Eisteddfod showcase lifts spirits

Despite the cancellation of this year’s Wimmera Music Eisteddfod due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the committee was able offer an online showcase featuring 82 performances across a range of disciplines.

Organiser Venetia Elbourne-hobbs said although Sunday’s event was only open to registered competitors and their families due to copyright, the showcase was ‘extremely well attended’.

“Sunday’s showcase was the first time that we’d tried anything like it,” she said.

“We were able to livestream emcees in between the different sections and stream everyone’s pre-recorded entries. It all ran really smoothly, much better than we anticipated.

“We’ve had a lot of very positive feedback. The event ran for three and a half hours, so I think we had just the right amount of content to present.”

Eisteddfod competitors were given an opportunity to submit a recorded entry of an item they would have been performing at the Wimmera Music Eisteddfod if it had gone ahead.

“We had a very diverse range of entries, which made the showcase really enjoyable to watch,” Mrs Elbourne-hobbs said.

“The newly introduced monologue section had four competitors in different age groups appearing in the showcase and they were just brilliant.

“It’s definitely a section that we’re going to continue with into the future.

“As always, the group entries in every category were a highlight. We had piano duets, vocal ensembles and trios, a wind ensemble and a family band.

“There really were a lot of highly entertaining, top-quality entries this year and it’s just a shame the whole community didn’t get to see them.”

After cancelling the previous two eisteddfods, the committee is looking forward to what members hope will be a live event in 2022.

“We are ever hopeful that we will be able to have an actual, live, adjudicated eisteddfod next year,” Mrs Elbourne-hobbs said.

“However, if next year rolls on like the past two years, we will prepare an online eisteddfod from the beginning.

“It will have its challenges no doubt, but after putting together what we did on Sunday, we are confident we have the ability within our committee and our competitors to do that.

“The committee would like to thank all of those who submitted entries to make the Eisteddfod showcase happen.”

People can follow Wimmera Music Eisteddfod on Facebook and Instagram for more information.