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Vocal

The Vocal Section offers classes for all ages - Solo Pop and Jazz, Solo Baroque, Classical, Opera, Show Song Solos from any film or musical, and Folk or Traditional Solos. We also have Duet and Trio classes, Musical Show Ensembles and Recital classes. Each year we offer a celebratory class to feature songs written by a specific lyricist/composer.

News

To all the performers and their families, thank you for being part of our festival.

We hope that this experience has inspired you to continue pursuing your passion for the performing arts.

Our warmest wishes for future success and happiness in your performing endeavours. 

Vocal Timetable for 2027

Friday 12th, Friday 19th (eve), Saturday 20th, & Sunday 21st March.

(Dates may vary according to entry levels)

Entries for 2027

Entries open October 2026.

Venue

The Oakwood Centre, Headley Rd, Woodley, Berks, RG5 4JZ.

Guidance

Guidance for Music Performers & Parents

You can download the Vocal Syllabus 2026 here.

Section Chairman

Helen Deeks ARCM

Assistants: Ruth Jowers and Maddie Deeks

Email: Vocal@WoodleyFestival.org.uk

Please do follow us on our social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram for all updates

Vocal Section Adjudicator for 2026 was

Belinda Mikhaïl

BMus(Hons), PgDipRCM, ARCM, EMT

Belinda Mikhaïl won the Associated Board and the Queen Mother Scholarships to study piano and singing as a joint first study at the Royal College of Music where she won the Hopkinson Gold Medal for her final recital. She has since travelled extensively performing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician and has appeared as a concerto soloist at the major London Concert Halls.

She has made numerous recordings for Sony BMG and Universal and is a vocal soloist on EMI’s Vocalise album as used in trailers for ER, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. She appears as the featured soloist on many film soundtracks and her solo piano playing of the theme from Chariots of Fire was heard at every medal ceremony at the London Olympic Games.

Belinda is in demand as a Vocal Coach for classical, musical theatre, jazz, pop and rock singers and runs an extensive private and online teaching practice in Buckinghamshire. She has trained performers as diverse as Simone Ashley from Bridgerton, Siouxsie Sioux the rock legend and the Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche. She is also known in the industry as a Voice Over artist.

Vocal Section Adjudicator for 2026 was

Ben Costello

MA, BMus, PgDip

Ben is a freelance musical director, adjudicator, singing coach and accompanist, working internationally, and is also Artistic Director of Thames Concerts. He is a generalist music adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals, having joined in 2009. He is also a music examiner for LCME and a consultant on their musical theatre syllabi.

A specialist in musical theatre and vocal performance, Ben has been musical director for numerous productions across the UK, and a reflective product of this has been his continuing work as a musical director and singing teacher at the cutting edge of performing arts training in London, with his portfolio over the years including Arts Ed, Mountview Academy, Trinity Laban, Laine Theatre Arts, Italia Conti, Guildford School of Acting, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the Royal Academy of Music, Drama Studio London, and the London School of Musical Theatre. At these colleges his work has included teaching singing technique, portfolio, acting through song, audition technique, and auditioning thousands of prospective students. Countless of his former singing students enjoy successful careers in the West End and beyond. He also teaches singing at Kingston Grammar School and Tiffin Girls’ School.

Born and based in London, Ben trained initially as a flautist before majoring in piano, singing and conducting. He read Music at Kingston University and the London College of Music, subsequently joining the teaching staff as the College’s first resident MD.

Ben remains much sought-after as an accompanist, and collaborates in a variety of genres with countless singers and instrumentalists in many performing environments, working with several distinguished singers including Michael Chance CBE, James Bowman CBE, Robin Blaze, Hugh Cutting, Alison Pearce, Joanne Lunn, Peter Savidge, Richard Suart, Lotte Betts-Dean and Mark Dobell. He is one of the regular pianists for Cantabile (The London Quartet), and has given concerts with them in Germany, Belgium and the UK.

Ben is a Liveryman and on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He chaired the Company’s prestigious annual musical direction scholarship for eight years, and is presently Chairman of the Company’s Jazz Committee.

For the Federation, he is also an adjudicator mentor, and is a member of the interviewing panel for potential new music adjudicators. He was a member of the Adjudicators’ Council for 11 years, culminating in being elected Music Chairman, before stepping down in 2025.

Outside music, Ben is a keen motorcyclist and wine bore.

Conditions of Entry

  1. OWN CHOICE pieces must be stated on the entry form. Own choice pieces must be by published composers, not own compositions. 
  2. TIME LIMITS, where specified, must be strictly observed. The performance time of the piece should be included on the entry form. In any class, the adjudicator reserves the right to stop a performance, and may choose an appropriate penalty – e.g. marks may be deducted or 1st place may not be gained. This reflects not the quality of the performance but is purely in consideration of the time spent overall. Responsibility for timing rests with the performer and their teacher / coach.
  3. ACCOMPANIST There is an official accompanist available for booking, but you may well choose to make your own independent arrangements. A charge will be made for the services of the Official Accompanist – these charges are stated on the entry form. A copy of the music must be sent to the Official Accompanist at the time of entry. Rehearsals, including payment for them, are a matter for private arrangements between the entrant and the Accompanist and these need to take place before the date of the performance.
  1. A COPY OF PIECES FOR THE USE OF THE ADJUDICATOR must be handed in prior to your performance, and be collected at the end of the class. Please make sure your name is on the copy.
  2. LATE ENTRIES are not normally accepted. Where feasible, the Section Chair may possibly exercise discretion to accept a late entry shortly after the closing date. Time is of the essence, so make any such request by phone or email, not post. Fees for unaccepted late entries will be returned.
  3. ENTRY FEES are not refundable. Receipts will be sent on request.
  4. TIMES & DATES. Entrants must accept the times and dates allocated by us to any class. However, we will try to accommodate special requests in exceptional circumstances, if specified, with reasons, on the entry form.
  5. THE ADJUDICATOR’S DECISION will be final. No contact may be made with the Adjudicators by entrants, parents, teachers or other interested parties, unless by the consent of a member of the Committee. Trophies & prizes will be awarded to competitors at the discretion of the adjudicator.
  6. ELECTRONIC ACCOMPANIMENT is not allowed in any section of the Festival.
  7. No unauthorised PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO & SOUND recording is allowed at the Festival whether using cameras, phones, or other equipment. Where parents/guardians/carers do not wish photos to be taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child/pupil/vulnerable adult is not included in official authorised photos.
  8. OPEN CLASSES, AMATEURS & PROFESSIONALS. A professional is someone who earns their main livelihood from performing, not teaching, the instrument concerned. Medals are not awarded in the Open – Adult classes, and trophies are awarded at the discretion of the adjudicator.
    Professionals may enter only the Open Classes and will not be eligible for trophies. However, an Open Ensemble of four or more players may contain one or more professionals (players or conductor) and still be eligible for a trophy. The number of such professionals must be stated on the entry forms.
  9. SUB-DIVIDING & COMBINING CLASSES, & ORDER OFPERFORMANCE. The organisers will sub-divide or combine classes if circumstances make this necessary or desirable. The order of performance within a Class is at the sole discretion of the Section Chairman. Only in exceptional circumstances will the printed order be varied and then only with the agreement of the
    Adjudicator.
  10. SAFETY OF PERFORMERS. It is necessary for teachers and parents to be aware of their responsibilities in entering any performers with limited physical capabilities or special needs, bearing in mind the limitations imposed by the stage and surrounding environment. It is also necessary for the teacher or parent to pass on to the adjudicator, via the section chair, any such information that would impact on the adjudicator’s work.
  11. ADJUDICATOR’S MARKS. When awarding marks, the Adjudicators will take into consideration the suitability of own choice material in own choice classes and competency when tuning instruments, when applicable.
  12. AGE OF AUDIENCE. Children are very welcome at the Festival, both as performers and in the audience. Generally, we ask you to consider not bringing pre-school children to the Festival. We recognise that circumstances sometimes make this unavoidable. If so, please be prepared to take out your child if they start to cause any disturbance – in fairness to the performers and the audience around you – as we do not wish to have to ask you to leave the performance room.
  13. LOSS OR DAMAGE. The Festival Committee can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to personal belongings or equipment brought to the Festival.
  14. CANCELLATION. The Committee reserves the right to cancel a class without prior notice.
  15. DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998. The Woodley Festival will hold data submitted on the entry form on computer, solely for the purpose of running the Festival. The data will not be made available, or communicated, to any third party.
  16. SAFEGUARDING POLICY. This policy relates to children under the age of 18 years and those vulnerable adults of any age who are identified to the organisers prior to their arrival at the Festival. Copies of this policy will be on display during the Festival.

Vocal Trophy Winners 2025

Trophy Description 2025 Winner
Charles Wise Memorial Trophy The most promising junior singer in the Vocal & Pop/Jazz Classes, 12 years and under Harry Lindsay
Linnet Trophy The most promising young junior singer in the Vocal & Pop/Jazz Classes, 10 years and under Dylan Lindsay
Andrew McBride Trophy The most promising intermediate singer in the Vocal & Pop/Jazz Classes, 14 years and under Poppy Martin
McCallum Trophy The most promising senior singer in the Vocal & Pop/Jazz Classes, 15-18 years Chloe Beth Norgate
Wedgwood Trophy The best performance in the open classes, (excluding the Open Performer’s Recital V62) Keren Hall
Rainbow Trophy Best performance in Classes V025, V026
Musical Show Solo		 George Smith
Wallner Trophy Best performance in Classes V027, V028
Musical Show Solo		 Marc Rodrigues
Maddy Coleman-Phelps Cup Best performance in Classes V029, V031
Musical Show Solo		 Sophia Revie and Eleanor Barras
Mary O’Leary Trophy Best performance in Classes V033, V035
Musical Show Solo		 Anya Ayling
Brunel Trophy Best performance in the Recital Classes V060, V061 Shamiksha Senthilkumar
Norman Morris Trophy Best performance in the Recital Class: Open Keren Hall
Calliope Trophy Best performance in the Vocal Duet Classes V050, V055 Sophia Revie and Anya Ayling
Falcon Trophy Most promising performer in the Open Vocal Classes Scarltett von Strohe-Grech