HUNDREDS of talented performers hit all the high notes as Southampton Festival of Music and Drama 2014 got under way at the weekend.

They were judged on performances in everything from piano to vocals and string to woodwind at Thornden Hall in Chandler’s Ford.

This week, a host of schools will get involved in the choir contest and vocal, speech and drama, guitar and chairman’s classes also take place ahead of a spectacular concert finale for all the winners.

One of the oldest and most highly regarded events of its kind in the UK, the festival began in 1926.

But, as the Daily Echo revealed on Saturday, its future is under threat amid money concerns.

  • All the winners from the first week of competition will be listed in Friday’s Your Entertainment.