ORGANISERS of the Petersfield Musical Festival have issued a plea for new committee members to come forward to safeguard the future of the event. An annual jewel in the town's calendar since 1901, the festival faces "a very uncertain future" if an influx of organisers are not found in the immediate future. Publicity officer Diana Collins said: "The lack of committee members is now threatening the future of the festival as there will be vacancies from September's annual meeting. "A new chairman, treasurer and a programme publisher will be required as the present incumbents have decided, for various reasons, to step down. "While there are existing committee members able and willing to take up these posts, they already have major festival commitments and cannot reasonably do their existing jobs as well as the additional tasks. "The committee needs an influx of new members to learn the ropes and be prepared to take on more responsibility as they gain experience. "Unless some additional potential committee members with appropriate skills come forward before the next annual meeting the future of the Petersfield Musical Festival may become very uncertain," Ms Collins added. "It would be a great sadness if having overcome threatening financial difficulties the musical festival were to succumb to supporter apathy," she added. Last March saw the 102nd festival, and attracted an audience of 1,740 people over the seven concert days during festival week. Two large-scale choral concerts, an orchestral concert, two youth concerts and a celebrity concert involved more than 500 adults and children actively participating in a musical tradition of which Petersfield is justly proud. Five years ago the muscial festival faced a mounting crisis with its financial reserves at a low level and a committee operating without making much use of modern technology and management methods. Yet an influx of new committee members radically changed that position so that today the festival has a safe level of financial reserves, consistent with running festivals costing more than £30,000. They have also made good use of computerised communication and financial analysis to control its activities. "As well as overhauling festival management the committee have used every endeavour to strengthen committee membership to provide for succession and the development of the festival," Ms Collins explained. The musical festival is also a registered charity and must operate within UK charity law, including having an adequate number of competent trustees and producing reports and accounts for filing with charity commissioners. "Organising a large-scale musical festival with such an illustrious history is both a pleasure and a privilege and committee members gain considerable satisfaction from staging a successful season of concerts," Ms Collins added. "Unfortunately, few people have come forward in response to personal and public appeals, and in 2007/8 the committee operated with a minimum number of members and had several unfilled general vacancies following last September's annual meeting," she added. To join the committee, contact Ms Collins on 01730 261638.