Home - North London Festival of Music, Speech and Drama

Welcome

The 2022 Festival has now ended with a very enjoyable end of Festival concert. We were delighted to have been able to host a very successful live Festival once again.

Entry to the Festival

You can no longer apply for the 2022 Festival, but the information below applies for when you are able to apply. If you queries, please email enquiriesnlf@outlook.com.

Entries to the North London Festival are accepted only from performers living or studying in the UK or the Republic of Ireland.

Where entry to a competition depends on a person’s age, we use the age on the previous 1st September, so that all entrants in the same school year are in the same competition.

Our entry system, powered by Play and Perform, applies to all classes. Please click on the link below for how to apply and for hints on creating an effective video performance for online competitions. The first time you use the entry system, you will need to register. Entrants must also upload copies of the music.

Emanuel Trophy Piano Competition – we will not be running this competition in 2022

As during 2021 few music festivals have been able to take place, we have decided not to run the Emanuel Trophy Piano Competition in 2022. Any pianists who would normally be nominated for the 2022 competition will instead be eligible to be nominated for the 2023 competition. If you are the secretary of a festival that usually nominates entrants for the Emanuel Competition and have any questions, please contact Janice Twiselton – admin@northlondonfestival.org.uk.

The Grand Piano chosen and hired by the Festival for the 2022 competitions is supplied and maintained by

Steinway & Sons, London.

Proms at St Jude’s

The North London Festival is delighted to promote Proms at St Jude’s. “The Proms at St Jude’s Festival is a wonderful array of music, literature, family events and heritage walks that takes place every summer in Hampstead Garden Suburb, North London. Our 30th season will run from 25 June to 3 July 2022.”

For more information about prizes and performance opportunities, click the ‘read more’ button below.

Performance Opportunity

The North London Festival has a link with the Royal Orchestral Society, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary season in 2022/2023. As part of that celebration, there will be a ‘Rising Talent’ evening, but the date of that has still to be agreed. This concert will feature performances with the orchestra by talented young and upcoming soloists and will be followed by a reception with the ROS’ Patron Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music.

ROS will offer one or two of these performance opportunities to recent winners of the Festival’s elite competitions. You can still be eligible to take advantage of this opportunity by entering one of this year’s elite competitions.

The Association of English Singers & Speakers Music Festivals Trophy

We are very grateful to The Association of English Singers & Speakers for sponsoring the AESS Prize. The details of the prize are still being finalised, but it will be awarded to the winner of singing class 203, which will take place on Thursday 17th March.

Herbert Howells Song Prize

The North London Festival is very grateful to The Herbert Howells Society which is sponsoring the Herbert Howells prize for the best performance of a song by Herbert Howells over the course of the Festival. Each adjudicator of singing competitions will nominate one singer and the winner will be chosen by agreement from among those nominees. Singing competitions will be held on Thursday 17th, Thursday 24th and Thursday 31st March and the Edith Poulsen Singing Recital Prize Competition for singers and accompanists on Monday 25th April.

United Kingdom Harp Competition

The North London Festival is delighted to announce the United Kingdom Harp Association as sponsors of the harp competitions at the North London Festival in 2022. As part of this involvement, the former Camac Harp Competition has been renamed as the United Kingdom Harp Competition and an additional prize has been kindly donated by Sioned Williams, the UKHA President.

2020 ONLINE COMPETITIONS

Please see the Speech and Drama page for videos from the 2020 One Minute Monologue Competition.

Please see the harp page for the results of the 2020 online Harp Competitions.

MEMORIES OF THE FESTIVAL

The festival started in November 1920 and Rosemary Cook has started writing a history of the Festival. She would be delighted to hear from anyone who has memories of the Festival and especially musicians who took part in the Festival as children.

FESTIVAL MEMBERS

The Members of the North London Festival participate in the Festival’s most important decisions and perform a crucial role in holding the Executive to account. The Festival is actively seeking new Members either to attend the AGM once a year and vote, or to contribute ideas, contacts, and active support. A modest annual subscription is payable. To request more information on Membership, or a Membership Application Form, or to discuss possible participation in other ways, please email enquiriesnlf@outlook.com.