The Piano Shop Bath is proud to be once again supplying pianos for the Mid-Somerset Festival in March 2014. The festival is a celebration of performance and runs for a fortnight in Bath, with classes in Creative Writing, Speech & Drama, Music and Musical Theatre. It was founded in 1902 and has been running continuously ever since, making it one of the oldest festivals in the country.
The Piano Shop Bath with Bath Salver also has the pleasure of providing the award and cash prize for the winner in the category of ‘Outstanding Young Pianist of the Year’, aged between 14 and 18 years. This is chosen by a panel of adjudicators and the winner may be invited to perform at the Festival Concert on Saturday 22 March, where the trophies will be presented. The decision is based on overall performance in at least three classes and/or a repertoire class.
The Mid-Somerset Festival provides a variety of performance opportunities for all levels of musical ability and the organisers are frequently in contact with schools and teachers in the locality, in order to keep up to date with current school music curriculums. There is a Festival concert on the final saturday to celebrate some of the best performances in each discipline.
Classes are held in the city centre, using a variety of venues, all of which are within easy walking distance of each other and the Festival Office, which in 2014 will be situated in Bath’s Guildhall.
The Festival is a registered charity and is administered entirely by volunteers. Staging the Festival costs in excess of £46,000 each year, with significant expenditure on the hiring of venues and employment of professional adjudicators. The income generated from entry fees, tickets and programme fees is insufficient to cover costs and so the Festival relies on the support of its sponsors, Friends and other generous donors.
For more details about the Festival and how to become a Friend and supporter, click here.