In keeping with the famous phrase, “The show must go on!”, the Battleford Kiwanis Music Festival is pleased to announce the festival will run as scheduled this season.
It may look a little different, as do many events these days. With the support of the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association, flexible and safe guidelines have been created for festivals across the province. With safety of participants and the public front of mind, the hope is the local festival will be mostly live and virtual with limited tickets for those who wish to be part of the audience. Recordings may be appropriate for some class entries or depending on circumstances during the dates of the festival.
Public health guidelines have indicated that risk of transmission increases through singing or the use of musical instruments and equipment. Therefore, distancing guidelines for performers, audience, adjudicato, and volunteers will of the highest safety standards. Sanitation will occur between performers. Instruments such as drumsticks/mallets, music stands, costumes, props and other items remain in designated performance area when performing along with limiting movements. Non-medical masks are required at all times during the performance except for musicians playing a woodwind, brass or other instrument operated by breath. Masks may be removed only if participants can maintain a distance of three metres. Vocalists may consider a singer’s mask.
In order to adhere to non-essential cross-border travel, only Saskatchewan adjudicators will be hired for live festivals. The stage or performance area will be 14 to 20 feet away from audience and adjudicators.
An adaptation for the Battlefords festival this year is use of the Dekker Center. This venue can easily support safety protocols currently in place or in place at the time of the festival.
Another new opportunity is the Provincial Excellence classes that have been added by SMFA. They are for students in 12 years and under, 14 years and under, and 24 years and under categories. Each performer will record a short program of pieces and provide a spoken introduction and brief program notes. In 2021 there will be first and second place scholarships for all age categories and disciplines. Starting in 2022, the Saskatchewan winners in each group will get to participate in the inaugural Western Canadian Festival. They will join young musicians from British Columbia and Alberta. Let’s hope the 2022 competition can be a live event.
Meanwhile for 2021, we will still need some volunteers. Those who would like to add their name to the list can email l.sander@hotmail.com. Entries can be made online at Music Festival Suite/Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival. The Saskatchewan Music Festival syllabus of classes can be found at the SMFA website. That site has a link to the Battlefords festival entry system.
Entry questions can be directed to jenniehildebrand@hotmail.com. The entry deadline is Jan. 30 with a late entry date of Feb. 6 along with a late fee.
Live entries, which include all solos as well as duet/small ensemble performances entered by participants who live in the same household, will be heard at the Dekker Centre. Organizers are hoping those performances will be live streamed for more audience access .Bands and other ensembles that are rehearsing regularly may enter the festival by making a recording in their own venue. Those recordings will be heard by the adjudicator, who will provide a written adjudication as well as a spoken adjudication by Zoom or video.
This year’s Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival dates are April 19 to 28 (vocal, Monday and Tuesday April 19-20, musical theatre and speech arts, Wednesday and Thursday April 21-22, piano, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday April 23 – 25, strings, Monday April 26, band solos – Tuesday and Wednesday April 27-28
“It was a way out of poverty. It was a way to success. It was a way to education. And it was a way to a brighter day for me.” ― Little Richard (1932-2020)
