Now the registration window for the Battlefords Music Festival is over, it is possible to introduce the adjudicators.
Opening the festival are the vocal solo, duets, ensembles and choirs entries. This discipline is currently scheduled to run from Saturday, April 1 to Monday, April 3.
Marcia McLean will be adjudicating this category. She is a long-time music educator in my old stomping grounds of Swift Current and her husband Greg has been a band adjudicator for the Battlefords Music Festival in past years.
McLean is currently the artistic director of the Swift Current Oratorio Choir and an adult chamber choir, Prairie Spirit. In January of 2014, members of the Oratorio Choir travelled to New York to perform Karl Jenkins Stabat Mater in Carnegie Hall with several choirs from around the world. Incidentally, my mother is in that choir and travelled to NYC participating in this memorable event.
McLean also teaches private voice lessons, gives choral workshops and adjudicates. She adjudicates for the Saskatchewan Music Festival and has adjudicated at the Brandon Jazz Festival and Brandon Music Festival.
In 2010, McLean retired after 18 years as director of choral music at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School. There she conducted an 80-voice concert choir, a vocal jazz ensemble and the Comp Chamber Singers. In 2010, the Chamber Singers were selected to perform at the Association of Canadian Choral Community鈥檚 convention held in Saskatoon, and in 2007 performed at Festival 500 in Newfoundland. In addition, the choir presented showcase concerts at the Rocky Mountain Festival and won awards at Music Fest Canada and the Heritage Music Festival.
McLean was the founding director of the Swift Current Children鈥檚 Choir and conducted the choir for 12 years. Active at the provincial level, Marcia serves on the board of the Swift Current Music Festival and is a member of the Sask. Choral Federation. She served as president of the Sask. Choral Federation for four years and has just completed her term on the board.
McLean was guest conductor of the Sask. Choral Federation choir camp in the summer of 2011 and on numerous occasions served as vocal coach at the SCF summer camps. In 2004, she was awarded the Pro Musica Award by the Sask. Choral Federation for outstanding service in the choral community. In 2001, she received the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Swift Current Rotary Club for outstanding leadership and community work with young people.
Prior to teaching in Swift Current, McLean taught music and choir at Esterhazy High School for 12 years, conducting both vocal jazz and concert choir. McLean earned her Bachelor of Music at Brandon University.
Once entries are compiled and the program organized, official dates and times for the various disciplines will be officially set. Meanwhile the tentative discipline schedule is voice/choir April 1-3, band/instruments/ensembles April 4-6, speech arts/musical theatre April 4- 6, strings April 7 and piano April 7-9. With the overlapping schedules, solo participants are asked to email the committee if they are part of an ensemble to help with co-ordinating the festival program. It is also helpful if teachers entering ensembles email a list of participants so as to minimize schedule conflicts. The festival will culminate with a celebratory gala at the Dekker Centre where festival highlights will be showcased and awards distributed. Email [email protected]聽with any questions or if you are interested in volunteering.
聽鈥淚f you鈥檙e a dancer, study singing. You have to do everything and do it well. You have to study acting. You have to study all of it. You have to find workshops and get out on the stage and fail. You have to keep practicing if you鈥檙e really going to be good.鈥�
鈥� Debbie Reynolds鈥�
