Dumfries and District Music Festival

Wallace Hall pupils were very successful at the recent Speech Section of the Dumfries and District Music Festival Association achieving the following results: World War 1 Poetry - Joint winners Ailsa Black and John McKay; Scots Verse S1 to S3 - 3rd Leon Clow; Scots Verse S4 to S6 - =2nd Bailie Paterson and Ailsa Black; Bible Reading S1 to S3 - 1st Angus MacCormick; Bible Reading S4 to S6 - 1st John McKay, 2nd Hannah Kate Fisher; Poetry S1 to S3 - 2nd Angus MacCormick; Poetry S4 to S6 - 1st Luke McKay; Prose S1 to S3 - 1st Muirinn White; Prose S4 to S6 -1st Luke McKay, 2nd Hannah Kate Fisher; Sight Reading S1 to S3 - Muirinn White, 2nd Angus MacCormick; Sight Reading S4 to S6 - 1st Luke McKay, 2nd John McKay; Own Poem S4 to S6 - =2nd John and Luke McKay.

All our pupils performed really, really well with Muirinn White being awarded an ‘Outstanding’ certificate for both of her winning performances. Barry Graham, Head Teacher at Wallace Hall, said: “Taking part in events such as the Speech Section of the Dumfries and District Music Festival is excellent preparation for developing valuable public speaking skills and these skills will be useful to all young people when entering further and higher education and the world of work. I am delighted that Wallace Hall pupils continue to take part in the festival and I would like to warmly thank Mrs Helen McVey, Mrs Sophia Harkness and Mrs Lynn Forsyth for helping coach our pupils in preparation for the competition. I would also like to thank members of the festival committee for organising the event and giving young people a platform to hone their performance skills.”

Since the festival, Mrs Helen McVey has sadly passed away. Mr Graham and all the pupils and staff she worked with at Wallace Hall Academy, would like to send their sincerest sympathy to Mrs McVey’s family at this sad time.