Festival finale showcases impressive local talent (+ video)

The 58th Tauranga Performing Arts Festival ended on a high note with mainly local young people wowing the crowd during a showcase finale concert yesterday.

President of the Tauranga Performing Arts Competitions Society Cathy Gifford said about 600 performers competed in this year's festival at Baycourt, showcasing more than 2500 items.

The finale to the festival's competition side was a chance for some of the competitors to show off their talents to a wider audience.

Musical comedy duo Devon Neiman and Eve Lyford singing at the festival finale show at Baycourt yesterday. Photo / George Novak

That included Tauranga youngster Eva Jefferies, 6, who performed a classical ballet piece in a bright pink tutu, showing no signs of nerves, bringing lots of "oohs and ahs" from the audience.

The last concert performer was Waihi teenager Abbey Fletcher, 18, who was the winner of Legacy Trust's major ballet awards and a top student at Dance Education Centre in Matua.

Another crowd pleaser was musical duo Eve Lyford, 17, and Devon Neiman, 15, who sang The Song that Goes Like This from Monty Python's irreverent musical Spamalot.

The pair secured first place in the open duo section of the competition with the same song.

Devon's Tauranga grandfather Graham Neiman and his partner Denise McCormack said the depth of the talent was impressive.

"I was blown away by Devon and Eve's talent and I really enjoyed the whole concert. What these young people know is incredible for their age," Mr Neiman said.

The festival offers competitors the chance to perform what they have learned, to get a critique from a respected person in the industry and to pitch themselves against their peers.

Mrs Gifford said the youngest competitor was just 3 and the oldest were in their early 20s.

"There was a very high standard of performances this year across all areas of the performing arts.

"Particularly pleasing this year was that the majority of the awards on offer have gone to locals, and the showcase finale was mainly showcasing local talent," she said.

See more photos from the festival here.

Image 1 of 4: Devon Neiman and Eve Lyford