The community of Hafford has hosted an annual music festival for 49 years. The festival is where many talented musicians and vocalists compete for scholarships, trophies and potentially an opportunity to advance to the next level of competition. The 2011 event was hosted by Hafford Central School from March 21-24.
There were 167 combined entries in the divisions of piano (82), instrumental (32), voice (45), choir (7) and choral speech (1). Adjudicators for the week were Audrey Watson of Rosthern for piano, all levels; and Anna Marie Berkolay of Saskatoon for voice and instrumental.
The awards night ceremony was held March 25 with a variety of award winning performers selected to entertain the crowd with their vocal and musical skills. Each performer throughout the week should be commended on their courage and accomplishments and for sharing their talents with the audience.
Vocal performers included soloists Hailey Prystupa and Megan Jones, duet musical theatre performances by Jenna and Michelle Gall, and Dawson Lehmann and Melissa Saunders and musical theatre solo by Kendra LaFreniere. Choral speech performances were presented by the Hafford Grade 4 class and the Hafford Girls' Chorus.
Many aspiring pianists demonstrated their musical skills. Performers included Megan Jones, Jesse Wensley, Natalie Regier, Colby Tkachuk, Carissa Norsten, Kacy Tkachuk, Kathryn Naharney, Melissa Saunders, Leah Kohut, Hailey Lesko, Tenille Robin, Clayton Wiebe, Jocelyn Bzdel, Kayla Gray. A piano duet was performed by Audrey Friesen and Jan Friesen, and a trio was performed by Marina Rice, Tyra Smith and Amber Jackson.
Hafford had many entries in the new musical instrument category of guitar. Jordan and Jason Gall opened the evening program with a popular rendition of King of the Road, accompanied by instructor David Bannister. Solo guitar performances included Shelby Taylor, Reeve Johnson, Elias Brevik, Amber Jackson, Ashley Boyko and Tara Dishko.
The entire week was a musical buffet as students displayed excellence in music performance and educational opportunities. The event was a collaborative effort of teachers, instructors, performers, stage and sound crew, parents and local and area businesses for sponsorship. The Hafford Music Festival annual general meeting was held April 6 and plans are underway for the 50th year in 2012.
