The Mid Argyll Music Festival recently saw more than 1,000 competitors take to the stage on the final day of the competition, held in Lochgilphead, and Strachur girl Arlene MacKechnie came away with the top award.
Eleven-year-old Arlene won the most keenly sought- after prize, the CWS Scottish Co-op Premier Festival Award. This award is given by the adjudicators to the performer who shows the most promise throughout the festival – whether in the field of singing, poetry or any instrumentalist.
Arlene, a primary seven pupil at Strachur Primary School, wowed the judges when she performed in the Scots Fiddle Primary Class, and received her trophy from festival sponsor Roger Tanner.
She and her older brother Alex also won first for piano duet, and Arlene came second in the piano solo.
Taught by Sarah Naylor, FiddleFolk’s school and community tutor, Arlene’s playing has developed amazingly in the last year. This award is the culmination of a number of successes she has achieved recently, including medals at the Oban Mod and prizes at the Inverclyde Music Festival.
Another FiddleFolk pupil, Mairi Voinot, from Lochgilphead High School won the Dalraida Junior Fiddle Trophy in the Scots Fiddle (Secondary) category.
This year’s festival, the 31st, was hailed as one of the busiest in its history, attracting entries and visitors from a wider than ever geographic base.
Festival organiser, Sheila McCallum, said the festival had been “very successful and great fun for all involved”. The Mid Argyll Festival advances, promotes  music, speech and dance in all its forms. It takes place each spring in Mid Argyll.
The co-ordination of eight days of competitions in all forms of music, choirs and individual, vocal, instrumental, piping, accordion and Scottish Country Dance is an enormous task for the organisers – they and all the participants are to be congratulated for putting on such a showcase event.
Back in Strachur, meanwhile, Arlene’s proud mother, Jean, told the Standard: “We are all delighted for Arlene - it’s a great achievement.”
In a family of talented musicians, Arlene’s latest honour joins several others won by Alex and herself. Jean added: “Arlene deserves this. She’s been working really hard and it’s nice to get recognised.”

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