Festival’s success is loud and clear

Springhead Infants enjoying the experience.

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LOCAL school children were in fine voice for the Oldham Primary Schools Choral Speaking Festival.

Almost 2,000 youngsters, aged from four to 11, took part in the event at the Oldham Coliseum.

Poems recited varied from Prospero’s speech in “The Tempest” and Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” to the works of Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan.

The festival is organised by the Rotary Club of Oldham Metro, in conjunction with the council’s people, communities and society department, to promote pupils’ confidence in performing and their appreciation of poetry.

This is the 25th anniversary of the festival, which is the largest in the world outside Hong Kong. Over the years more than 37,000 children have taken part.

Organiser Mel Farrar said: “The festival goes from strength to strength and our International adjudicator Ann Warr confirms that the standard of entries this year was higher than ever.

“For many youngsters this will be their first appearance on a professional stage, for some we believe it will not be their last.”