Community
28 June, 2024
Big turnout for the Bard
CAMPERDOWN was filled with tartan and the sound of bagpipes over the weekend for this year’s Robert Burns festival, the first under the new Celtic banner.
The Robert Burns Celtic Festival (RBCF) had over 2000 people attending the various free and ticketed events across Camperdown.
RBCF coordinator Catherine O’Flynn said the committee saw a record number of ticket sales this year, with many venues reaching capacity.
“It was a great success. There were full houses everywhere,” she said.
“The choir concert competition was a wonderful success – the hall was full, the theatre was full, and the Corangamite Celtic Choir won the people’s vote.
“The afternoon concert, full house again, and the Irish dancers stole the show.
“The Lakes and Craters Band performed at the Masonic Hall, and that was absolutely packed.”
The Gala Dinner last Friday was sold out one week prior to the event, which set the tone of attendance across the weekend.
Mrs O’Flynn said even the smaller events, such as the Twa Bards at the Robert Burns statue, saw high patronage over the weekend.
“The Heritage had great numbers with the Highland Dancing exhibitions. They had over 100 people there,” she said.
“Big markets both days, with lots of people coming and going.
“The Festival Finale Day, the concert at Killara, again big numbers there. The Festival Finale concert had over 400 come, absolutely packed to the rafters.
“We filled upstairs as well as downstairs – there were over 350 downstairs, and probably about 150 people upstairs, with people standing around the walls.”
Various competitions were held during the festival as well, with many prizes given out and winners in all aspects.
The festival favourite shortbread competition, with guest judges Corangamite Shire Council mayor Kate Makin and Back Roads presenter Kerry Staight, was won by Vivian Pyle and Nash Mason for the primary section, Olivia Coburn and Bayden Ward for the secondary section, and Jasmine Sloan and Joanne Heard in the open section.
Ms O’Flynn said the new additions to the festival were also well-received.
“A new component at this year’s festival was the choral competition and concert, which had eight visiting choirs from Geelong, Colac, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and the newly formed Corangamite Celtic Choir perform to a packed Theatre Royal,” she said.
“The calibre of the choirs was second to none, with the festival’s Celtic Choir winning the most popular.
“Choir leader Angela Preiss had worked with the new choir for just five weeks to get them ready for the competition and congratulations to the choristers who came together as strangers and performed as friends.
“The Tin Shed singers won first prize and chief sheddie Phillip Shaw said, The prize was really special and will be going to the Sheddie pool room. The Geelong Youth Choir Cantore won their section and it was wonderful to watch the youth choirs perform at the festival in a choral competition.”
Another new competition for the festival was the James Blair Memorial Solo Piping competition.
Part of the Victorian Pipers Association Incorporated’s calendar, the competition saw 26 competitors from Warrnambool, Geelong and Melbourne blowing their pipes for the top prize.
Winners were: B-Grade - Campbell Wilson; C-grade - Finely Parsons; D-grade - Brendan Nicholls, and; Novice - Charli Millar.
Ms O’Flynn said feedback from attendees had been “very positive,” with local businesses reporting high numbers of customers over the festival weekend.
“All-in-all, very successful. It was the biggest festival probably since its inception,” she said.
“We had so many out of towners coming into town that everything was booked out in Camperdown. People stayed at Cobden, Colac, Terang and Mortlake who had bought festival weekend tickets.
“The local sponsorship was fabulous – Western District Newspapers, Healthsave Pharmacy, the Loaf and Lounge and the Hampden Hotel were our biggest sponsors, and the Bendigo Bank sponsored the Welsh Choir.
“The feedback has been exceptional, and it’s very rewarding to have positive feedback from people who want to come back next year.”
Ms O’Flynn said the committee aims to rest for a few weeks before beginning planning for next year’s event.
“I think we’re on a winning combination this year – the program was very full, and people were very satisfied,” she said.
“A lot of hard work put into presenting a festival has returned great results and showcased Camperdown.”
