Organizers of the Estevan and District Music Festival are getting ready for the annual showcase of musical talent in the region.
The festival has received 644 entries for this year. The piano discipline has seen a “sharp increase in registrations,” said Pam Dechief, who is the president of the music festival, and so they have a whole week scheduled for pianists.
“It’s likely due to the enthusiasm of our strong piano teachers in Estevan, encouraging their students to participate in the festival,” said Dechief.
The festival will open on March 12 with the vocal and speech arts disciplines; they will continue until March 15. Band will run on March 21 and 22.
An awards and highlights program will happen on April 5 at St. Paul’s United Church at 7 p.m. It will be a celebration of the talent in vocal, speech arts and band competitions.
“There will be performances from each of the disciplines,” said Dechief.
Piano will begin on April 8, and continue until April 15. Top pianists will perform and awards will be handed out on April 21 at Trinity Lutheran Church. The outstanding awards for the festival will also be presented.
Typically the festival has just the one program for highlights and awards.
“We’ve been wanting to do things a little bit differently in the last couple of years,” said Dechief. “Usually our awards night gets so long, and people don’t want to sit there. So we thought, let’s divide it in half, and see how it goes. Next year we might go back to the way we’ve done it forever.”
The festival is running later than normal this year, due to the early timing of Good Friday-Easter long weekend in late March, and the subsequent school spring break.
The Estevan Comprehensive School’s band program goes on a band trip early in the spring, too, which further delayed the festival, since many of the band students are in multiple disciplines.
Dechief noted the festival’s volunteers have already put in at least 200 hours. Their time commitment was eased thanks to on-line registrations, a relatively new concept for the festival that gains popularity each year.
Adjudicators for the festival have been chosen. Carol Konecsni-Christie from Dysart will be the piano adjudicator. Karen Charleton from Outlook will handle the duties for the vocal and speech arts competitions.
Glen Gillis from Saskatoon and Nancy Hennen from Brandon, Manitoba, will be the band adjudicators.
Dechief is looking forward to hearing the talent displayed at the music festival.
“We know we will be treated to wonderful performances in vocal, piano, speech and band,” said Dechief.
