THE BATTLEFORDS — The 2023 Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival is scheduled to run from March 13 to 25. Though the entry deadline of Jan. 14 is upon us, there are late entry option. Details for late entry on the forms that can be located by searching online “Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival” and clicking on the “music festival suite” link. The online entry system, MusicFestivalSuite.com, or MFS, software allows committee volunteers to maximize their efforts in scheduling and planning tje festival while keeping personal information exceptionally secure.
As MFS requires users to create a profile, it also gives teachers, parents, accompanists and students the ability to interact with their registrations long after they’ve been submitted. The teacher and student profiles set from last year are saved in the MFS system. If you need to refresh your memory about how to use the website, you can go to www.musicfestivalsuite.com, where you can peruse the Festival Participants section for “How-To” use the software.
There are now a variety of non-competitive classes for those who seek the experience of performing for an expert adjudicator without participating in the competitive aspect. Additionally, there are workshopping options in each area of musical discipline; singing, musical theatre, spoken word, choral, piano, organ, guitar, strings, woodwind instrument, brass instrument, percussion and band ensemble.
The Battlefords Music Festival is one of 47 district festivals under the umbrella of the Saskatchewan Musical Festival Association or SMFA. The SMFA was established more than 100 years ago in in 1908. It is committed to promoting excellence in music by providing performance and educational opportunities through festivals. The SMFA provides a provincial syllabus, entrance to the annual provincial competitions, concerto competition and opera competition, as well as the national level of music festival competition. Member festivals, as the Battleford Kiwanis Music Festival, are organized by local volunteers and evaluated by qualified professional musicians.
The City of North Battleford Historic Archives has a program from the first local festival which took place May 2-3, 1932 at the Legion Hall included solos, school choruses, the Battleford Light Infantry Band, mixed quartets and violin. If you are interested in knowing more about the SMFA, check out their website smfa.ca
For local folks wanting to show support the festival, there are a variety options. Businesses or individuals may wish to sponsor a session or award. Volunteer opportunities come in all sizes. For folks with more complicated schedules, volunteering might be in the form of making phone calls or running errands. For folks with less complicated scheduled, volunteering might involve being a greeter outside of sessions during the festival or being a secretary for the adjudicator. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and see where your time, skills or resources might be of most help. Correspondence can be directed by email to the committee secretary Chinley Hinacay at chinleyhinacay@nbckband.com or to Box 1301, North Battleford, S9A 3L8.
“When something is bothering me, I write a song that tells my feelings” – Loretta Lynn (1932 – 2022)
