Families, friends, and judges, were treated to some wonderful performances at the Town Hall in the first half of the annual Forbes Eisteddfod last week. Now in its 24th year, the program comprises seven days of music, speech and drama performances at the Town Hall, and nine full days of dance competition.
Performers of all ages from Forbes and surrounding areas took part in the competition, which has become known to all involved as the Friendly Eisteddfod.
Committee Treasurer, Karyn Glennan, said that local organisers aim to create a positive, encouraging environment in which people can compete while having a good time.
“A lot of Eisteddfods are quite strict and rigid in how they do things,” she said. “And while we are known for being professional, and we have qualified adjudicators giving wonderful feedback, behind the scenes we try to keep things friendly and fun.”
And it isn’t just for kids. This year, com- petitors range from 5-year-olds involved in dance, to musicians in their sixties.
“We want all the kids to have the oppor- tunity to perform. It builds their self-esteem and their confidence. And by seeing older people performing, they learn that they can play music as they get older, and keep improving.
“People come to us and say, we’ve been told to start our kids here because this is a much more relaxed atmosphere for them,” said Karyn.
There is also a section in the instrumental section that is judged on the basis of whether the performance is entertaining, rather than technical perfection.
“We had one group this year that got people up bush dancing,” Karyn said.
The dance category of this year’s Eisteddfod will be held at the Forbes High School. It will start on 8 July and run over nine days.
“Dance is very strong,” said Karyn. “We’d love to see more people entering in other categories next year, especially in piano and vocal.”
Entries for the 2018 Eisteddfod will open next February. For information about performing or volunteering call Karyn Glennan on 0427 512 112.
By Rochelle Bright