LAST year’s 108th Wharfedale Festival of Performing Arts was considered the best ever by some, despite a considerable drop in entrants in 2014.

The 108th Festival ran from May 10 to 17, and a loss in entries in both the music and speech and drama sections resulted in several empty sessions throughout the week, said festival secretary, Elizabeth Sharp, in her annual report.

“But we soldiered on undismayed and brought another vibrant Festival of Performing Arts to delight our audiences and adjudicators,” she told last Wednesday’s annual meeting.

The 2014 festival boasted a new Disney vocal class, aimed at ages 8 and under, as well as a wide range of competitive musical and speech and drama classes for people of all ages.

Mrs Sharp reviewed last year’s festival at the meeting last week, thanking all those who had worked on it.

The festival was welcomed to Christchurch, The Grove – one of its festival bases – on May 11, for Special Service of Rededication.

Performers came from all over the Bradford District for the festival, but also from much further afield.

In the Music Section, festival organisers were pleased to welcome regular performer Michael Kneale from the Isle of Man, and from Scotland, Alexander Young, both with songs to delight, said Mrs Sharp.

Band Night took place at the Kings Hall on May 13, with five steel bands, a variety of brass solos and ensembles, and four brass bands two of which were under 18-years-of-age.

The following day was devoted to the festival’s Music Makers class, its regular morning of musical performances in non-competitive form by several schools specialising in children with special educational needs, from as far afield as Halifax, Leeds Brighouse and Harrogate; and in the afternoon, instrumental ensembles and for the first time, a partnership with Ashlands Primary School in Ilkley.

They entered the Wharfedale’s Got Talent part of the Festival, bringing with them all kinds of performances, and organisers ran it in a similar format to TV programme Britain’s Got Talent.

A total of 17 choirs took part in school choirs’ day, sponsored by the Craiglands Hotel on May 16.

The Ilkley Parish Council Evening of vocal delight included Songs from the Shows and the Old Time Music Hall, just like the famous City Varieties, Pop Star and cabaret solos and groups, Edwardian/Victorian Ballads, Gilbert and Sullivan and Folk Songs.

“We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Parish Council for this evening. We were guaranteed a sparkling evening’s entertainment,” said Mrs Sharp.

The festival concluded at Riddings Hall on May 17 with the HSBC Rosebowl Competition, after a day of Senior Vocal classes.

The adjudicators again nominated a soloist in speech and drama to be offered the Denis Sharp Bursary giving admission to the Scunthorpe Musical Festival Speech and Drama Summer School at Lincoln University later in the year.

The 109th Wharfedale Festival of Performing Arts will take place from May 11-16. Visit wharfedalefestival.co.uk for more details.