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1924 Festival - Stour Choral Union in the Town Hall, Chipping Norton

Brief History:(Dates and facts are as currently known - if you know anything different please contact us.)

1904 Festival starts as Stour Choral Union in Shipston-on-Stour for the "encouragement of part-singing in the country districts" by Miss Ruth Dickins & Mrs Eleanora Dickins.
1905 Festival moves to Moreton-in-Marsh.
1907 Extended to three days due to popularity - one day devoted entirely to school singing. Small string orchestra introduced.
1911 Festival moves to Chipping Norton.
1914-19 No Festivals.
1920 Festival restarted by Ruth Savory (née Dickins).
1927 Sir Richard Terry becomes President.
1935 Financial difficulties restrict Festival activities to one day.
1938 Sir Hugh Allen becomes President
1943-45 No Festivals.
1947 Sir Thomas Armstrong becomes President - a position held for over 40 years.
1958 Instrumental section introduced.
1962 Stour Choral Union adopts a formal constitution and festival extended to two days.
1963/4 "Friends of the Festival" formed.
1968/9 "Stour Choral Union" becomes "Chipping Norton Music Festival" and becomes non-competitive. Combined choirs rehearsal introduced for final concert - this continued until 1998. Festival extended to three days.
1972 Founder Mrs. Eleanora Dickins dies.
1975 Children's Concerts introduced
1976 Affiliated to the Federation of Britsh Festivals for Music, Dance & Speech. Extended to four days.
1980 Strings and woodwind classes withdrawn.
1981 General instrumental class introduced for strings, woodwind & brass.
1986 Strings class separated from woodwind and brass.
1993 Guitar class introduced.
1994 Chipping Norton Rotary Club donates new cup for the most promising participant under 18 years with a bursary of £100 for furthering musical education. Festival activities now spread over a week.
1995 Dr Philip Cranmer becomes President.
1996 New President's Cup for the most promising participant under 14 years.
1997 Vocal Recital Class introduced for experienced, diploma standard singers.
1998 Opening concert introduced at Chipping Norton Theatre.
2000 Speech and Drama classes introduced, adjudicated by James Patrick.
2001 Anthony Williams becomes President.
2002 Composition class introduced. Wychwood Trophy (donated by Pauline Carter for the most promising pianist of primary school age up to and including Grade 5), and Padawa Award (bursary of £50 for the most promising performance by a pupil attending a Chipping Norton Partnership School). Festival goes on-line and launches website.
2003 Folk Classes introduced.
2004 Festival Centenary, including opening concert by Joanna Macgregor.
2005 William Bailey Folk Award donated by the members and friends of the Folk Club, Highworth given in his memory
2006 Open recital class introduced for experienced, diploma standard singers and performers.
2007 One-Act Play Festival to open the Festival. Folk award donated by the Chipping Norton Heritage & Traditional Music Club. Chipping Norton celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Charter.
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"Voiceworks" from Chipping Norton School at the 2002 Festival
conducted by Peter Hunt (right)


Recent Adjudicators:

  2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Vocal Luise Horrocks
Stuart Smith
Ann Lampard
Penelope Price Jones
Barbara Large
Marilyn Hill Smith
Margaret Cable
Janet Coxwell
Henry Herford
Peter Hunt
Choirs Robert Latham
Simon Lole
Vivien Pike
Graham Trew
Douglas Coombes
Roger Sayer
Rupert Jeffcoat
Simon Lole
Simon Lole
Kevin Stannard
Strings Viviane Ronchetti Keith Smith Oliver Gredhill Viviane Ronchetti Helen Gough
Wind & Brass Colin Touchin Paul Harris Sarah Watts Keith Allen Celia Niklin
Piano Ruth Gerald Murray McLachlan John Byrne Ruth Gerald Jean Harvey
Elizabeth Hayes
Guitar Gary Ryan Ivan Scott Graham Roberts Gary Ryan Craig Ogden
Ensembles/Other Betty Roe Douglas Coombes
Keith Smith
Sarah Watts Tim Ridley
Viviane Ronchetti
Helen Gough
Composition Betty Roe Douglas Coombes Colin Touchin Guy Woolfenden David Bruce-Payne
Speech & Drama Norma Redfearn James Patrick Anne Harris-Norman June Lancelyn Green Elizabeth Burnham
Kate Forrester
Folk Pete Cooper John Kirkpatrick Dave Townsend Dave Townsend -

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Award winners

  Rotary Club Cup President's Cup Wychwood trophy Padawa Award

William Bailey Folk Award

2006 Josephine Organ-Jennings Leila Jinnah Emily Davenport Imogen Mead Helen Barr
2005 Cleo Jones Catriona Bourne Swinton Hunter Tom Rees Connie Price Mervyn Penny
2004 Sabrina Shortland Ruairi Garvey Peter Rycroft Frankie Holah -
2003 Ruairi Garvey Josh Ridley Camilla Harrison Dominique Edwards -
2002 Dominique Edwards Chadlington Primary School Camilla Harrison Nikki Pritchard -
2001 Edward Lougher George Bone - - -
2000 Frederick Emmott Hana Nishimura - - -
1999 Vafa Taghavi David Ridley - - -
1998 Bethany Porter Jessica Rudney - - -
1997 Chipping Norton School Choir Bethany Porter - - -
1996 Junior Choir, St Mary's Church
Shipton-under-Wychwood
Jennifer Rush - - -
1995 Amy Wackett - - - -
1994 Madeline Evans - - - -

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