Festival Of The Spoken Word 2015
This year’s Festival of the Spoken Word took place in First Larne Presbyterian Church Hall on Saturday 10th October. The event, organised by the Arts Sub-Committee was well supported with fifty-five entries over six classes, down slightly on last year’s entries.
Arts Sub-Committee Chairman Carole Baird, welcomed everyone to the event, including Federation Chairman Elizabeth Warden and adjudicator Carolyn Stewart, BA (Hons), PGCE, LLAM (TD), LLCM (TD), ALAM (public speaking), ALCM (Performance) who was certainly very well qualified to judge the entries in the various classes.
The first class was for a three minute prepared speech and Nancy Orr from Armoy WI delivered a rousing speech on ‘Let’s give WI a makeover’. Some of her suggestions would certainly raise eyebrows with the older members but her enthusiasm won over the judge and she was awarded the Magherafelt Trophy. The Sight Reading class was a passage from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and the range of drama and threat portrayed by the participants was fascinating to listen to. In the next three classes, all of which involved poetry and verse, the audience were kept entertained with everything from the poignant to the hilarious. The final class was for a two minute piece of prepared prose and again we had a whole range of emotions, from psalms and prayers to ‘How to stop a church gossip’ which had a punchline delivered with perfect timing by Anna Murphy of Kells & Connor WI that won her the Downpatrick Trophy.
The adjudicator thanked everyone for taking part and said her job had been made more difficult by the very high standard meaning that, in some classes, only a few points separated the top and bottom places.
The presentation of awards was carried out by Federation Chairman, Elizabeth Warden who also thanked the Arts Chairman and her Committee for their hard work putting the event together.
The general Vote of Thanks was given by Nancy Orr who expressed appreciation to the adjudicator for her hard work; to the Session & Committee of First Larne Presbyterian Church not only the use of their halls, but for the delicious tea, coffee, scones and lunch provided by the ladies of the Church Catering Committee; and to all the participants and audience for such an enjoyable day.
The full list of prize winners is as follows:
Magherafelt Trophy for Prepared Speech
1st – Nancy Orr, Armoy WI
2nd – Hazel Campbell, Crumlin WI
Armoy Trophy for Sight Reading
1st – Beverley Simpson, Armoy WI
2nd – Edwina Marr, Downpatrick WI
Highly Commended – Maud Steele, Kilrea WI & Lorna Stevenson, Crossgar WI
Lambeg Trophy for Poem by Irish Poet
1st – Edwina Marr, Downpatrick WI
Joint 2nd – Nancy Orr, Armoy WI & Elizabeth Patterson, Kilrea WI
Phillipine McCoy Trophy for Humorous Verse
1st – Joan Ward, Crumlin WI
Joint 2nd – Roberta McCullough, Muckamore WI & Edwina Marr, Downpatrick WI
Aileen Chapman Trophy for Poem Written by WI Member
1st – Maud Steele, Kilrea WI
Joint 2nd – Anna Murphy, Kells & Connor WI; Ann Patterson, Crossgar WI; Nancy Orr, Armoy WI & Katy McCurdy, Armoy WI
Downpatrick Trophy for Prepared Prose
1st – Anna Murphy, Kells & Connor WI
Joint 2nd – Nancy Orr, Armoy WI & Beverley Simpson, Armoy WI
Back row (L – R): Edwina Marr, Downpatrick WI; Maud Steele, Kilrea WI; Anna Murphy, Kells & Connor WI; Joan Ward, Crumlin WI.
Front Row (L – R): Beverley Simpson, Armoy WI; adjudicator Carolyn Stewart; Federation Chairman Elizabeth Warden; Arts Sub-Committee Chairman Carole Baird; Nancy Orr, Armoy WI.
