The Stratford and East London Music Festival was founded in 1882, making it the UK’s oldest competitive music and drama festival. Fortunately, the festival’s impressive heritage doesn’t stop it from embracing the future in the form of a new and improved online syllabus and entry platform.
For the 2023 festival next February, a new Play & Perform online system will be used to make entering, paying and liaison as easy as Do-Re-Mi.
The 2023 festival also has a new venue for music, speech and drama classes. These will take place at the Redbridge Music Service, John Savage Centre, Fencepiece Road, Hainault, Ilford, IG6 2NB from 13 to 18 February 2023. The Redbridge Music Service is easy to get to via the tube (Central Line), as well as several bus routes. The centre also has excellent parking facilities.
Classes for bands, orchestras and choirs will place on 6 and 7 February 2023 at St. Mary’s Church in South Woodford.
As always, our festival offers the ideal opportunity for performers of any age and ability to perform and compete in one of the many music, speech and drama classes.
With over 60 singing classes alone, there’s sure to be one that appeals – from classical, musical theatre, jazz, popular music to recitals. There are also over 50 speech and drama classes to choose from for individuals, duets and groups, in classes for poetry, acting, storytelling and humorous storytelling.
Winning entrants often win a cup and some win a cash prize. The best young pianist can win £500.
Our festival categories are:
Choral Singing, Orchestra and Bands
Concerto
Instrumental Classes
Millennium Competition
Piano
Recorders
Solo and Ensemble Singing
Singing
Speech and Drama
Online Composition Classes
Young Musician Of The Year *
* This class is made up of ten young musicians (pianists, vocalists and instrumentalists) aged 11 to 17 years who have been chosen on the basis of their performance during the 2023 festival. It is held on the last night of the festival and is always a showcase for incredible talent.
Our website has information on all of the categories available, the huge range of classes and details on how to become a Friend Of The Festival, making donations and sponsoring classes.
Entries are now open for the 2023 festival. The deadline for entries is 30 December 2022.