Mount House School, Tavistock, is sending its strongest contingent of musicians yet to this year's Saltash Music, Speech and Drama Festival that starts this week. In all, 120 pupils will take part, some in more than one category. The 170 entries from Mount House include individual soloists, both vocal and instrumental, the pre-prep and concert choirs, a 20-piece orchestra, and the senior, percussion and brass ensembles. In last year's festival, Mount House pupils gave a total of 113 performances, and of these, 82 were commended, having been assessed as 'convincing both technically and artistically'. 27 performances were awarded distinction marks (87+), the adjudicators rating them 'technically and artistically excellent'.
Gill Waters, director of music at Mount House, said: 'At Mount House, all pupils are encouraged to develop their musical talents. Events like the Saltash Festival offer them the opportunity to perform live, in front of an audience, outside the school environment. They also receive valuable advice from the expert adjudicators on how to improve. 'We hope to beat last year's total of 26 trophies, but what really matters is the experience of practising for the festival, and taking part in it.' Saltash Music, Speech and Drama Festival is a competitive event, open to all age-groups, and is held annually at Saltash Wesley Methodist Church. There are categories for poetry, prose, recital, bible reading and drama as well as singing and instrumental music — classical, popular folk and jazz — for individuals and groups. The festival was founded in 1990, and is now well-established, attracting more than 1,000 entries, mainly from Devon and Cornwall.