The Cleveland Medal – the highest award in Manx singing – a gold disc which is traditionally given every year by the Manx Society of Cleveland, OH at the end of the Manx Music Festival, is soon to be decided. The six competitors who won their special solo classes at the Villa Marina earlier this week to go through to the Cleveland Medal Test on Saturday will be contralto Jane Mayne, tenor Ernie Thorn, soprano Jane Corkill, baritone John Qualtrough, mezzo soprano Mandy Griffin and bass Glynn Morris. See here.
It promises to be a dramatic final – Ms Mayne and Ms Corkill competed in last year’s final, meanwhile Mr Thorn and Ms Griffin are past winners. Terry Qualtrough, last year’s Cleveland winner was beaten in his class by Glynn Morris of Sale in Lancashire.
Information [I can’t find a photo of a Cleveland medal and would love one for my files]
The Manx Competitive Music, Speech and Dance Festival or The Manx Music Festival , as it is more commonly known, or The Guild , as it is known locally, had its origins in The Isle of Man Fine Art and Industrial Guild. It was during the fifth Annual Exhibition of this organisation, held in December 1892, that choir competitions were held for the first time. These were organised by Miss M L Wood, who became known as “the mother of music in the Isle of Man”, and took place over just one day. Competition was accepted as the motivation for improvement in many spheres. From this humble beginning the “Music Guild” developed:
