FAQs

Q Is there a dress code for the festival?

A No–wear whatever you feel comfortable to perform in

Q I'm an entrant–can I go and watch my friend perform in their class before/after mine?

A Yes, absolutely, as long as there is space in the performance venue 

Q Is there somewhere for me to warm up on my instrument before performing in the festival?

A We have only limited space and time for a few minutes of warming up; please come as prepared as you can and make sure you have rehearsed with your accompanist before the day

Q Is there food and drink available to purchase at either of the venues?

A No. At both Fitzwilliam College/King’s College School only water is allowed in the festival venue, including outside spaces. However, there are many cafes and restaurants fairly nearby. See our Venue Information Page for more info. We would however encourage all participants to bring a reusable water bottle to the festival.

Q Can I park at either of the venues? What about public transport?

A There is (very) limited parking available at Fitzwilliam College – Huntingdon Road side, but no parking at King’s College School. See the Venue Information Page for more info

Q Is there disabled access?

A At both Fitzwilliam College and King’s College School, yes. Our additional performance space at Fitzwilliam is upstairs but there is a lift. Do please email us (contact@ccmf.uk) if you'd like to check anything

Q Can my friends and family come and watch me perform? Does it cost money to get in?

A Yes, please bring your supporters! Participants can of course come in free; we encourage supporters to purchase a festival programme for £5 which will enable them to attend any classes (subject to space limitations) during the whole festival

Q Is anyone allowed to watch the festival?

A Yes, CCMF is a festival open to all (however, we reserve the right to refuse entry) and we welcome supporters of our endeavour to promote live music performance. Programmes are available to purchase for £5 on the door

Q What do I need to bring on the day?

A We will send a reminder in February with your timetable, but here are some suggestions to help with your organisation: Your instrument in a named case; Any necessary props (cello spike holder etc.); Your music, named (a legally-purchased copy); Music for your accompanist if necessary; A copy of the music for the adjudicator (photocopies are acceptable here and will be retained and destroyed after the class); Cash or card to buy your programme (£5)

Q Is there somewhere to leave my belongings while my class is happening?

A Yes, you will be able to leave your instrument case etc in a designated area where there will be volunteers present to keep an eye

Q Can we video or take photos during the classes?

A NO. This is for safeguarding purposes and every entrant to the festival will have received (and should have read) the CCMF policy on Filming and Photography upon confirmation of entry. You may wish to take a photo of the participant before or after the class (ensuring no-one else is inadvertently in the picture) but please do not film or record during classes. We shall have an official photographer at the Celebration Concert on 27 April 2027.

General

Q How can I volunteer to help?

A Hurray! Thank you, we are always grateful for volunteers. Please see the Volunteering page of our website, or email contact@ccmf.uk and we will be in touch to organise how you can help

Q Are there trophies/awards at CCMF?

A Yes - these will be presented by Andrew Tusa, Chair of the Britten Sinfonia at the Celebration Concert on Tuesday 27 April 2027

Q Celebration Concert on Tuesday 27 April 2027 - when will you let participants know if they are invited to perform in this?

A As soon as possible, hopefully within two weeks of the festival ending. Please note that the committee will choose the performers for this concert based on the wide variety of entries and criteria; winning your class will not necessarily mean you are on the programme for 27 April 2027

Q Can I participate in the Cambridge Community Music Festival if I'm not from Cambridge?

A Yes, the CCMF Charity Objects state that our activities are to be 'particularly in, but not restricted to, Cambridge'. Most participants are from Cambridgeshire and the surrounding counties

Accompanists

Q I can't provide my own accompanist, what shall I do?

A CCMF will provide a list of affiliated accompanists with the timetable confirmation email in February.  It is entrants’ responsibility to contact an affiliated accompanist who will negotiate fees and rehearsal times. This arrangement is to be made between the entrant and accompanist and does not involve CCMF (see 1.1 of our Festival Information)

Online Entry

Q I want to enter the Festival. Do I need to give my full name or can I use a nickname?

A When you enter it is really important that you give your name as you would like to see it printed in our programme

I want to enter the Festival, but I haven't decided what piece(s) I'm going to play yet - what shall I do?

A You can just register on the system for now (there is no commitment to enter if you register), then come back at a later date to fill in the entry form once you've decided what you're going to perform. When you know which piece you will perform please give the full title of the piece. Entry is open until 31 January 2027 (although please be aware that some classes will fill up more quickly than others). See below re changing the details of a piece

Q The RunMyFestival online booking system requires me to enter a school, but I'm an adult. What should I do?

A Simply put N/A in that box

Q We would like to enter an Ensemble or Multi-hands class but can't see the class - what shall I do?

A You need to be registered on RunMyFestival as a group/ensemble (rather than, or in addition to, registering as an individual) to enable entry to these classes

Q I have additional needs–how do I inform you about this before the festival?

A There is a box to fill in during the online entry process; however, it would also be helpful to email us (contact@ccmf.uk) to ensure we know your needs

Q Can I play the same piece in two different classes?

A No, on our Festival Information and Code of Conduct policy (4.1) (see also the Policies page) you will find that no piece may be played in more than one class.

Q Once I have entered the details of my piece to perform, can I change to another?

A You can amend your entry details, but only up until 31 January 2027 when online entry closes. Amendments to entries after this date are not possible. Please ensure that the title of the piece is accurate and that any different pieces still fit the criteria of the class (timing/grade)

Q I amended my entry–should I expect an email confirmation of this?

A No. If you have changed something simple (name of piece, spelling of surname, for example) then confirmation isn't needed. If you need to change your class/pay a different entry fee or anything a bit more complicated, please get in touch at contact@ccmf.uk and we will help you. Please note that we are all volunteers and will answer as soon as we can

Q Do I need to use a reference number if paying by BACS?

A YES PLEASE! Use your CCMFXXXXX reference number as this helps us to correlate payments with entries

Q I've paid my entry fee by BACS but haven't received an email confirmation– should I worry?

A BACS payments don't have an automatic confirmation. Don't worry - once you have received your entry confirmation email, then you are entered. We will follow up any issues with BACS payments