MELFORT — The Melfort Music Festival has held their second competition during the pandemic, although very few could see due to restrictions.
“The performances themselves were still very good. Everyone was well prepared and made it very entertaining for us,” said Dawne Glanville, the festival’s president, adding that entries were cut back due to the cancellation of band performances.
“Everyone was so happy we were able to host a festival. Even though we couldn’t have any public audience watching, it still turned out really well for us that we were still able to host this year.”
She said that while last year’s cancellations of the bands were due to the pandemic restrictions set just prior, this year was due to the inconsistent band season between students.
“The way the semester system ran this year at the high school meant that some students were finished with their band portion by mid-November, and other students were beginning band by the beginning of February which made it very difficult to get interest for band.”
Other cut acts include duos, trios and ensembles. Acts included piano, strings, vocal, musical theatre and speech arts.
The 2021 Sefton Memorial Competition and the Final Highlights Program was fully recorded and can be found on the festival’s website at melfortmusicfestival.ca. Any other recordings were left up to the family of the performer to record.
Glanville said that should regulations change by next year, they intend to reopen the competition to public spectators.
The 93rd annual Melfort Music Festival was held March 7 to 16.
The organization is seeking volunteers to join their committee. They can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Awards
Piano
Kinette Club of Melfort Award
- $25 – Clay Christopherson
Schmiedl Award (Primary – 6 years & under)
- $25 – Aquisid Matias
Scotiabank (Primary – 8 years & under)
- $25 – Elianna Tsaprailis
Molly Howden Memorial Award (Primary)
- $25 – Kenzy Szakacs
Molly Howden Memorial Award (Elementary)
- $25 – Janine Klettberg
7 Oaks Manufacturing
- $25 – Savannah Kuras
Dynasty Twin Cinema Award (Movie Soundtrack class – 14 years & under)
- $40 – Helena Chester
Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (Intermediate – 16 years & under)
- $50 – Rhesa Petersen
Molly Howden Memorial Award (Junior)
- $50 – Amy Szakacs
Schmiedl Award (most promising solo)
- $50 - Alisa Itakura (for her performance of ‘River Flows in You’ by Yiruma)
Sarah Labossiere Memorial Award (Sacred music performance)
- $50 – Elyse Johnson (for her performance of ‘Agnus Dei’ by Smith)
Dynasty Twin Cinema Award (Movie Soundtrack class – 15 years & over) (for her performance of ‘Mission Impossible Theme’ by Schifrin, from Mission Impossible)
- $60– Naisa Marshall
Order of the Eastern Star, Accession Chapter No 96 Award (Solo – 14 years & under)
- $100 – (split) Georgia Strasser and Danielle Itakura
Van Burck Seeds Award (Solo – 12 years & under)
- $100 – Evagelia Tsaprailis
Van Burck Seeds Award (Junior duet)
- $100 – Elyse & Kendra Johnson (for their performance of ‘Star Wars’ by Williams)
Affinity Credit Union Award (Senior – 18 years & under)
- $100 – Heidi Klettberg
Molly Howden Memorial Award (Intermediate)
- $100 – Anna Ingram
Molly Howden Memorial Award (Land location – Student living south of Melfort)
- $100 – Georgia Strasser (from Watson)
Strings
Performance Award
- $50 – (split) Bryce Lair and Acelyn Wyonzek
Performance Award
- $50 – RaeAnnon Willness
Tisdale & District Strings
- $100 – Samuel Petersen
Saskatchewan Orchestral Association ($500 given by the SOA, amounts to be determined by the adjudicator)
- Beginner $50 – Alison Summach
- Elementary $75 – Jennifer Summach
- Junior $75 – Will Heavin
- Intermediate $150 – Keely Hadwen
- Intermediate $150 – Rhesa Petersen
Orville & Lila Storey Memorial Scholarship
- $100 – Natalia Stephaniuk
Musical Theatre
Melfort Knights of Columbus
- $25 + Keeper trophy – Kacie Wilson
TJ’s Pizza/Jim Mitchell Award
- $50 – Jennifer Summach
Prairie North Co-op Award
- $75 – Madison McAvoy
Vocal/ Speech Arts
Melfort Ministerial Association Award (Sacred music class – solo or duet)
- $50 – Rhesa Petersen (for her solo of There is Nothing Greater Than Grace)
Olive Middlemiss Award
- $50 – Heidi Klettberg
Olive Middlemiss Award
- $50 – Megan McAvoy
Bryn-Julson Award – (13 years & over), (Art song by a 20th or 21st Canadian Composer)
- $75 – no qualifying winner
Regan Grant Memorial Award, (Preference given to Male Voice or Speech Arts)
- $100 – (split) Levi Grabill and Isaac Friedt
Lynne Monsees Memorial Award (Senior Voice)
- $100 – Megan McAvoy
Open Awards
Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (11 years & under)
- $25 – Abigail Summach (musical theatre)
Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (11 years & under)
- $25 – Kacie Wilson (piano)
Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (14 years & under)
- $25 –Azlyn Szakacs (piano)
Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (14 years & under)
- $25 – Isaac Friedt (piano)
Tower Glass Award
- $30 – Selah Johnson (piano)
Melfort Catholic Women’s League Scholarship
- $50 – Andrea Matias (piano)
Kinette Club of Tisdale
- $50 – RaeAnnon Willness (piano)
Melfort Fire Department
- $50 –Jervy Santos (piano)
Melfort Masonic Lodge No 18 Award
- $50- Alia Hadwen (musical theatre)
Melfort Ministerial Association Award (Sacred Music – Instrumental)
- $50 – Rhesa Petersen (piano) (for her performance of ‘I Love to Tell the Story’)
Watson Sacred Heart Parish Catholic Women’s League Scholarship
- $50 – RaeAnnon Willness (piano)
Victoria Malden Memorial Scholarship (former student of Victoria Malden)
- $60 – Naisa Marshall (piano)
Melfort Knights of Columbus Award
- $100 – (split) James Carrier and Logan Wilson (piano)
Rotary Club of Melfort Award
- $100 – Heidi Klettberg (piano)
Sefton Scholarship
- $100 – Danielle Itakura (piano)
Sefton Scholarship
- $100 – Heidi Klettberg (musical theatre)
Sefton Memorial Competition (any discipline)
Competitors for 2021 were Megan McAvoy (Musical Theatre), Jervy Santos (Piano), Naisa Marshall (Piano), & Heidi Klettberg (Piano).
- $300 – Heidi Klettberg
Overall Festival Awards
- Piano, MMFA Trophy – Danielle Itakura
- Strings, MMFA Plaque – Keely Hadwen
- Vocal, MMFA Plaque – Megan McAvoy
