2017 Weekend Adjudicators Announced!

We can now reveal to you the three Simon Cowell’s of the festival (don’t worry they’re not that scary!) Returning in 2017 are two friendly, familiar faces along with a new adjudicator who has been highly recommended.

First up we have Robert Elliott who will this year be returning for his third festival! Rob grew up in South Wales as part of a musical family. He conducted the Massed Male Choirs at the Welsh National Eisteddfod at the age of only 21, and the English National Symphony Orchestra at the Wiltshire Music Festival in 1999.

Rob has adjudicated at many festivals and competitions throughout Britain and Europe, including The National Choral Festival in Ireland, Isle of Man Festival of Choirs, Cornwall International Male Choral Competition, Barnardo’s National School Choir Competition at The Barbican, and Royal Festival Hall in London, Manchester Amateur Choral Competition at the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Bangor International Choral Festival, Northern Ireland.

Rob is now Festival Director of the World’s largest Male Choir Festival (over 70 Male Choirs taking part last year!), which is held in Cornwall, and is also continuing to expand on his choir competition preparation workshops, adjudicating, coaching roles, and choir Management training. Rob said he is delighted to be back adjudicating again at The North Wales Choral Festival.

Our second adjudicator joined us for the first time last year and was obviously so impressed that she’s back for more! It is the very talented Vivien Pike… Vivien studied music at the Royal Manchester / Royal Northern College of Music, her main instrument was singing with piano and violin graduating with teaching and performing diplomas and a silver medal.

Vivien has wide experience as a soprano soloist and recitalist with many choral societies and has sung in choirs since the age of 7. She is a former member of the BBC Northern Singers. She has been an adjudicator more than once at the World Choir Games and at international festivals in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Malta, Jersey, and is the present UK member of the Choir Olympic Council.

She gained a Churchill Fellowship in 2001/2, studying Cultural and Educational Influences on Voice Development in Sweden, Finland and Estonia and was awarded an honorary doctorate for her continued work with singers nationally and internationally.

Then, our brand new adjudicator, completely new to the festival will be our new Barbershop expert David King. David became a member of the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) in 1975, entering the BABS Guild of Judges in 1995. He served Director of the singing category in 2001 – 2003 and most recently 2012 – 2015.

Although David’s expertise lie in Barbershop he maintains interests in many musical genres particularly classical and contemporary a cappella. He has adjudicated in numerous festivals including local music festivals in his hometown of Kent and occasionally abroad. Other festivals include the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod where he adjudicated in multiple classes in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011 and the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition at the Royal Northern College of Music where he has adjudicated the all-day adult choral class each year since 2010.

David is an active vocal/choral coach, singer, arranger and choir director and outside the music world his interests include recreational mathematics.

So there we have it, or wonderful weekend trio! We can’t wait to welcome back our returning adjudicators and of course show our new adjudicator what a fun weekend we have and the talent it brings to Llandudno!