in the year when the Festival welcomes people of all ages who might never otherwise hear of or engage with the Festival. All the usual music and fun activities took place running in conjunction with a brass workshop for young players. The afternoon concluded with a memorable recital given by Travelling by Tuba from Manchester. Note was made of the generous grant funding received from Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and Fife Youth Music Activities Charitable Trust.
Entries for the January/February events, the Festival's main block of work in the year, were on a par with the previous year and there were, once again, two weeks filled with music performances in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Cupar. The Festival is truly one for the whole community and while many of the daytime slots are filled with school entries from Primary through to Senior school pupils, community groups dominate the evening sessions. One of the more popular events keeps growing. The Community Choir class, a non-competitive event, continues to attract entrants and requires two evenings to allow all to take part. Equally, the Community instrumental musicmaking class is a very busy evening.
In May at Auchmuty High School, the Festival hosted another successful Traditional Music Experience for young string players, honing their skills on fiddling, dancing, singing and spoon playing!
FFoM's sincerity and integrity in offering trusted platform opportunities to musicians of all ages and stages continues to be a key aim of the organisation.
Financial news is always important at an AGM and Treasurer Jean Galloway presented her accounts and findings to the delight of those present. Healthy figures indicating good trading were well received, the caveat being that the Festival like many other similar organisations has to look carefully at how it proceeds. FFoM is fortunate to have many Friends and Donors, Sponsors and Advertisers who support throughout the year. Some major donations to the work of the Festival were acknowledged.
Elections as required took place and the Committee now sets sail on its next year of activity.
The next Family Funday of MusicMaking will take place on Sunday 24th November in Parkhill Primary School, Leven. Meanwhile , the Prospectus for the 40th, the 2020 January/February period is published and available in schools, libraries and at venues.
Graeme Wilson
Chair, Fife Festival of Music
23 August 2019
For Minutes of AGM 2019 click here
