- INSPIRATION THROUGH PERFORMANCE
COULSDON & PURLEY FESTIVAL
The Coulsdon and Purley Festival is affiliated to the British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech.
Registered Charity No: 1037897 The Coulsdon and Purley Festival aims to provide opportunities to advance, promote and encourage generally and by means of competition, a platform for public performances encompassing all ages. PRESIDENT Russell Keable BA MMus |
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Do join us for the Celebration Concert and Prizegiving on Saturday 25th April at Wilson’s School Mollison Drive, SM6 9JW starting at 4.00pm - a truly wonderful way to bring the 2026 Festival to a close. This special event promises to be a celebration in every sense: performances showing dedication, and the remarkable achievements of our musicians and thespians. It is always a joy to witness such talent, commitment, and passion on stage, and the standard this year has been nothing short of outstanding. The programme features a small selection of performances drawn from across the Festival, reflecting the wide range of opportunities available to all who take part. 
FESTIVAL SNAPSHOT
27th February - 1st March
The hills of Sanderstead were alive 'with the sound of music' last weekend. The choirs brought richness and unity of sound, while the solo singers captivated audiences with confident and expressive performances. We were delighted to welcome six new choirs this year: Hazelwood Year 2 Choir. LKYC, LKWC, Cultural Heritage, Celeste and Show Choir from Norbury High Girls School.
On Sunday, over at Warlingham Park School, the Speech and Drama section brought the stage to life with a wonderful range of performances. Budding public speakers and young actors presented structured speeches, thoughtful critical reviews, and engaging poetry and prose recitals. There was also plenty of creativity on display in the Write a Poem classes, where our very own poets performed their original work with imagination and confidence. It was a lively and inspiring day celebrating both the spoken word and creative expression. WINNERS OF THE WRITE A POEM CLASSES Yr 3 and 4 Kishana Mayuran Yr 5 and 6 Thisanth Pavalarajah Yr 7 and 8 Rianna Pathak THE COULSDON AND PURLEY CUP FOR SPEECH AND DRAMA for WRITE A POEM was awarded to THISANTH
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UPCOMING FESTIVAL EVENTS
FOR YOUR DIARY Eden Agranat Meged, winner of the 2024 Piano Concerto Class, will be playing with the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Dominic Grier on Sunday 7th June 2026 at 3pm in the Worthing Assembly Hall. He will be playing Variations Symphoniques by C Franck and Piano Concerto No 27 in B-flat major by W A Mozart Sherri Lunn, winner of the 2025 Piano Concerto Class, will be playing with the Orchestra of St John's with John Lubbock conducting on 19th September at 7pm at
Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire She will be playing Schumann Concerto in A minor op.54 SHOWCASE CONCERT
Sunday 27th September As part of the Sunday Afternoon Concerts at Sanderstead United Reformed Church, there will be another opportunity to see more of the performers from the 2026 Festival.
Details to follow 6th-8th March
The second weekend of the Festival proved to be a particularly busy and rewarding one. Proceedings began at Wilson’s School with an impressive class of 43 novice string players performing their prepared pieces with attentive enthusiasm. The evening continued with solo woodwind performances, followed by three contrasting adult ensembles: a brass band, a handbell group and a recorder ensemble. Saturday brought a varied programme of woodwind, brass and percussion classes, and the day concluded with the Advanced Recital Class. The winner of this prestigious class was Hiu Yan Kwan, who gave a fine performance on the oboe. We look forward to hearing her play at the Lunchtime Recital at St Bride’s Church, London on Friday 9th October with Sigal Nachshen.. 
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Meanwhile, Trinity School hosted a full day of piano classes, while vocal classes continued at Sanderstead United Reformed Church. Sunday was another busy day back at Trinity, with pianists and string players performing throughout the day. A particular highlight of the weekend was the Piano Concerto Class on Sunday, which featured sixteen remarkable young pianists performing works by some of the greatest composers including Chopin, Grieg, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Ryan Sheng’s exceptional performance of the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in B♭ minor earned him first place, along with the exciting opportunity to perform with the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Dominic Grier on a date to be arranged.
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14th-15th March
Two days of piano classes at Trinity School
Two days of piano classes at Trinity School
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19th, 20th and 21st March
SPEECH AND DRAMA DAYS
at SANDERSTEAD UNITED REFORMED CHURCH AND HALLS
and 18th PURLEY SCOUT HQ
SPEECH AND DRAMA DAYS
at SANDERSTEAD UNITED REFORMED CHURCH AND HALLS
and 18th PURLEY SCOUT HQ
The Speech and Drama section of the Festival showcased a wide range of performances from children aged 3 to 16, celebrating creativity, confidence, and communication through poetry, choral speaking, acting, and public speaking. In poetry and prose performances, our youngest performers delighted with their enthusiasm and growing confidence, showing early awareness of rhythm and expression. As age groups progressed, so did skill and interpretation, with older participants demonstrating strong engagement, thoughtful phrasing, and clear communication of mood and character. Public speaking classes included short talks, structured speeches, and team speaking, with participants showing clarity of thought, organisation, and growing confidence in presenting their ideas. Choral speaking was a highlight, with groups displaying excellent teamwork, timing, diction, and ensemble awareness, resulting in polished and engaging performances. In acting classes, younger performers showed developing characterisation, while older students delivered more nuanced and convincing performances, bringing scripts vividly to life.
Overall, the festival was a joyful celebration of young talent, marked by high standards, enthusiasm, and clear personal growth in confidence, creativity, and appreciation of the performing arts.
Overall, the festival was a joyful celebration of young talent, marked by high standards, enthusiasm, and clear personal growth in confidence, creativity, and appreciation of the performing arts.
https://youtu.be/Z9adJF4CRhM
To view this short Video about the work of BIFF (The British and International Federation of Festivals) click on the link above.
To view this short Video about the work of BIFF (The British and International Federation of Festivals) click on the link above.
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HOW YOU CAN
HELP THE FESTIVAL TO CONTINUE ITS SUCCESS AND GROWTH 
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CATERING - for both public refreshments and volunteer lunches etc Contact cpfes[email protected]
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Coulsdon and Purley Festival are grateful for the support
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