The 2016 Battlefords area music festival recently came to a close with the gala April 27 at the Dekker Centre showcasing adjudicator-chosen highlights from various age groups in all the music discipline areas.
Ashlynn Elmer opened the program with O Canada played on the piano followed by the NBCHS jazz Band. The contrast and variety of the program included such performances as Ericka Revet preforming I鈥檓 Not That Girl from the musical Wicked, Jeanny Jung鈥檚 enchanting violin skills to Kathleen Abrahamson鈥檚 entertaining spoken twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Roald Dahl, Khrystia MacKinnon鈥檚 exquisite Chopin Nocturne on piano, a whimsical rendition of Aaron Copland鈥檚 I Bought Me a Cat performed by Abbey Neufeld, Hairspray excerpts courtesy of a Dance Connection ensemble, Kamala Choir鈥檚 haunting rendition of Malala and Pakistani Girl by Larry Nickel.
This year there were donations of $7,800 for scholarships, plus the music festival committee added an additional $450 to top up awards and covering areas without scholarships.聽
It is always a pleasure to see Cathy Richardson MC the Gala. As she reflected to the Dekker Centre audience, 鈥淚t鈥檚 so wonderful to see young people out there 鈥� it can be a scary thing!鈥�
聽It also brings to my mind numerous childhood music festival memories as Cathy and I go way back, more years than I care to calculate. We both grew up in Swift Current where she was Cathy Quinn to me in those days. We were both active annual participants as youth in the Swift Current Music Festival. When I moved to North Battleford just over 10 years ago taking a teaching position at St. Vital School, she cornered me in the staff room to say hello and also encouraged me to be on the Battlefords area music festival committee as they were in need of a secretary. And so I was secretary for a few years, then president, then past-president/secretary and eventually took over writing this Fanfare column that she brilliantly initiated. Her wit, charm, and grace always enhance the gala evening.
Several local youth were recommended by adjudicators to participate in the provincial level of festival competition. Representing voice are Spencer McKnight, Mikael Steponchev, Tawnie Kotyk and the Kamala Youth Choir. Ericka Revet and Mikayla Martens were recommended in musical theatre. Piano recommendations were Khrystia MacKinnon and Chinu Youn. Aiden Bellows was recommended for woodwind and Zaide Masich for cello. Additionally, recommended for the provincial level of national competition was Spencer McKnight for voice and Mikael Steponchev for musical theatre. The provincials are being held during early June this year in Saskatoon.
The festival costs about $20,000聽to conduct. The festival cannot function without the many volunteers working as door stewards and secretaries. Setting up and tearing down is much less of a burden with many hands helping. There would not be a stage to showcase local talent without the flexibility of festival venues. Third United Church accommodated the bulk of festival traffic. We salute the high quality of teachers available to our community as adjudicators frequently commented on the high calibre of local artists. We appreciate the generosity of businesses, organizations and individuals who sponsored festival awards and scholarships.
Bravo to all the brilliant performers who displayed their skills and talent in the course of this year鈥檚 festival. Performing and seeking feedback from professional adjudicators takes courage and is to be commended. Please continue to make our community ring with your dedication and gifts.
We look forward to seeing and hearing you next year. Good luck to all going on to participate in the upcoming provincial Music Festival held this year in Saskatoon. Good luck to young people graduating from high school this year going on to pursue various careers, some in the field of music.
Looking ahead to next season, do keep in mind that we are always looking for parents and community-minded music lovers to step forward and say, 鈥淗ow can I help?鈥� If you might be willing to assist, even in a small way, with the 2017 Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival, simply pass along your interest to any committee member!
As appropriately stated by Dianna Gryba, president of the Battlefords area music festival committee, during her opening remarks at the festival gala, 鈥淜eep live music vibrant in our community.鈥�
