OUTLOOK - Following a three-year absence due to the pandemic, there was tremendous excitement, along with some trepidation, when the local music festival committee announced the festival would be making a return in 2023.
Questions surrounding the number of students who might still want to take part, whether music lovers would want to return to attending sessions, and how the community might respond to helping fund scholarships and awards were discussed. But the concern was for naught. The 2023 Outlook & District Festival of Music was a resounding success on all fronts, putting the event on solid footing for years to come.
“It was such a treat to bring the festival back and give students the opportunity to perform for an adjudicator and in front of an audience,” festival president Sandy Stephenson remarked at the festival finale, a concert marking the completion of the 2023 event. “We had a wonderful week and are so excited about the future.”
One of the keys to that success was adjudicator Katrina MacKinnon who taught and inspired, giving helpful notes with warmth and humor, as she encouraged students in each discipline. “We enjoyed her so much and she was very complimentary about the quality of teaching in the community,” Stephenson shared. “She was not expecting what she heard.”
Seven very full sessions running over three days were filled with performances in piano, vocal, choirs, strings, woodwinds, solo poetry, spoken word, musical theatre and more. The festival saw not only the participation of 400 students representing 145 entries but also the return of an audience who appreciated the preparation exhibited by all the young talent in the community.
Festival week culminated in a finale concert featuring wonderful performances and the presentation of scholarships and awards, as selected by the adjudicator. Program MC’s Garth and Maureen Weiterman noted those moving on to provincial competition from this festival include the LCBI Chamber Choir as well as Trason Ridgewell who qualified in five musical theatre classes.
During the finale afternoon there were 54 awards given out, totaling $2800 to encourage students in their training. All of these awards were made possible thanks to the donations from more than 40 local businesses, individuals and organizations who were clearly excited to see the return of the festival. Stephenson said their contributions are an important element in the festival’s success. “We are so grateful for the donations from all the businesses, organizations and individuals who support the event,” Stephenson said. “We literally could not have the festival without all their support.”
The Saskatchewan Music Festival Association was excited that a greater number of district festivals were held this year under the motto: “Celebrate the Joy of Youth Performance.” That celebration was certainly on display in Outlook as the festival made its strong return.
The Outlook and District Festival of Music has been a fixture in the arts scene for four decades and it certainly looks like there are many more good decades ahead.
