APPRECIATIVE audiences were treated to a fine display of local musical and dramatic talent during the three final events of the Gorleston St Andrew's 39th Competitive Festival last weekend.

APPRECIATIVE audiences were treated to a fine display of local musical and dramatic talent during the three final events of the Gorleston St Andrew's 39th Competitive Festival last weekend.

Mayor and mayoress, Terry and Jenny Easter, attended all three events.

The senior concert was held in the Chapter House, St Andrew's Church, on Friday evening and was compered by Sheila Pascall, joint co-ordinator of the Festival.

Joe Mackintosh, chief executive of Seachange Arts, was a special guest and shared the presentations of the trophies and medals with the mayor.

The Harold Taylor Memorial Trophy, which is given each year to the competitor who has entered the most classes and received the highest grades, was won jointly by Sophie Burditt in the senior classes and Oliver Speed in the junior classes and the cup was presented to Sophie by the mayor.

The president of the Festival, the Rev Canon Tony Ward, acted as compere for the junior concert, which was held at Lynn Grove High School on Saturday afternoon and the mayor presented the trophies and medals to the winning competitors at the end of each half of the concert. The Harold Taylor Memorial Trophy was presented to Oliver Speed by Gwen Taylor.

The final event took place at the Chapter House on Saturday evening, when advanced competitors of Grade 7/8 standard played or sang to achieve the Advanced Recital Award or the Bircham Trophy and Award of Festival Musician of the Year.

Special guests included the mayor and mayoress, Bob Catchpole, president of the Gorleston Rotary Club, Mrs Catchpole and six members of the Britannia Lodge of the Manchester Unity Independent Society of Oddfellows - Michael Howard, Noble Grand of the Lodge, and Mrs Howard, Vera Ward, Monica Scarll, Gweneth Nicholas and Dalmaine Dewgarde.

The evening began with a recital by Maxim Calver (cello), the winner of the Intermediate Recital Award, which is a competition for players of Grade 5/6 standard. Maxim, aged 9� years, a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin Music School, held the audience in rapt attention with his mature and accomplished performances of works by J S Bach, Paradis and Saint-Saens, all of which Maxim played from memory. His accompanist was Terry Cunnane.

Following this, the competitors for the Advanced Recital and Bircham Awards performed in front of the panel of three professional adjudicators - Liz Childs, chairman of the panel, Gillian Thoday and Jonathan Beatty. The Recital Award was contested by Hannah Norman (voice), accompanied by Terry Cunnane, Jamie Sapsford (violin), accompanied by Paul Miller and Andrew Greenwood (piano). All three gave extremely good performances but Andrew was declared the winner.

Contestants for the Bircham Award were James Oxborough (guitar), Emma Philpot (euphonium), accompanied by Richard Ward, Andrew Greenwood (piano), Annie Turnell (piano) and Sophie Burditt (violin), accompanied by Ann Brooks. Again there was a good standard of performance from all participants but Emma won the award.

The presentation of the trophies and medals was shared between the three adjudicators and the special guests. Members of the audience voted for one of the competitors, which meant that Andrew won the audience Easter egg prize.

Chairman Margaret Jermany concluded the evening's events by thanking the sponsors, the performers and accompanists, teachers, parents, the committee and many supporters of the Competitive Festival for making the Festival such a success.

Photographs taken at all three events will be on display at the Chapter House on Saturday between 10am and 2pm when orders will be taken.