SATURDAY evening's festival concert was the culmination of two days of competitive music making, from vocal and instrumental performances by the very young and inexperienced, to solos and choral singing by purposefully focused musicians: the common factor being that all are amateurs who enjoy performing.

In this festival the rules require each entry to present a piece by Edward Elgar (sometimes together with another piece of their own choice).

This, the fifth such festival, has been judged by a distinguished group of adjudicators, under the auspices of Dame Janet Baker, in the chair.

Within the concert we heard the massed choirs, conducted by various of the adjudicators, singing Elgar's part-songs, including Spanish Serenade, with an orchestral accompaniment played by Elgar Camerata (leader Jeremy Ballard), and the unaccompanied My Love dwelt in a Northern Land. The thoughtfully expressive beginning of The Light of Life: "Seek Him that maketh the seven stars", with tenor soloist Andrew Yeats, was sung by the massed male voice choirs, conducted by Donald Hut the festival's director.

The winning adult choirs from each section were heard in competition for the Elgar Foundation Trophy and £500. All were splendid: Nelson Civic Ladies' Choir, Haydock Male Voice Choir, Exeter Festival Chorus and the triumphant winners Bath Camerata (conductor Nigel Perrin), who produced an impressive programme which included a very amusing modern piece Tutivillus (The Patron Devil of Church Chatterers) by Geoffrey Poole, and a most polished and beautifully balanced Warum ist das Licht gegeben? by Brahms.

Earlier in the day The Elgar Junior Singers (conductor Heather Nadin) were awarded The Elgar Society Cup.

The festival was rounded of with everyone joining in Land of Hope and Glory; Laurence Albert was the rich baritone soloist.

JILL HOPKINS