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Oswestry Youth Music Festival 2022

Oswestry Youth Music Festival returns in February 2024 and the festival is going to be bigger than ever. Now in its 47th year, the festival has received a record 525 entries, involving approximately one thousand young musicians from forty schools across North Wales and Shropshire. To accommodate the higher entry numbers, the festival has added an extra evening.

The festival runs from Tuesday 27th February to Saturday 2nd March, followed by the final’s concert on Sunday 3rd March at 2pm at Christ Church. There are eighty-eight competitive classes ranging from solo instrumental and vocal classes to orchestras, rock bands, choirs, and musical theatre ensembles. We have introduced five new classes this year for singers aged thirteen and under and we are delighted that five kind donors have given new trophies for these classes. The trophies are called the Hancock, Grove, Brennan, Philbin and Young Popstar Awards and we look forward to presenting them for the first time.

Youth Music Festival

The full programme is now available and a paper copy can be purchased for £1 at the Guildhall or at any of the venues during the festival – Christ Church, Methodist Church, and Hermon Chapel. Admission to all the events is free. For the first time there are Youth Music Festival tote bags for sale, which can be purchased for £5 at all venues (cash only).

The festival’s adjudicators are registered with the British and International Federation of Festivals, and the team are delighted to welcome back Steven Roberts, Daniel Chandler, and Andrew Padmore and extend a warm welcome to Fiona McClean-Buechel. The final’s concert will be adjudicated by Rhys Matthews, another old friend of the festival.

It is wonderful to see the rise in entries every year, and to enjoy the wonderful musical talent that is out there. We love seeing young performers returning, growing in ability and confidence, and hearing that a significant number go on to study music at universities and conservatoires and then take it up as a career.

We look forward to a great festival and good luck to everyone.

2024 Oswestry Youth Music Festival Logo
Congratulations to Bella Grayston, who has won the competition to design this year’s Oswestry Youth Music Festival logo. Bella is aged thirteen and attends Oswestry School.
There were so many entries this year and the winning design was chosen by the Youth Music Festival committee. The committee would like to thank everyone who entered the competition.
The winning logo will be used on the 2024 festival’s programme and be printed on stickers given to all 1000 festival entrants during the six-day event.