HUNDREDS of performers will be taking part in the St Austell Festival of Music and Speech which begins on Thursday, November 28.

The festival, being staged at St John’s Methodist Church in the town centre, will run until Friday, December 6.

Festival committee member Rebecca Thomas said: “We are looking forward to a glorious festival filled with both first-time and returning performers. It is always a joy to listen to the efforts of the performers.”

Founded in 1948, among the actors and musicians who performed as youngsters at the festival is John Nettles of Bergerac and Midsomer Murders fame.

This year, the spoken word section runs from 10am on Thursday, November 28, to lunchtime on Saturday, November 30. There are 173 entries which will include over 400 performers in a range of classes ranging from primary set poems to choral speaking and secondary drama. A particular favourite is always the Saturday morning session when Foundation and Key Stage 1 children perform. The adjudicator is Tish Nicoll.

The music section starts with a beginner string workshop sponsored by the Radford Charitable Trust on Monday, December 2. The classes get under way in the church on Wednesday, December 4, and continue until lunchtime on Friday, December 6. There are 99 entries, with more than 500 performers scheduled to take to the stage.

Classes include those for primary school choirs to secondary rock groups, with an evening dominated by vocal entertainment on Wednesday, December 4, and an evening of brass solos, duets and ensembles on Thursday, December 5. The adjudicator is Roy Robinson.

Admission costs £1.50 per day and timetables can be found online at www.staustellfestival.org

There will be no gala concert at the end of the festival but a celebration concert will be held on Friday, March 28, at the church.

Rebecca said: “We are very grateful for the support of Cornwall Council and St Austell Town Council who have provided us with financial support. Several local businesses have also provided their support, including the White Hart, CMST (the Cornwall Music Service Trust), Ocean and Country estate agents and St Austell Printing Company.”