The adjudicator for 2026 will be Julia Dewhurst

Syllabus and Fees can be found here

All entries must be by Play and Perform

The closing date for entries is Sunday 25^th January 2026

Entries MUST be made by this date but pieces can be confirmed or changed later if needed

• The official accompanist for the festival is Olivia Travers - oliviatravers@mac.com. Please contact her directly if you require her services. An additional payment of £5 per song is required if using the official accompanist and payment is made directly to her. Please email a copy of the music to her at least three weeks before the competition date. Any repeats or cuts must be clearly marked on the copy. A chord chart with lyrics is not acceptable.
• Entry age as at 1st September 2025.
• Only one entry may be made in each class.
• Time limits are given and must be observed. A performance may be stopped if time limits are
  exceeded.
• Own choice titles must be stated on the entry form.
• All songs may be sung in a key suitable for young voices irrespective of the original key.
  Songs may be sung in English or the original language where required. Diction and pronunciation will
  be assessed by the adjudicator.
• An additional payment of £5 per song is required if using the official accompanist. Please send a copy
  of the music to the official accompanist at least three weeks before the competition date. Music may be posted or scanned and emailed. Any repeats or cuts must be clearly marked on the copy. A chord chart with lyrics is not acceptable.
• An original copy of the music must be provided for the adjudicator on the day of the competition. A
  photocopy may be made for the use of the adjudicator provided that the competitor has already purchased their own copy. The photocopy will be retained and destroyed by the Section Secretary immediately after the event.
• Whilst the Festival does not have an official dress code, competitors are reminded that dress should
  be appropriate for a platform or concert performance.
  

Adults: Tagg’s Yard, 23 Woodlands Road, Barnes, London SW13 0JZ

All Other classes: St Luke’s in the Avenue, Kew Community Centre, Richmond TW9 2AJ

A lyric-coloratura soprano, Julia Dewhurst’s ongoing performing career has encompassed opera, concert and recital repertoire from Early Music to first performances of contemporary works. She has broadcast for BBC TV and Radio and has appeared in many of the UK’s leading concert venues. Abroad, she has undertaken engagements in Germany, France, Spain, Holland,the Middle East and the Seychelleswhere she gave concerts and masterclasses in the Seychelles Festival of Classical Music.

On the opera stage she has appeared with the Royal Opera, ENO, Kent Opera, English Touring Opera, Pavilion Opera, European Chamber Opera, Opera East, London Opera Players and The Garden Opera Company. Her roles have included Susanna and the Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Queen ofthe Night, Pamina and First Lady (The Magic Flute), Gilda (Rigoletto), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Micaela (Carmen), Despina (Cosi fan Tutte), Constanza (DieEntfuhrung), Norina (Don Pasquale), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring) Loelia in the premiere of Donald Swann’s comic opera The Man with the Thousand Faces, and many of the Gilbert & Sullivan soprano roles.

Julia has extensive teaching experience across the entire age range. She was for many years a visiting singing specialist in a Londonprimary school working at Foundation, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 levels and leading voice care workshops for teachers. Although her own career has been primarily centred on Classical repertoire, Julia has a deep interest in all vocal genres from Rock and Pop to Jazz and Music Theatre. She enjoys working
with singers on the techniques underpinning voice production and on helping them to discover their own distinctive vocal personalities in performance. Julia also enjoys working with performers, both singers and instrumentalists, on developing their platform presentation skills and enhancing their awareness of effective communication with the audience.

She has been a much sought-after adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals for more than 20 years. She is a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the Association of Teachers of Singing, the British Voice Association, the Association of English Singers and Speakers, for whom she has judged both the Patricia Routledge Competition and the Courtney Kenny Award and she is a Friend of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique.