Adjudicators for the 2025 Festival

Alison Moncrieff Kelly — Strings & Concerto

ALISON MONCRIEFF KELLY  ARAM, ARCM – Strings and Concerto – is a highly experienced cellist, teacher, ABRSM examiner and performer who also has extensive experience leading large groups of tutors in early years, junior, secondary and higher education settings. She is a versatile leader in music education, training and performance, who has performed in national and international projects at a high level. As a member of the ensemble Triangulus, Alison recorded the complete works of Hummel for piano trio, and has also recorded the complete works of Stanford for cello and piano, as well as a series of solo cello recordings. Alison has been particularly involved with the training of talented young musicians. She has led programmes for inclusivity with children outside the mainstream musical profile, in particular in her work at Blackheath Conservatoire and Rye Arts Festival, where she set up successful outreach programmes. As an ABRSM grade and diploma examiner, Alison has travelled widely. She has also given workshops and presentations as an ABRSM teacher consultant and was the cello consultant on the current ABRSM syllabus.

Rebecca Lodge Birkebaek – Choral & Vocal

REBECCA LODGE BIRKEBAEK  LRAM – Choral and Vocal – is a singer, conductor and teacher with over 30 years of experience in choral music. She has worked with choirs and ensembles across the country and is known for her clear, practical approach and strong musical leadership. A former staff member of the BBC Singers and the Chorus of the Royal Ballet and Opera, Rebecca brings a high level of professional experience to her work. She is dedicated to supporting singers of all ages and skill levels, helping them grow in confidence and ability. Her focus is always on honest music-making and effective, expressive ensemble singing. Having had so many wonderful opportunities to perform in the Sutton Music Festival as a child, she is delighted to be returning as an adjudicator!

James Kirby — Piano

JAMES KIRBY  ARAM, GRSM – Piano – studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Moscow Conservatoire. He now appears regularly as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout the UK, Europe and further afield. Highlights include performances at London’s Wigmore Hall and the Edinburgh and Aldeburgh Festivals, in addition to concerto performances with the English, Scottish and Belarusian Chamber Orchestras, and Rumania, Moscow and Penang Symphony Orchestras. James is also a member of the Barbican Piano Trio, whose highlights include performances at Carnegie Recital Hall and the Complete Beethoven Piano Trios in the Wigmore Hall Master Concert Series. As a dedicated teacher he holds posts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Eton College. He has been an ABRSM examiner since 1998 working in the UK, and travelling extensively abroad. He is a regular jury member of international piano competitions, and is much in demand for masterclasses and as a popular adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals.

Anita Downey – Speech & Drama

ANITA DOWNEY  PhD, MA, LGSM, LLAM, ADVS, PGVS, PGCA, PGCE – Speech and Drama – is a voice specialist and teacher.  She trained on scholarships, at both the Guildhall and The Central School of Speech and Drama.  After winning the Professor Van Lawrence Award for the most innovative work worldwide into voice, she went on to work with students with hearing loss. Her work also took her into a variety of fields, including Formula 1, Opera and the Stock Exchange. She studied Education and Creative Writing at Oxford University, and now happily combines teaching and adjudicating worldwide.

Gillian Johnston – Winds

GILLIAN JOHNSTON  AGSM – Winds – is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her freelance bassoon playing was combined with a busy teaching career, and she created Harpenden Musicale. This was a music school for all ages and abilities, which grew very quickly to a membership of one thousand pupils a week. Musicale teaches pupils in its premises, and also has an outreach programme for local primary schools, as well as summer music courses at various locations. Gill was also a co-founder of the National Children’s Wind and Chamber Orchestras of Great Britain. She has always been passionately interested in encouraging children to ‘make music’ and thoroughly enjoys adjudicating at festivals all over the country and abroad. Gill has four children, all of whom are professional musicians.