HISTORY

The Brighton Competitive Musical Festival was founded in 1924 by Alderman Milner Black, the then Mayor of Brighton.  He had heard about the festivals that were being established in other towns, and tired of the criticism that “Brighton was a cultural Wilderness”, he turned   to the well known local singing teacher Maud Hornsby for help and the Festival was born.

The first “Secretary” was Edwin Stevens, a council employee, and he set up the office in the Royal York Building on the Old Steine.  In need of advice he asked his Violin teacher, Lewis Mennich for help and after a few years Mr Mennich took over the organisation of the Festival and this continued right up to the early 1960s.  The Festival was held on the Royal Pavilion Estate, initially in May, but after the Brighton Festival was founded, the BCMF changed it’s dates to March.

The Borough of Hove added their grant support during the 1980s and the name of the festival was changed to Brighton & Hove Competitive Musical Festival. In the early 90s we were forced to leave the Pavilion estates due to prohibitive costs and the loss of the grant support from the councils and for several years the Festival was scattered in a variety of venues all over Brighton and Hove.  Eventually we were able to settle comfortably into the Old Market and the dance found a new home at Roedean Theatre.  The name of the festival changed once again and we became Springboard – Brighton & Hove Performing Arts Festival.

2010 saw yet another change as the festival divided with the Dance and Singing separating from Springboard to form the Sussex Festival of Dance and Song. A name long associated with the Festival was that of Olive Von Der Heyde.  She competed in the very first Festival, became a member of the Speech & Drama Committee and  served on the Administrative Council.  When the festival was forced to leave the Royal York Building she provided office space at Montpelier Road for a peppercorn rent.  For a number of years she worked in the office with Connie Atherfold and Irene Slawson.  After her retirement she served as Chairman and then President of the Festival. It was her pride and joy!

Throughout the years the aims have remained the same – to provide the opportunity for young people to gain valuable experience and confidence through performing in front of a sympathetic audience and receiving advice and constructive comments from professional adjudicators.