SATURDAY, 14 MARCH 2026 (JUNIOR)
SATURDAY, 7 MARCH 2026 (ADULT)
CLOSING DATE: 31 JANUARY 2026
Performing Arts Centre, Redmaids’ High School, Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3AW (JUNIOR)
Redmaids’ High Junior School, Grange Court Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 4DP (ADULT)
VOCAL SECTION INFORMATION
TIM PARKER (JUNIOR)
BMus(Hons), MMus
Tim studied at the University of Sheffield where he was awarded BMus(Hons) and MMus degrees (being twice awarded the prestigious Julian Payne Academic Prize). He is also a fully qualified teacher. Tim was also the Interim Music Education Development Manager (Deputy Head of Service) for North Somerset Music Service. Before this, he spent over 25 years working for Bath & North East Somerset Music Service and Music Education Hub (including 10 years as the Vocal Coordinator and 2 years as Co-Manager).
Tim works as a Specialist Singing teacher and has also had responsibilities for promotion and development of singing within three Local Authorities. He has directed a large number of choirs (across all age groups), including the award-winning Cantilena, B&NES Music Service’s Senior County Choir. He regularly works at Regional Education Conferences as a workshop leader (specialising in Choir Training and ‘Singing for Children with Special Needs’) and frequently runs Vocal Masterclass days. Tim is also often invited to adjudicate at Music Festivals and Competitions, including the Midsomerset Festival (one of the oldest Festivals in the country), Queen’s College Taunton, Devizes Music Festival and Badminton School’s Senior and Junior Music Festivals.
As a professional singer, Tim was a Lay Clerk at Sheffield Cathedral and Bristol Cathedral, latterly holding the position of Senior Lay Clerk at Bristol Cathedral for 7 years. As a singer, he has toured in South Africa, USA, France, Italy (including a performance at a Papal Audience), Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy (with his own County Choir and various other professional choirs). He has appeared as a soloist on several CD recordings, and has broadcast on Radio 3, Radio 4 and BBC 1. He also appears on the soundtrack to the BAFTA nominated Film The Killing of John Lennon and, most recently, appearing in the second series of the BBC’s Royal Drama, Wolf Hall. Professional concert appearances include JS Bach’s Magnificat where he sang the Countertenor roles along side Emma Kirkby, JS Bach’s St John’s & St Matthew’s Passion settings, GF Handel’s Dixit Dominus, regular performances of the GF Handel’s Messiah both as a soloist and with the Fitzhardinge Consort (a Bristol based professional choir), Purcell’s ‘Feast Songs’ and the countertenor works of Couperin. Tim was also the Chorus Master and soloist for Voiceworks (a Sheffield based Opera company) for their 1996 residence at the Edinburgh Festival.
FRITH TREZEVANT (ADULT)
MEd, ARCM, LTCL
Frith is a career teacher with over 35 years’ experience of teaching singers of all abilities and over a wide age range. The Festival tradition is something she enjoyed as a young singer, competing in competitions in Auckland, NZ, her home town, until she was 16. Frith studied singing in Adelaide, South Australia for a year before coming to the UK in 1982, in order to work with NZ singing teacher, David Harper. She won an Ian Fleming Award and was awarded three scholarships for courses with the Britten-Pears School, working with Peter Pears, Nancy Evans, Joan Cross, Jan de Gaetani and Graham Johnson.
As a young artist, Frith performed in concerts, operas, oratorios and has continued performing in recitals. Frith was a Director and Executive Director of the British Voice Association from 2010 to 2015. She taught at the Junior Dept of the Royal College of Music from 2018-2023 and has been Teacher, Teacher in Residence and Auditions Panelist with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. She teaches singing at St Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith and runs a thriving private practice in Bristol.
Frith enjoys writing about singing and has had articles published in Music Teacher, BBC Music magazine and in Communicating Voice, the magazine of the BVA. She is a contributor to the third edition of Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults, by Jenevora Williams. Frith graduated from the Royal College of Music in July 2023 with an MEd in Music Education. She teaches instrument-specific voice pedagogy on the Music Leadership module of the BMus and MMusEd courses at RCM. Her research interest is in singers who play wind instruments, and she has written a chapter on the subject for a new edited volume.
BMus(Hons), MMus
Tim studied at the University of Sheffield where he was awarded BMus(Hons) and MMus degrees (being twice awarded the prestigious Julian Payne Academic Prize). He is also a fully qualified teacher. Tim was also the Interim Music Education Development Manager (Deputy Head of Service) for North Somerset Music Service. Before this, he spent over 25 years working for Bath & North East Somerset Music Service and Music Education Hub (including 10 years as the Vocal Coordinator and 2 years as Co-Manager).
Tim works as a Specialist Singing teacher and has also had responsibilities for promotion and development of singing within three Local Authorities. He has directed a large number of choirs (across all age groups), including the award-winning Cantilena, B&NES Music Service’s Senior County Choir. He regularly works at Regional Education Conferences as a workshop leader (specialising in Choir Training and ‘Singing for Children with Special Needs’) and frequently runs Vocal Masterclass days. Tim is also often invited to adjudicate at Music Festivals and Competitions, including the Midsomerset Festival (one of the oldest Festivals in the country), Queen’s College Taunton, Devizes Music Festival and Badminton School’s Senior and Junior Music Festivals.
As a professional singer, Tim was a Lay Clerk at Sheffield Cathedral and Bristol Cathedral, latterly holding the position of Senior Lay Clerk at Bristol Cathedral for 7 years. As a singer, he has toured in South Africa, USA, France, Italy (including a performance at a Papal Audience), Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy (with his own County Choir and various other professional choirs). He has appeared as a soloist on several CD recordings, and has broadcast on Radio 3, Radio 4 and BBC 1. He also appears on the soundtrack to the BAFTA nominated Film The Killing of John Lennon and, most recently, appearing in the second series of the BBC’s Royal Drama, Wolf Hall. Professional concert appearances include JS Bach’s Magnificat where he sang the Countertenor roles along side Emma Kirkby, JS Bach’s St John’s & St Matthew’s Passion settings, GF Handel’s Dixit Dominus, regular performances of the GF Handel’s Messiah both as a soloist and with the Fitzhardinge Consort (a Bristol based professional choir), Purcell’s ‘Feast Songs’ and the countertenor works of Couperin. Tim was also the Chorus Master and soloist for Voiceworks (a Sheffield based Opera company) for their 1996 residence at the Edinburgh Festival.
FRITH TREZEVANT (ADULT)
MEd, ARCM, LTCL
Frith is a career teacher with over 35 years’ experience of teaching singers of all abilities and over a wide age range. The Festival tradition is something she enjoyed as a young singer, competing in competitions in Auckland, NZ, her home town, until she was 16. Frith studied singing in Adelaide, South Australia for a year before coming to the UK in 1982, in order to work with NZ singing teacher, David Harper. She won an Ian Fleming Award and was awarded three scholarships for courses with the Britten-Pears School, working with Peter Pears, Nancy Evans, Joan Cross, Jan de Gaetani and Graham Johnson.
As a young artist, Frith performed in concerts, operas, oratorios and has continued performing in recitals. Frith was a Director and Executive Director of the British Voice Association from 2010 to 2015. She taught at the Junior Dept of the Royal College of Music from 2018-2023 and has been Teacher, Teacher in Residence and Auditions Panelist with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. She teaches singing at St Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith and runs a thriving private practice in Bristol.
Frith enjoys writing about singing and has had articles published in Music Teacher, BBC Music magazine and in Communicating Voice, the magazine of the BVA. She is a contributor to the third edition of Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults, by Jenevora Williams. Frith graduated from the Royal College of Music in July 2023 with an MEd in Music Education. She teaches instrument-specific voice pedagogy on the Music Leadership module of the BMus and MMusEd courses at RCM. Her research interest is in singers who play wind instruments, and she has written a chapter on the subject for a new edited volume.
- Teachers, parents and performers are advised to read the Festival Rules and the following Vocal Rules carefully.
- Age of performers in the Vocal Section is as at 1 March of the Festival Year. Adults are those who are 19 on or before 1 March of the Festival Year. Performers must strictly observe the conditions regarding age.
- Where a performer has requested the services of the Official Accompanist, a copy of own choice music must be sent to: Jane Walton, 36 Copley Gardens, Lockleaze, Bristol BS7 9YE. Copies must arrive no later than 1 March of the Festival Year. See Festival Rules 12-14. If there are any difficulties, please contact the Vocal Section Secretary.
- Titles of own choice songs must be submitted with entries but changes can be made up to and including 1 March of the Festival Year. Performers will not be allowed to sing any other song than that notified.
- A second copy of own choice music must be available for the Adjudicator on the day of the Festival. Compliance is the performer's own responsibility and neither the Vocal Section Secretary nor the Vocal Section Committee are able to help in this matter.
- When the directive 'any standard edition' is given, this must be treated in the same way as own choice music. A copy must be supplied for the Adjudicator. A copy must also be supplied for the Official Accompanist if the official accompanist is used by the performer.
- Unless otherwise stated in individual classes, performers must sing from memory.
- Time limits as stated must be strictly adhered to. With regards to da capo arias, the whole aria, including the repeat, must fall within the time limit. See Festival Rule 6.
- After the closing date for entries, no substitutions nor change of pairings in ensemble classes can be made.
- Where classes specify a test piece, the performer must use the edition or copy supplied. Performers may, however, sing the set piece in any key.
- Unless otherwise stated in individual classes, a performer may not sing any song more than once in the Festival.
- A performer may only make one entry in each solo class.
- Fees for vocal classes include the services of the Official Accompanist. A performer may use their own accompanist but there can be no refund of any fees.
- A performer can choose to enter classes on a non-competitive basis. The fee remains the same and the Official Accompanist will still be available. Please state at the beginning of the performance if you wish to perform non-competitively. You will only receive adjudication for a non-competitive entry.
- The Festival accepts the entries for Music Theatre on the basis that the appropriate copyright permission has been sought from all relevant parties. Performers are reminded that they are solely responsible for ensuring they have the permission of the copyright holder to use costumes, props or movement for songs that are not in the public domain.
Performers or teachers with queries on how to deal with this are referred to The British and International Federation of Festivals (BIFF) of which Bristol Festival is a member. Telephone: 01625 428297 or 01625 611578. Email: info@federationoffestivals.org.uk. Website: www.federationoffestivals.org.uk/copyright/.
JANE ENGLISH
36 Copley Gardens
Lockleaze
Bristol
BS7 9YE
[t] 07752 332278
[e] vocal@bristolfestival.co.uk
36 Copley Gardens
Lockleaze
Bristol
BS7 9YE
[t] 07752 332278
[e] vocal@bristolfestival.co.uk
Bristol Festival Syllabus 2026