It's hard to believe we are already approaching the final week of this year's Battleford Kiwanis Music Festival.
Six incredible days of vocal sessions, including four fun-filled evenings of musical theatre, come to a close Friday, March 15. This special final vocal session is not to be missed. The evening at Logie Hall in Third Avenue United Church begins with two entries in the traditional German Lieder category. This unique category requires the presence of both the vocal and piano adjudicator since both the vocalist and the piano accompanist are evaluated for marks.
Shawna Bunz will be accompanied by Larissa Chipak and Jean van der Merwe will have Katrina MacKinnon supporting his vocal performance. Being that all four of these young people have established themselves as local talents to be celebrated, it will be well worth your time and effort to come out for these performances.
If you are unfamiliar with German Lieder from the Romantic era, it is typically love or pastoral themed poetry set for solo voice with piano accompaniment. Following this musical treat, are family music entries from the Esquirols and the Yorks. Operatic solos presented by Spencer McKnight and Shawna Bunz will certainly bring the evening to a rousing close.
The piano adjudicator, Carol Konecsni-Christie, returns to Logie Hall Saturday, March 16 at 9:30 a.m. for the opening of the four days of piano sessions. Piano sessions gloriously open with Cailyn Driedger and Andrew Hudec's versions of O Canada and God Save the Queen. The final piano session begins on Tuesday, March 19 at 1 p.m.
If violins and cellos tug on your heart strings, then you will enjoy the two strings sessions in Logie Hall on Wednesday, March 20. The morning session begins at 9 a.m. with young Victoria Mahmood performing on her violin, Skye Boat Song by Hugh McLean. The afternoon session, beginning at 1 p.m., opens with Battleford Central School's guitar ensemble followed by Dylan Sylvester playing his ukulele. Fiddling fills out the middle of the afternoon leading into the final performances on strings of well-known composers such as Handel, Vivaldi, Dvorak and Bach.
There is an extra special treat second to last on the afternoon program; a harp entry. Strings adjudicator, Joan Savage, returned home to Saskatoon after earning degrees in violin performance at Peabody Conservatory and San Francisco Conservatory. She is a violinist in the Saskatoon Symphony and teaches violin to a large studio of students.
All sessions are open to the public and that donations towards festival expenses are gratefully accepted at the door of venues. Look for the posters around town outlining all session dates and times. Please keep good performance etiquette in mind. No photography or video recordings are allowed during performances, adjudications or certificate presentations. And most importantly, generously congratulate all performers for their accomplishments and successes!
The celebratory gala and awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 22 in Logie Hall at Third Avenue United Church. Admission is $5 per person or $15 per family with free admission for award recipients and award presenters. Come out to enjoy a few adjudicator-chosen highlighted performances from the festival and to help honour the numerous young people from our community receiving special recognition courtesy of local individuals and businesses.
"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding, sings." - Ed Gardner
