History

The first Festival was held in Greenock Town Hall 92 years ago, on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April, 1914. Every subsequent Festival has been held at the same venue. There were two trophies for the first Festival - "The Greenock Telegraph" and "The Greenock Musical Association" trophies, and certificates were also awarded.

1920 to 1940

Then the First World War intervened, and the second Festival took place on 23rd and 24th April, 1920. Further trophies were donated by Greenock Male Voice Choir, Sir Michael Street Church Ladies' Choir and by the Festival President, Robert Finnie McEwen.

The number of entries continued to increase, so that the 3rd Festival required four days. This Festival became Renfrewshire Musical Competition Festival, which it remained until the tenth Festival in 1928 when the word "Competition" was deleted. The 4th to 7th Festivals were of 7 days duration, i.e. Saturday to Saturday. The 7th Festival in 1925 introduced for the first time classes for Scottish Country Dancing.

Class entries were fairly steady until 1931. During the next nine years, due to the depression and unemployment, entries fell; hence the number of days required fell. In 1939, we held a three day Festival. There were no more breaks in the continuity of the Festivals until 1940 when we had a one day Festival.

Due to the Second World War 1940 was the last festival until 28th and 29th January, 1949.

1949 to 1959

In 1947, five members of the Executive of the 1940 Festival approached the Greenbank Male Voice Ensemble asking them if they would consider joining the Executive in an effort to restart the Festival. This was considered, but the Ensemble decided that they would require more time to think about this.

In 1948, they decided to accept the invitation, and a special General Meeting was held in the old Temperance Institute in West Stewart in Greenock at which the five original members - Duncan Cook, Robert Guy, Mr. and Mrs. J. Latta Skilling, and R. Welch attended. The five original members led by Mr. Duncan Cook, a local lawyer, were prepared to carry on with the Secretaryship until the Festival returned to normal.

It is quite interesting that all the members of the new Executive were all choral singers - there were also choirmasters such as Donald MacAllister of Greenock Gaelic Choir, and Organist of Sir Michael Street Church, Allan F. Duncan of Crawfurdsburn and Wellpark Churches. These two gentlemen along with Agnes Macquarrie, elocution, and May Sime , Scottish Country Dancing, looked after their particular area of knowledge, whilst the remainder of the Executive kept the administration running smoothly. Up until 1999, Mrs. Agnes Macquarrie (Agnes McNeill) was still a member of the Committee.

The 24th Festival in 1949 was in the format of a Youth Festival lasting for two days - Friday 28th and Saturday 29th January - for competitors 18 years and under.

In 1950 the Festival again followed the pattern of 1949, but lasted this time for three days, 26th, 27th and 28th January.

In 1951 the Festival was asked by the British Federation of Music Festivals to resume adult classes in order that the winners at local Festivals such as Greenock could qualify for the Scottish Finals in Glasgow. By winning the Glasgow finals, contestants then proceeded to the Festival of Britain in London. The Greenock Male Voice Choir competed against the other 11 Male Voice Choirs from all over Great Britain. They were the Scottish winners and went on to sing in the Festival Hall, and although they did not win - they gained an equal third position - a night never to be forgotten for the participants. In these days, their conductor of was Alex Gourlay.

Since those early days in 1949 when there were 217 entries, the Festival has increased in classes and numbers of entries. The 1952 Festival had 605 entries and 3,228 competitors, many of whom had travelled from distant parts of the country - Carlisle, many entries from Glasgow, Rothesay, Dunfermline, Lenzie and Shotts.

1960 to 1984

The 1961 Festival saw the addition of new classes for Gaelic Junior Solo, Scottish Ballad, Mixed Scottish Dance and Recorder.

In 1968, a year when the total number of entries passed the 1000 mark, the Festival included a new class for hand bells.

1970 saw the entries rise to more than 1200 entries - the increase being mainly in junior solo and choir classes.

Total entries in the 1979 Festival were 1255 - a year in which the Committee gave long and serious thought to the Honours Class in an endeavour to stimulate larger entries.

The news was encouraging in 1980, when the Honours Class had fourteen entries - a most encouraging result. - total entries for this Festival were 1250.