Horsley Choral Society have emerged as worthy winners of their division at the Leith Hill Music Fesival for the second consecutive year. As the results came in there was little doubt over the final outcome as HCS came 'top of the leader board' in all three competition categories beating five other choirs for accompanied singing, unaccompanied singing and a work by a living composer thereby achieving the highest aggregate score of all six competiing choirs.

It was particularly pleasing for the choir to win this year as it is the final year under the baton of Val Beynon, BEM who is steppting down as Musical Director this summer. The adjudicator was Joanna Forbes L'Strange, herself a celebrated vocalist, choir composer and choir director.

In the evening all the choirs came together for a spectacular performance of local composer Will Todd's 'Passion Music' with the composer himself and his band on hand to provde the musical accompaniment. The festival conductor is Neil Ferris in his first year as director of the event.

The Leith Hill Music Festival (LHMF) was founded in 1905 by Margaret Vaughan Williams, sister of the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Lady (Evangeline) Farrer, wife of Lord Farrer of Abinger Hall. Ralph Vaughan Williams was the festival conductor from 1905 to 1953.