The 2019 Estevan and District Music Festival is coming into play. Almost everything is set and ready to go.
The event will take place from March 24 to April 4 this year.
The organizing committee was able to put everything back together after some unforeseen circumstances and now is finishing up some last-minute preparations.
“We are at the point where we are getting students ready and everything for the music festival, so hopefully everything goes off without a hitch,” said Margaret Duncan, spokesperson for the festival.
The piano part is planned for March 24-30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, vocal and speech arts will be happening on March 31 to April 2 at St. Paul’s United Church, and the band and strings portion of the festival will take place on April 2 - 4 at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
The interest towards the festival has been steadily growing throughout the last 55 years. This time, the committee received 589 entries, which was slightly up from last year.
And once again they were able to gather $10,000 in scholarships that will be awarded to the performers.
“We have great support from the community we live in. It’s amazing to see how many different people between businesses and families are supporters of the music festival in different ways,” said Duncan.
Students can use the awards in any way they decide to, whether it’s social purposes or to save for future education.
The decisions on awards will be done after each part of the festival is over.
“After the music festival, after the participants are done, then they (committee members) sit down and they look at who should receive scholarships, and that is done between some of the members of the music festival as well as the adjudicator,” Duncan explained.
This year there will be three separate awards and highlights nights. Duncan explained the reasoning behind it.
“We were trying to have so many students’ highlights in, so it was becoming a little bit long, so what they’ve done, they’ve divided it up: piano will be one day, vocal and speech arts will be a different time and band and strings will be after they will be done,” Duncan said.
Not all dates are set for the awards and highlights. So far, tentatively the piano awards and highlights will take place on April 5, and strings and band awards and highlights will happen on April 7 at 2 p.m. Vocal and speech arts awards and highlights date is yet to be determined.
With all participants, teachers, adjudicators and venues ready for the festival, as of March 18, the committee was still lacking volunteers.
“We are still in need of about seven or eight people, mainly for the band sessions on April 3 and 4. We have had many first time volunteers sign up this year, which is exciting. The jobs include collecting the music to give the adjudicators, introducing the adjudicator, and filling out certificates for the participants,” said Heather Barnstable, who is a volunteer co-ordinator for the festival.
If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can text Barnstable at 306-461-5109.
