The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama attracted over 1,500 musicians and actors of all ages and abilities performing in more than 250 competitive classes.
Over the course of the week, expert adjudicators selected their winners from the festival to perform in the final gala concert on Saturday (March 9) where the best work would be showcased and performers would compete for major prizes.
A wide variety of the county’s schools were represented at the event and the final winners for each category were:
Best overall junior speech and drama – Adi Tambe
Best overall senior speech and drama – Charlie Eggleton
Best overall senior singing – Breege Traynor
Best overall junior singing – Zuzanna Jankowska
Best overall choir – Bel Canto, Bedford Girls’ School
Best overall music prize – Bel Canto, Bedford Girls’ School
Best overall piano – Felipe Klepin-Salles
Most outstanding speech and drama performance – Charlie Eggleton
Most outstanding musical performance – Felipe Klepin-Salles

1. The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
The festival culminated in a spectacular gala concert Photo: Donna Samuels

2. .The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
Over 1,500 musicians and actors performed in more than 250 competitive classes during the festival. Photo: Donna Samuels

3. .The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
It was an eight-day event which also covered speech and drama, as well as music Photo: Donna Samuels

4. .The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
Next year’s festival runs from March 1 to 8, 2025 Photo: Donna Samuels