Inverness Festival Association

🔈 INVERNESS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025 🔈

Hello everyone, this is quite a lengthy post but it has a lot of detail, so please stick with it! 😅

I can’t quite believe how fast it has come round, but entries for the 2025 Festival are now open! 🥳

🗓️ The festival will run on the following dates:

🗓️ Weekend 1: Thursday 6th March 2025- Sunday 9th March 2025

🗓️Weekend 2: Friday 14th March 2025-Sunday 16th March 2025

📍 Venue: Inverness Methodist Church, Huntly Street, Inverness. We now have a very well established partnership with the church, which is now our permanent home.

💰Funding: We have been very fortunate over the years to have received the continued support from the Inverness Common Good Fund, without whose support we wouldn’t have a festival today and we will always be grateful to them for it. ☺️ However, this year, our application was not successful. We are fortunate enough to have the necessary funds to run this year, but looking to the future we need to find alternative sources of funding for the festival. So if you, or anyone you know has a business or organisation willing to sponsor the festival please contact us using the gmail or use the donate now link below. Or if you know any places to apply for funding please let us know! ☺️

Donate/Sponsor here: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/charity/inverness-festival-association

🗓️ closing date for entries: The last date for entries will be Friday the 20th of December 2024. We are offering a reduced price for anyone who enters before Friday the 6th of December!

Please enter using the link below:

https://www.playandperform.co.uk/oe/oe_signin.php?pnp_token=in&initsw=390

As always, if there are any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us on the gmail! [email protected]

If you’ve managed to keep reading to this point, thank you! And thank you, as always for your support of the festival!

Jason ☺️

Jason McClurg
Chairperson
Inverness Festival Association

Inverness Music and Performance Festival 2025

New music out now! Go and give it a listen and a share! 🎵🎼🎙️

West Is Best Del dine videoer med venner, familie og verden

My EP, ‘West is Best’ featuring the first 4 songs from my next original album is due out tomorrow night at midnight 🤩🎵 looking forward to sharing what I’ve been working on! 🎼

A reminder we have our 2024 showcase concert on Sunday!! 🎉🎵 2pm, Inverness Methodist Church! Looking forward to seeing folks there! 😊

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to our premier competition this afternoon! 🎵 it was such a wonderful showcase of so much talent!

A huge congratulations to Lily Robertson, winner of the Elizabeth Davis Memorial Quaich and Graeme Buist, winner of the Curtis Craig Memorial Trophy! 👏🏻🏆

A reminder that our showcase concert will take place next week at 2pm in the Inverness Methodist Church on Huntly Street!

Thank you once again to the church, all of our entrants, adjudicators, volunteers and committee for such a brilliant 2 weekends!

Hopefully see you all next week!!

Jason 😊🎵🎼

A huge thank you too all of our entrants, supporters and adjudicators for another brilliant weekend so far! 😊

Just a reminder that our Premier Competition takes place tomorrow at 2pm in the Methodist Church on Huntly Street!

Would be lovely to see folk there!

Jason 😊

A huge thank you to the bellringing team at Inverness Cathedral for hosting the Inverness Music Festival Bellringing workshop. 🛎️ We got to see the 10 bells up in the tower and even have a go at ringing them. We finished off a great evening with playing handbells- a lot harder than it looks! 😊

A fantastic first few days at this years festival! 🎉🤩 we have had such a wide range of performances from speech and debating to groups/ensembles, vocal and traditional music! 🎵 thank you to all of our entrants, supporters, adjudicators and volunteers for making the first few days go so well!

Looking forward to our Brass and Woodwind classes tomorrow afternoon!

Jason 😊

🎵 2024 FESTIVAL STARTS TODAY 🎵

Hi everyone,

Been trying to post the last few days but the Facebook outage the other day locked me out, hardly the best timing!! But thankfully I managed to get back in time for the festival starting!

We are very excited this years festival kicks off today with our piping competitions! 🎵

🛎️ IMPORTANT INFO FOR TOMORROW: 🛎️

Tomorrow morning will see our primary school choirs competition. This year, we have allocated free tickets to each school, this is due to number of people we can have in the building. We have just released more spaces for tomorrow, please speak to your child’s school for more information as whoever entered the class will have been given information about how to get a ticket.

Please DO NOT arrive if you have not secured an electronic ticket as these numbers have been capped in line with the capacity of the building.

💰ELECTRONIC DONATIONS💰

This year, as well as cash donations, we have managed to get a QR code printed that links to our PayPal account, so if you don’t have cash on you, you can donate for entry through that! Hopefully it streamlines the process a bit! Signs with the QR code will be at the welcome desk and the lower hall/cafe space.

☕️ CAFE SPACE ☕️

Due to the popularity last year, our cafe space will be back, again based in the lower hall of the church. There will be teas/coffees and snacks being served for a donation.

We are all looking forward to seeing everyone and hope you are just as excited as us!

See you all soon,

Jason 🎼☺️

🔔 BELL RINGING EVENT 🔔

This year we have partnered with Inverness Cathedral to run a special bell ringing workshop event on Tuesday the 12th of March!

If you are interested please use the link below to find out more information and to get tickets!

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/invernessfestivalassociation/1154731

Join the guestlist – Inverness Festival 2024 Special Event Handbell RInging – Inverness Cathedral Welcome to the booking page for our special workshop to celebrate Inverness Music Festival 2024 in association with Inverness C...

🏆TROPHY RETURNS WEEKEND 2🏆

A reminder that trophies are to be returned again this weekend from 12 noon-4pm at the Methodist Church on Huntly Street. This week we will be in the Wesley room, so just use the side door as normal.

Many thanks

Jason 😊

TROPHY RETURNS 🏆

A reminder for all current trophy holders that tomorrow (Jan 27th) and next Saturday (Feb 3rd), all trophies are to be returned to the Inverness Methodist Church from 12 noon until 4pm😊

We will be in the lower hall of the church, so please enter via the side door and we will see you there to sign your trophy back in!

🎹 The LIVE IMF Open Piano Competition recital will be held on the evening of Friday 15th March. Save the date and come along to watch. 🎶

Entries for this are now closed, but anyone can still enter the online Open Piano Competition!
Submit a video of a programme of your choice. It doesn’t matter where you live, so tell your friends!
Resister your entry by 21st January, and submit your video during February.
Videos will be played and the winner announced online on the evening of Saturday 16th March!

Happy New Year to everyone, hope you had a lovely festive period! 🎉 it’s back to promoting the festival with around 2 months to go! 🎶⭐️

Have you had the chance to check the late entry phase syllabus? Could you bring a performance from around the world to our showcase? Would your choir or small group like to take part?

We also would be delighted to hear from adults and teens who would like to do a dramatic reading. Why not get practising your Burns?

Any queries as always just get in touch with us! 😊

📣INITIAL ENTRIES CLOSED/LATE ENTRIES📣

A huge thank you to everyone for their support in entering the festival this year! Our initial entry date has now passed and our team will be starting work on the programme. 🎵🎙️

LATE ENTRY Phase will run until midnight Friday 12th January. Classes where we have space or where we really need more support will still be available for entries but don’t delay as they will close when full. Browse the syllabus for live information. If you have forgotten to enter or would like to join a waiting list then please email our Gmail 😊

And finally, on behalf of all the committee, I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎅🎄🎉 we hope you have a wonderful festive period however you spend it! I will be back to posting in the New Year but for now it’s time to enjoy the festivities! 🎵😊

Jason McClurg
Chairperson
Inverness Festival Association

📣 Final day for entries!! 📣

Could you be our Solo Trad Musician of 2024? Why not give it a try? Or if solo is not for you, why not make up a wee group with your friends or family? We can help you enter the best event- just get in touch.

📣Last week for entries! 📣

From children through to adults, if you love to sing, whether its classical, contemporary or traditional, come along and give it a try? 🎵

If you are nervous, we can guarantee you a warm welcome and a supportive audience.
We are also looking for choirs to help make up a showcase event. - No competition, no fee, no feedback (unless you would like) we just want to showcase local choirs and all have a great time. The event is a 'Magpie' evening. The choir can bring a serious song, a happy/ fun song, and one for everyone to share 😊

Also take a look at our 'Round the World' event too - if you are from another country, why not share something from back home? Or even if you aren't but just want to share a song from another land... 🎶

Check out the syllabus and website for more information 😊

With entries closing at the end of next week, a reminder that we aren’t just about music! 🎶. Take a look at our Speech and Drama section. Calling all drama groups - why not enter our devised drama competition for young people or solo / group verse. Adults of any age - we are waiting to hear your dramatic poetry performances. Choose your own, from Burns to Shakespeare - whatever you like. Or write your own! More information on our website! 😊

Looking for something to do next week? Head along to Croy! 🎶

Only a few more weeks until entries for the 2024 close! Follow the link below to enter now! 🎵🎶🎙️

https://www.playandperform.co.uk/oe/oe_signin.php?pnp_token=in&initsw=390

📣 Entries for the 2024 Festival are open! 📣

I’m thrilled to announce entries for the 2024 festival are now open! The link to the syllabus is posted below! 🎵

❗️The deadline for entries is: Saturday the 23rd of December 2023 ❗️

Syllabus link:

https://playandperform.co.uk/view_combined_syllabus_pdf.php?pnp_token=in

Please enter online via our website using the link below:

http://www.invernessmusicfestival.org

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the ‘Enter here’ button shown in the image I’ve attached to this post!☺️

Any issues please contact us using the usual gmail account!

Thank you, as always for your continued support!

Jason McClurg
Chairperson
Inverness Festival Association

FREE HARP COME-AND-TRY SESSIONS

Sharing on behalf of our good friends and supporters of the festival! ☺️🎵

The Highland Branch of the Clarsach Society is pleased to offer several free opportunities for taster harp/clarsach sessions across the Highlands on Saturday, 28th October. The Inverness session is at the Inverness Ice Centre, with slots (with booking) from 2-4. Other sessions will be happening in Aviemore, Bonar Bridge, and Golspie.

The clarsach has a long history in the Highlands and if you've always fancied having a go, now is your chance! The clarsach is a wonderful instrument for both adults and children (age 6+) to experience. The sessions are free, harps are provided, and no musical experience is necessary. Come along, have a look and listen and try out the harps yourself and maybe even learn a tune! The taster sessions last about 30-45 minutes. Places are limited so booking is essential.

To book, email: [email protected]

📣 Inverness Music Festival 2024 Dates and Venue Confirmed 📣

Hi everyone, can’t believe we’re at that time of year again, but planning for the 2024 Festival is now well underway! 🎉

⛪️ After the overwhelmingly positive feedback and fantastic hospitality shown to us we will be returning to our new home, the Inverness Methodist Church, as our venue! 🤩

🗓️ Similar to the last few years the Festival will run over two weekends.

🗓️ Weekend 1: Friday 8th March- Sunday 10th March 2024

🗓️ Weekend 2: Friday 15th March- Sunday 17th March 2024

Again, similar to last year, we are planning on holding a showcase concert on the afternoon of Sunday the 24th of March but we will confirm details for that nearer the time! 🎵

We are now in the final stages of finalising the syllabus! Once that is finished I will share all the relevant information and links etc on this page! ☺️

All of us are looking forward to seeing everyone again next year and thank you for all your continued support! 🤩🎉

Many thanks

Jason McClurg
Chairperson
Inverness Festival Association

Our Showcase Concert is tomorrow! 🎤🎶 looking forward to seeing folk there and officially bringing this years festival proceedings to a close! ☺️ remember: 2.30pm, Inverness Methodist Church, Huntly Street! 🤩

One week to go until our showcase concert! ☺️🎶🎤 looking forward to rounding off this years festival at this event with a range of wonderful performers! 🤩