THE 41st Gorleston St Andrew’s Competitive Festival will be taking place from Monday, March 28, to Saturday, April 9, in the Chapter House at St Andrew’s Church.

Competitors will be judged by professional, specialist adjudicators, and will receive certificates and mark/comment sheets in line with guidelines from the British and International Federation of Festivals.

Audiences have free admission to watch the various competitive classes during morning, afternoon and evening sessions. Instrumental, singing, speech and drama genres are covered in the classes, giving opportunity for solo, duet, ensemble, orchestral or choral participation. It is advisable to consult the festival programme for all class timings.

The programme (price �2), will be available during March at Allen’s Music Centre, Yarmouth, and at the Chapter House during the Festival.

Electronic keyboard and piano classes start the festival fortnight on Monday/Tuesday, March 28/29, with adjudicator Jonathan Beatty; woodwind and brass classes take place on Wednesday and Thursday March 30/31, with adjudicator Colin Touchin.

Folk and recorder classes will also be held in the church on Thursday, March 31, with adjudicator James O’Toole. On Friday/Saturday, April 1/2, classes for strings, orchestras and chamber ensembles will take place, with adjudicator Michael Rose OBE.

The second week of the festival starts with singing classes, which will take place on Monday/Tuesday April 4/5, including solo singing, ensembles and choirs for young singers and adults, covering all genres, with Douglas Coombes as adjudicator. Speech and drama classes (including solo/choral verse speaking and solo/group drama and devised theatre) will be on Thursday/Friday April 7/8, with Patricia Hammond adjudicating.

Festival winners of classes will perform again in the senior concert on Friday, April 8, at 7.30 pm, (venue to be confirmed) or in the junior concert at Lynn Grove High School on Saturday, April 9, at 2pm.

Advanced competitors who have gained entry to contest the two most prestigious prizes, the Recital Award and Bircham Award, will perform before a panel of two professional specialist adjudicators, Harvey Rathbone and Eric Tebbitt, at the Chapter House on April 9, at 7pm. The intermediate recital winner will also perform at this event.

Audiences are also welcomed at these three final events and admission charges for adults are �2.50, with accompanied children free.

All festival details are on the website www.gorleston-festival.org