Last chance to enter 40th annual Northampton Festival of the Performing Arts

The festival, now in its 40th year, takes place at various venues across Northampton from Sunday May 20 to Thursday May 25 and showcases the talents of performers from around the area.

The closing date for entries is Friday February 10, 2017. Details on how to enter are on the website Northampton Festival of the Performing Arts - http://www.northamptonfestival.org.uk/

A spokeswoman for the event said: "The festival will open on Saturday May 20 with the concerto, composition and non-competitive open classes.

"It will close on Thursday May 25 with a celebration concert of selected performers from the festival. There will be a cash prize for the best performance of the concert. Entry to the concert will be free of charge.

"The festival invites entries from amateur performers of music, speech and drama. There are classes for individuals, ensembles, community choirs and bands and school groups," the spokeswoman added.

Entries can be made either by post or online from the website www.northamptonfestival.org.uk.

The spokeswoman added: "The adjudicators this year are, as ever, all experienced musicians and speech & drama practitioners, who will provide thoughtful and encouraging feedback.

"If the thought of competition makes you nervous and you’d like to perform without pressure, the non-competitive classes would be ideal.

"We look forward to welcoming entries from participants old and new to help celebrate the wealth of talent in the town and county."