The Estevan and District Music Festival wrapped up April 9, after more than two weeks of showcasing talented young and adult musicians in the community.
This year’s festival started with the piano performances, which ran from March 24-30. They were followed by the speech arts and vocal discipline from March 31-April 2, and band and instrumental performances from April 2-4.
Esther Bangsund, who was the president of this year’s festival committee, said they received 589 entries between the different disciplines, and the festival went very smoothly.
“We have a great group of volunteers, and we have them finding volunteers and filling in,” said Bangsund. “Someone is taking care of the money, and somebody else is taking care of the awards concerts.”
The festival is a very busy time from the opening performance in piano to the end of the final awards concerts, she said.
Each of the disciplines had a highlights and awards program. Performers for each highlights program were selected by the adjudicators.
The piano concert was held April 5 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Jacob Pyra, Grace Hall, Kate Dalziel, Hudsyn Hozjan, Charlotte Waldegger, Sadie Aspinall, Shiven Sangar, Brooke Dzeryk, Kirsten Folkerts and Leah MacFarlane were selected to play solos.
Duets were courtesy of Alecia Wiebe and Shayla Gill, and Kaylee Carlson and Kristen Carlson.
The band and instrumental program was April 8 at Estevan Comprehensive School. Musicians who performed that night were: Angel Gervais (flute solo); Sarah Leverton (trumpet solo); Shaya Daae (violin solo); Jacob Wade (bass clarinet solo); Kendra Cossette, Paige Wilson, Bridget Stovin and Haylee Jones (clarinet quartet); Kylie Paterson and Ekko Sanguin (trumpet duet); Faith Haberstock, Callista Gerling, Sarah Leverton, Hunter Wallster and Jonathan Swirski (trumpet quintet); Curtis Phillipchuk (mallet percussion solo); and Emily, Ashley and Julie Frostad (mixed ensemble).
The vocal and speech arts concert was held April 9 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Performers that night were Nate Wilhelm, Randi Milbrandt, Mariah Warriner and the Estevan Comprehensive School’s choir in vocal; Sacred Heart School/École SacréCoeur Grade 1, Cameron Milbrandt, Faith Haberstock, and Taylor Ellis and Gabby Ruf in speech arts; and Jeremy Littlefield, Abby Renkas and the Hello Ensemble in musical theatre.
Dozens of awards and bursaries were presented at each program. For a full list of awards, please visit www.estevanmercury.ca.
The tradition of having more than one highlights program started a few years ago. Bangsund said having three concerts allows the festival to showcase more of the musicians.
“We had 12 piano performers and nine band … solos or groups,” said Bangsund.
When they had just one festival highlights and awards program, there would be just three or four performers from each discipline.
Bangsund said the adjudicators were really happy with the preparation of the students and the calibre of performers in this year’s festival, and it showed in the number of musicians selected to attend the provincial music festival.
“The adjudicators would not do that if the musicians were not at the right calibre,” said Bangsund. “Adjudicators know what provincials are all about.”
Leah MacFarlane and Maxim Hiske were recommended to perform at the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association’s provincial festival in the intermediate piano division (17-and-under), and Maya Daoust is an alternate. Shayla Gill was selected to play in the junior division (14 and under). The junior division is new for this year.
Sarah Leverton was recommended to participate in the band and instrumental’s brass division.
Levi Stepp and the ECS Wired choir were recommended from the vocal and speech arts discipline.
Stepp was also presented with the Murray GM Award for Outstanding Performance in Multiple Disciplines. Kaylee Carlson won the runner-up prize.
Bangsund noted that this year marked the first time they have had a runner-up prize. It was created thanks to a donation from Hall Funeral Service in memory of Dwight Thompson.
She lauded all of the musicians for their efforts this year, regardless of whether they won an award.
“They worked very hard. Some start preparing back in September for their pieces, like Grade 9 and 10 piano takes a long time to prepare a piece to perform here. Many people use the festival as a chance to get adjudicated, and then they do exams in May and June,” said Bangsund.
“They get some feedback here, and then they do their exams. And for many, they perform, and then they’re finished.”
Also helpful this year was that the festival was wrapped up before the Good Friday long weekend and spring break. Many years, such as last year, the festival will be interrupted by the break.
“We’re a bigger festival, so they do like us to get our requests in for weeks,” said Bangsund. “They only allow a certain number of festivals to be held each week. So if we didn’t get our requests in on time, we’d be straddling the Easter break.”
Bangsund said they do need more volunteers to make the festival happen, because people move on or move away. But they have a lot of volunteers who work hard each year.
“Nobody can do everything but everyone can do something,” she said.
