Norfolk County Music Festival ends on a high note

Norfolk County Music Festival 2016. Ormesby Village Infant School choir.Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2016)

Everything from ukelele bands to full orchestras could be heard at Norwich's Central Baptist Church on today, where the day-long Whole Class Instrumental Tuition event rounded off the 2016 festival.

Laura Middleton, the festival's development officer, said: 'The day was all about school orchestras and whole classes performing. We had over 200 ukulele players, a stage full of xylophones, ocarinas, hand bells and full orchestras. I've never seen so many instruments!'

She said it was a great end to this year's festival which had featured an array of musical events around the city over the last two weeks and involved about 4,000 musicians. Everything from classical piano and strings to school choirs to jazz, rock and pop featured in the 2016 programme.

Jacquie Burgess, chairman of the festival, said: 'The festival has been a great success this year; we've seen more entries than ever before – so many we had to add a whole extra day for performances.

'We are a small charity. We rely on donations and entries fees to performances to keep us going, so it's been great to see so many parents, relatives and friends coming to watch.'

Norfolk County Music Festival was founded in 1925 and aims to support amateur musicians and singers of all ages by giving them the chance to perform in public and to receive positive advice from professional adjudicators. Next year's festival will run from February 27 to March 10. For more, visit www.norfolkmusic.org.uk

Do you have an arts story? Email arts correspondent Emma Knights at emma.knights@archant.co.uk