Highland music festival prepares for the final competitions as talented contestants rise to coronavorus challenge
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Musicians are set to compete for two prestigious trophies in the final event of the Inverness Music Festival.
The premier competitions, on Saturday, will feature entrants for the Curtis Craig Competition for classical performers and the Elizabeth Davis Competition for Scottish traditional musicians.
This year, the festival has been staged online due to the coronavirus pandemic but chairwoman Jean Slater is delighted with the response.Adjudicators have also praised the high standards among the competitors.
"This year’s festival was a steep learning curve for our small band of volunteers and everyone rose to the challenge," Miss Slater said.
"We’re extremely pleased that we persevered and held the festival virtually.
"The messages of support we have received from parents, participants and adjudicators really made it worthwhile.
"Many performances were shared via classes and highlights videos and these are still available on our website.
"We are well aware of how difficult it is for participants to bring forward their performances without the face-to-face support from their teachers and given the challenge of having to record their performances from home, I think this made their performances even more enjoyable."
The second week of the festival included several workshops ranging from a piano masterclass with Alan McLean, Highland dancing with Claire Bryce and a poetry session with Shirley McGill.
Free tickets for Saturday’s final event, which starts at 2pm, are available via Eventbrite.
Guest judges will be Norman Bolton and Jenny Wychrij.
With next year marking the festival’s centenary, participants and volunteers are being urged to get involved.
Miss Slater added: "As we move forward into our centennial year, we need your support even more.
"We are a volunteer-led organisation and rely on donations and grants to keep us afloat."
Related story: Festival goes on despite the pandemic
