SAF Hegley, Illyria, Visual Arts Trail,Sydenham's Got Talent

[Muddy Waters]

Dear Diary

Saturday evening - Joined about 250 people who turned up at Sydenham Girls School to be well entertained by John Hegley and his friends, Ronnie McGrath and Chrissie Gittens (local residents), hosted by Festival Poet in Residence, Gale Burns. What a treat and a most enjoyable evening of fun!

Sunday morning - popped into several artist's Studios at Havelock Walk, experienced a weird play "Left Behind" by the Bold and Saucy Theatre Company at HW, and then went onto Normanton St Methodist Church to see the incredible display of ceramics by yet more local artists.

Sunday evening (early) - to Sydenham High School to hear the Illyria Trio plus a guest flautist play a beautiful concert of music by Veracini, Haydn, Beethoven which finished with Mozart's Symphony No 41 (arranged by Hummel for violin, 'cell, pioano and flute) to an appreciative audience (including me) of 80. What is great is that most of the performers are local residents.

Sunday evening (later) - The Illyria concert finished early enough so that those with stamina, and who are really starting to understand what quality performances are being put on by the Arts Festival team (me), had enough time to get to Champion Hall to see local young performers (ranging in age from 14-24 years) strut their stuff at Sydenham's Got Talent at Champion Hall.

Soloists who danced, sang their own compositions, or a classic aria or a show stopping song from Oliver competed against trios singing a selection of Abba numbers and others a singing pop song (unrecognised - amplification, where used, was a bit on the loud side, for me). Then there was a rock 'n roll band and a group of eight street dancers. An absolute wealth of young local talent was on display.

Three professional judges, a vocal coach, a choreographer and a professional singer/ dancer gave comments and advice at the end of all performances. In the end the final two performances which the audience voted on were the street dancers and a singer/guitarist playing his own song. Octave the street dancers were the winners and were given a cheque for £200 and a cake with a Festival logo on it made by the Cake Store.

And so to bed, exhausted!

This first Sydenham Arts Festival is really turning out to be what was promised to local residents providing something for everyone and what is great it seems that much of it is local sourced. Congratulations to all the organisers