The Manx Competitive Music, Speech and Dance Festival, better known to us all as the Guild, is well under way.

Thousands of competitors have already taken part in spoken word recitals, song and dance performances, instrumental solos, duets and choir competitions.

Three finalists have already been selected to compete for the prestigious Cleveland Medal, the traditional end-of-festival blue ribbon event.

On Tuesday, Ruth Tickle won the Special Soprano solo class, and was followed shortly after by Jane Mayne, who won the Special Contralto solo.

Last year’s medal winner Paul Costain remained on course to retain the prize by winning the Special Bass solo.

The remaining categories of Special Baritone, Mezzo Soprano and Tenor solos were being contested as the Indy went to press.

Elsewhere, father and son combination Bill and Matt Creer won the Male Voice Duet on Monday morning, and Breeshey Kelsey, six, from the ’Sing Up’ music and dance school, came top out of 45 other competitors in the Girl’s solo, years 1 to 3. Maddie Wood and Kendra Metcalfe came second and third to make it a clean sweep for Sing Up and teacher Olivia Black.

Breeshey will go on to compete for the Sheffield Plate, along with the winners of the boys’ and girls’ solo classes up to year 10.

Also in the running for the Plate are Lindi Ngonie, who won the year 4 class, year 5 winner Sophie Hindson and year 6 winner Evie Skillicorn. They will be joined by year 1 to 4 winner Zac Colligon, and year 5 and 6 champ Evan Darroch. The remaining classes will be completed later in the week.

Both the Sheffield Plate and the Cleveland Medal will be awarded as part of the showcase event on Friday evening.

The Manx Voices choir won both the Ladies and the Gaelic Choir sections, and the Manx Concert Brass had a very productive day on Sunday, winning all three of their categories.

There was also a busy day of brass on Saturday, with Timothy Payne winning the year 11 to 13 instrumental solo category with a tuba recital, and William King, whose trombone solo won the year 9 and 10 instrumental section.

Martin Norbury, from Port Erin, won the adult section.

One of the newest sections of the Guild is the ’Battle of the Bands’ Rock and Pop section, which is organised in conjunction with the Soundcheck youth music Initiative.

The night, which took place on Friday, saw 18 groups perform a selection of cover versions and original songs.

In the years 7 to 13 class, Hilltop Hallucinations won the best covers category, and Tower Stories won the best original song. Voodoo Bandits won the adult cover section, while the prestigious prize for best original composition in the Adult section went to goth rock band Slow Decay.

This was a hotly contested category this year, featuring 10 original groups and displaying a wide variety of styles and sounds.

There will be more results and photographs featured in next week’s Isle of Man Examiner, plus the winners of the Cleveland Medal and the Sheffield Plate competitions.