Caithness Music Festival’s army of volunteers are ‘absolutely amazing’
Volunteers who help at the annual Caithness Music Festival have been thanked for their “absolutely amazing” efforts.
An army of 50 people, in addition to the festival committee, give up their time each year to ensure the smooth running of the week-long event.
The 2025 festival, which concludes on Friday, has again seen around 2500 competitors from across Caithness and north Sutherland across all classes at the Assembly Rooms in Wick.
Almost all the Caithness primaries are taking part, along with north Sutherland pupils from Melvich, Bettyhill and Tongue, with adult sections too.
Committee member Evelyn Bremner said: “I would like to say thank you to all the volunteers that come and help us the whole week, because without them we wouldn’t have a festival running.
“They are absolutely amazing and they turn up year after year after year.”
Speaking on Wednesday, convener Marjory Richard said the festival had been going “fantastically well”.
However, she appealed for some parents to show a greater understanding of the seating limitations within the main hall while large numbers of children are competing.
Mrs Richard explained: “We had quite a few irate parents this morning that we couldn’t fit in because the seats are limited and they don’t seem to understand that the Assembly Rooms can only hold so many people. And their children take priority for the seats.
“They have been voicing their anger to volunteers but there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. Our job isn’t very easy.”
Although the restrictions on numbers can mean some people having to wait outside the hall during performances, Mrs Richard pointed out that Lesley Fraser, the Assembly Rooms caretaker, has arrangements in place to ensure no parent misses their child’s performance.
“Lesley is an absolute star – she goes above and beyond,” Mrs Richard said. “She even does the seating plan for us.
“Not one parent has missed their child, because of the way Lesley organises them.
“We put it on Facebook, we put it in the programme, that we’re all volunteers and not open to abuse, plus the fact there’s limited seating, so please understand and bear with us.
“There is never any problem with the kids, and the standard is so high amongst them all.”
Mrs Richard praised the adjudicators for the positivity they have been bringing to the festival.
“The adjudicators are superb,” she said. “They are straight and to the point and really kind to the kids. They’re just giving positive vibes all the time.”
Related story:
Adjudicator says children learn ‘so many life skills’ at Caithness Music Festival
Results: Tuesday – Non-acoustic bands: 1 In Crisis, Thurso High School; 2 Echo, Farr High; 3 Afternoon Ecstasy, Thurso High.
Electric guitar / bass guitar, secondary school: 1 Leo York, Farr High (bass); 2 Matty Puchalski, Farr High (electric guitar); 3 Taylor Omand, Thurso High (electric guitar).
Classical guitar/ acoustic guitar / ukulele, secondary school: 1 Blayr Howden, Wick; 2 Joshua Bullivant.
Classical guitar/ acoustic guitar / ukulele, primary school: 1 Tessa Simpson, Halkirk; 2 Hanna Sandecka, Newton Park.
Electric guitar / bass guitar, primary school: 1 Alex Vines, Mount Pleasant.
Poem, boys P1: 1 Harrison Aitken, Bower; 2 Jesse-Rae Will, Keiss; 3 Cameron Morris, Reay.
Poem, girls P1: 1 Ivy Farquhar, Noss; 2eq Grace MacGill, Pennyland, and Iona Munro, Reay.
Original poem, S1-6: 1 Martha Potts, Thurso High.
Poem, girls P3: 1 Leah Gray, Castletown; 2 Saoirse Macleod, Noss; 3 Clara Andersen-Murphy, Reay.
Humorous verse, P4-7: Alex Vines, Mount Pleasant.
Humorous verse, S1-2: 1 Martha Potts, Thurso High.
Poem, girls P2: 1 Alex Macdonald, Reay; 2 Rhea Jardine, Melvich; 3 Ellie Fairweather, Halkirk.
Drama, adults: 1 Sisters Three, Music Monster.
Poem, adults: 1 Judith Crow, Music Monster.
Scots song: 1 Andrew Harper; 2 Clemency Crow, both Music Monster.
Operatic: 1 Clemency Crow, Music Monster.
Popular song, groups of three or more: Sisters Three, Music Monster.
Hebridean song: 1 Clemency Crow, Music Monster.
Original poem, adults: 1 Judith Crow, Music Monster.
Premier Challenge, classical: 1 Clemency Crow, Music Monster.
Wednesday – Singing game / action song, P3/4 and under, schools with four or more teachers: 1 Newton Park P2/3; 2 Noss P1R: 3 Newton Park P1.
Popular song, P4/5: 1 Newton Park P5; 2 Newton Park P3/4P; 3 Noss P3/4Y.
Singing game / action song, P3/4 and under, schools with one to three teachers: 1 Thrumster P1-4.
Popular song, P1-3: 1 Newton P1/2; 2 Miller Academy P2.
Clarsach, primary school: 1eq Artemis Kieran and Elli Scott, both Fèis air an Oir.
Accordion, secondary school: 1 Logan Sutherland, Thurso.
Accordion, primary school: 1 Dan Fryer, Latheron; 2 Elizabeth Sweeting, Fèis air an Oir.
Scots fiddle, secondary school, slow air: 1 Rebekah Bullivant, Caithness; 2 Maisie Mackay, Fèis air an Oir.
Scots fiddle, secondary school, march, strathspey and reel: 1 Leah Bullivant; 2 Maisie Mackay, Fèis air an Oir.
Scots fiddle, primary school: 1 Ella Simpson, Halkirk.
Trophies – Wick and Pulteneytown Mercantile Debating Society Shield: Leo York. Bill McIvor Shield: Tessa Simpson. Tomlinson Quaich: Harrison Aitken.
Diana Curran Shield: Leah Gray. Maureen Allan Shield: Alex Macdonald. Masks of Comedy and Tragedy: Judith Crow.
Margaret Green Quaich: Andrew Harper. Muriel Wilcock Memorial Shield: Clemency Crow. Harmsworth Quaich: Clemency Crow. Premier Challenge Cup: Clemency Crow.
Peter Pan Cup: Newton Park P2/3. Lewry Shield: Newton Park P5. Mrs J Gill Cup: Thrumster P1-4.
Ross Swanson Shield: Newton Park P1/2. Wick Accordion and Fiddle Club Cup: Logan Sutherland. Bobby Coghill Memorial Shield: Dan Fryer.
Eann Nicolson Memorial Shield: Logan Sutherland. Braehillor Grant Shield: Rebekah Bullivant. Music Committee Shield, Scots fiddle: Leah Bullivant.
Wick Accordion and Fiddle Club Shield: Rebekah Bullivant. Thurso Strathspey and Reel Society Cup: Ella Simpson.
More music festival results and pictures to follow.