Our Adjudicators for 2008

Philip Dewhurst BA Hons PGCE

Philip Dewhurst was born and educated in Bolton, Lancashire.  He read music at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne under Professor Denis Matthews and specialised in performance on the oboe.  After completing his degree, he completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Education after which he went into teaching full-time teaching.

Philip gives occasional recitals and enjoys orchestral and chamber music playing on a freelance basis when his teaching commitments permit.

As well as adjudicating at music festivals around the country, Philip is an examiner for Trinity College, London and an experienced GCSE and A level examiner and moderator. At present he is Director of Music at a leading independent school in Cheshire.

Robin Mundy MSc., LGSM., PGCA

Robin Mundy was a native of Hampshire and started playing the piano at the age of 5, accompanying choirs at the age of 11, made his first broadcast a year later and became a church organist when 13. He was awarded a B.Sc degree in Geography at Nottingham University, where he learnt the clarinet, and then, after doing his two years original research, gained an MSc in hydrology. He then worked for many years in the North West until 1994 when he made a ‘life change’ to concentrate on music.

Robin competed for many years at music festivals wherever he was living, both as a piano soloist and choral conductor until he became an adjudicator and accompanist member for the festival movement in the early 1980’s. In this capacity he has travelled extensively throughout the U.K. and Ireland. In June 2006, he will be travelling in Sri Lanka for six weeks to adjudicate throughout the whole island at a series of competitive festivals.

Robin lives in Cheshire where he has an extensive piano’ teaching practice with pupils of all abilities and ages. He is also a choral conductor of church, children’s, male and mixed voice choirs who have broadcast on national radio, and toured in the U.S.A., Sweden, Germany and his male voice choir had their own T.V. programme in Finland! When he is not conducting or teaching the piano’, he prepares individual singers and instrumentalists for local, national and international competitions.

Robin is looking forward to returning to the festival and firmly believes that all music is there to be enjoyed. So start practising, wear a smile and come and enjoy yourselves!

Mary Powney LRAM, ARCM, PGCA

Born into a family of talented musicians in the North of England, Mary Powney's early training was shaped by her involvement in the Mary Wakefield Festival - the oldest competitive festival in the country. At the age of 18, she was accepted at the Royal Academy of Music to study both piano and singing as equal first studies and remained there for four years specialising in piano accompaniment. On leaving the Academy, she built up a successful free-lance career as an accompanist and coach to the singing profession.

In 1967 she returned to her native town of Kendal and immediately established a large teaching practice, specialising in singing and piano. She also concentrated more on her own solo singing and, over the next twenty years, appeared as a recitalist and soprano soloist in many choral works with a number of Choral Societies.

In 1969 she became conductor of the K Shoes Male Voice Choir which, during recent years, has come to be recognised as one of the finest choirs of its type in England and receives great acclaim on its tours abroad.

In 1991 she was accepted as a music adjudicator member of the British Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech. Early in 2000 she was one of the first thirty adjudicators to be awarded the Post Graduate Certificate of Adjudication. Her deep commitment to the Festival movement and her practical knowledge of Festival organisation means that she is thoroughly at home with all types of marking methods and recognises the need for cheerful, concise, educative and encouraging critical assessments of competitors.

Margaret J. Smith LRAM. GRSM

Born and brought up in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and an enthusiastic participant in local festivals from a very young age, Margaret Smith LRAM. GRSM. studied the piano, initially with Fanny Waterman, and then  at the Royal Academy of Music, with the violin as an additional first study.

Now living in Leeds, she has spent many years in musical education with both singers and instrumentalists, having been the Director of Music for twenty years at one of the most highly regarded independent girls’ school in Yorkshire, where her girls’ choirs enjoyed a prestigious reputation.

During this time, and for 14 years, she was a Moderator for the composition and performance elements of GCSE Music.

Since her retirement from full-time work, she has revived her private piano practice, teaching to an advanced level.

Keenly interested in vocal music, and choral work in particular, she is the founder- conductor of the Chippendale Singers, a chamber choir with a wide-ranging repertoire, currently enjoying success in the Yorkshire area.

She has had associations with many societies and churches as a conductor of oratorio, cantatas and concert versions of opera, working with both adults and children.

She very much enjoys adjudicating, having a firm belief in the spirit engendered by the Festival Movement, and in the pleasure and educational value to be derived by all who participate. Her enthusiasm has resulted in an ever- increasing number of invitations to adjudicate at festivals in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, most recently in Newry and, for two consecutive years, at the International Choral festival in Coleraine. In 2003 she was one of the two music adjudicators of the first Yorkshire and Humberside Championship for festival winners from the region.

In addition to this active musical life she enjoys walking, reading, theatre-going and equestrian activities.

Margaret Smith is an adjudicator member of the British & International Federation of Festivals.

Margaret Venables LRAM ARCM ALCM Adv Dip.Sec. Ed., PGCA

Margaret Venables had been entering Festivals from the age of seven when, at seventeen, she gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music, with Piano and Organ as her first study, and the 'cello as her second instrument.

During a varied teaching career following her Conservatory training, she became Head of Music at Danum Grammar School, later moving into a senior position in pastoral work within the school.

Her out of school interests included broadcasting with William Appleby's Singing Together, whose choir also sang evensong in Ely cathedral during annual cathedral choir holidays.

Margaret travelled widely in Europe and America with the Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra and broadcast with them in England, part of her duties as Music Consultant for the Girl Guide movement.  In this capacity she composed for and conducted Scout and Guide choirs for many years in Westminster Abbey, also leading Guide carol singing in an invariably freezing Trafalgar Square.

Academically, she was a member of various national committees of the Schools Council for nine years and also the Northern Universities Music Examinations Committee.

In common with very few other adjudicators of many years experience, Margaret also chairs a Music and Drama Festival in her local area. She is extremely proud to be Chairman of the British and International Federation of Festivals.