KERROBERT — From April 11 to 13, Prairie Sunset Music Festival participants and audience members experienced a return to live performances after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. This festival, which rotates among Macklin, Luseland and Kerrobert, took place in Kerrobert this year.
Participants entered in the categories of piano, instrumental, speech, and vocal. Jackie Golden, president of the Prairie Sunset Music Festival, reported a slight increase in the number of entries for 2022. After the cancellation of the festival in 2020 and the virtual format of the festival in 2021, this is a significant achievement.
The PSMF committee consists of 10 members. As the festival rotates among Macklin, Kerrobert, and Luseland and there are at least two members from each town on the committee. The 2022 members are Jackie Golden (president), Ashley Spijkerman, Helena Hoogstad, Kris Gartner, Pam Erker, and Jennilee Sieben from Macklin, along with Terra Lynn Ley and Christina Bakanec from Kerrobert and Jean Halliday and Kristin Boyle from Luseland.
The piano and instrumental performances were held at the Prairieland Community Center in Kerrobert and the speech and vocal performances were held at the Courthouse Gallery.
The piano adjudicator for festival was Doreen Renschler from Castor, Alta. Justine Wilks, from Medicine Hat College Conservatory of Music, adjudicated all speech and vocal performances while Kevin Ackerman from Saskatoon was the band and instrumental adjudicator.
After three days of performances, scholarship winners were invited to showcase their talent and celebrate their achievements during the Festival of the Stars Thursday, April 14. Audience members were treated to exceptional performances ranging from cello, violin, guitar, and piano to vocal, speech and dramatic arts.
The most prestigious awards in each of the categories were awarded to Alexandra Summach (piano) and Brooke Bruce (Wallis Memorial Scholarship for piano), Eliana Bakanec (instrumental), Willem Hoogstad (speech), and Liné Linde (vocal). The adjudicators awarded provincial recommendations to Liné Linde, Steyn Hoogstad, Willem Hoogstad and Alexandra Summach. The provincial finals of the Saskatchewan Music Festival will be held in Saskatoon from June 2 to 5.
The Prairie Sunset Music Festival Association expressed their appreciation for the generous support of the patrons of the festival. They also thanked the community volunteers and committee members.
The 2023 Prairie Music Festival will be held in Luseland.
