The History of the Festival
The Festival began in 1885, making it one of the earliest competitive festivals, and certainly the earliest to focus particularly on choral music. Many other festivals have been inspired by this example, and it continues to hold a very special place not just in the local area but nationally.
From its beginnings with competitions between small rural choirs, the programme has expanded to include workshop and presentation days for both Primary and Secondary schools, a comprehensive timetable of adjudicated classes for vocalists and instrumentalists of all age groups, and other events such as ‘Come and Sing’ concerts and the recently introduced Festival Showcase concert.
The Festival historically concluded with a major choral concert featuring a large scale work beyond the scope of any one choral society, bringing together singers from many local choral societies under the baton of an invited conductor. However, this aspect of the Festival has now been taken over by Cumbria Festival Chorus, thus relieving the Festival of the cost of such a large concert.
The Festival still maintains its local entry qualification, and does not give money prizes. Many of the trophies carry the names of the families who gave them and several are nearly as old as the Festival itself.
In 2017 the Festival expanded its boundaries from a 25-mile radius of Kendal to 30 miles.
About Mary Wakefield….
Mary Wakefield was born in 1853 at the Old House, Kendal, the daughter of a local banker, and lived later at Sedgwick House, near Kendal. From her earliest years, she was a talented singer who, after training with notable London teachers, gave many charity concerts, sang at the Gloucester Festival and was acclaimed by many eminent critics. Barred by the conventions of the day from pursuing a career as a professional singer, she poured her love of music into a desire to make music more available to rural communities. She founded and trained a number of choirs in the villages around Kendal and brought them together for the first time in 1885 to take part in a “Singing Competition” to raise money for Crosscrake Church. The idea took hold and within a few years a large choir could be assembled to sing larger works. Several of the choirs founded by Mary Wakefield still thrive and still support the Festival for which they were created.
Mary Wakefield died in 1910 but her name and her Festival live on, still supported by the Wakefield family, along with many other local individuals and organisations, who all value her unique contribution to the musical life of this area.
Further reading: "Mary Wakefield - A Memoir" by Rosa Newmarch, dated 1912.
From its beginnings with competitions between small rural choirs, the programme has expanded to include workshop and presentation days for both Primary and Secondary schools, a comprehensive timetable of adjudicated classes for vocalists and instrumentalists of all age groups, and other events such as ‘Come and Sing’ concerts and the recently introduced Festival Showcase concert.
The Festival historically concluded with a major choral concert featuring a large scale work beyond the scope of any one choral society, bringing together singers from many local choral societies under the baton of an invited conductor. However, this aspect of the Festival has now been taken over by Cumbria Festival Chorus, thus relieving the Festival of the cost of such a large concert.
The Festival still maintains its local entry qualification, and does not give money prizes. Many of the trophies carry the names of the families who gave them and several are nearly as old as the Festival itself.
In 2017 the Festival expanded its boundaries from a 25-mile radius of Kendal to 30 miles.
About Mary Wakefield….
Mary Wakefield was born in 1853 at the Old House, Kendal, the daughter of a local banker, and lived later at Sedgwick House, near Kendal. From her earliest years, she was a talented singer who, after training with notable London teachers, gave many charity concerts, sang at the Gloucester Festival and was acclaimed by many eminent critics. Barred by the conventions of the day from pursuing a career as a professional singer, she poured her love of music into a desire to make music more available to rural communities. She founded and trained a number of choirs in the villages around Kendal and brought them together for the first time in 1885 to take part in a “Singing Competition” to raise money for Crosscrake Church. The idea took hold and within a few years a large choir could be assembled to sing larger works. Several of the choirs founded by Mary Wakefield still thrive and still support the Festival for which they were created.
Mary Wakefield died in 1910 but her name and her Festival live on, still supported by the Wakefield family, along with many other local individuals and organisations, who all value her unique contribution to the musical life of this area.
Further reading: "Mary Wakefield - A Memoir" by Rosa Newmarch, dated 1912.
