Church Stretton and South Shropshire Arts Festival

Reg Perry, our Exhibition Manager, passed away yesterday. 
 
Reg is on the right in the photo above, enjoying a lighthearted moment with David Mace as we set up the 2008 Exhibition. 

He was a terrific supporter of the show – working away with great energy to make it the success it is.  His hard work and sense of humour kept us cheerful and encouraged.  Without fail he was there in the morning to open up, he was on call all day to handle problems, and he showed up in the evening to close up and secure the exhibition.
 
We’re really going to miss him.

Malaysian-born Concord College student Shi Yun Khoo has been awarded this year’s Church Stretton & South Shropshire Arts Festival Award for her music studies.

Festival Committee member Jenny Repath, said: “It is extremely rewarding and appropriate for 18year old Shi Yun Khoo to receive this prestigious award, following her success in her studies. The Arts Festival has enjoyed a superb relationship with Concord College over many years, and they have been most supportive of the annual Festival. Our Annual Award is a token of appreciation, and is a way of celebrating the most deserving student’s work in the field of music.

The opening concert at our 43rd festival will feature the internationally-renowned clarinettist Emma Johnson, to be held in the Morris Building at Concord on Saturday 18th July, providing a splendid venue for a premier event. The college is also the venue for our sell-out concert featuring Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen”.

Shi Yun Khoo was born in Penang, Malaysia. She learnt to play the piano when she was 3 years old. She was the runner up in the Radio Shropshire Musician Finals on April 1st 2009 and she is now completing her A Levels in Music. She has a place to study medicine at Cambridge after A Levels.

Jon Baker – our guest artist in the Art and Crafts Exhibition – has taken first place in the Visions of Britain competition.  This is organized by Beautiful Britain Magazine and Olympus.  Click here to see some of the photos he entered.  We’re hoping to have some of these winning images at the Exhibition in July.