The Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival will run as scheduled this season after being cancelled last year.
According to Festival Fanfare, written by Kelly Waters and submitted on a regular basis to the News-Optimist in the runup to the festival, this year’s event 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,” writes Waters.
Singing and the use of musical instruments and equipment are considered activities with an increased risk of transmission, so the festival will observe the highest safety standards of social distancing and sanitation.
Masks will play an important role.
“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,” writes Waters.
In addition, in order to adhere to non-essential cross-border travel, only Saskatchewan adjudicators will be hired
Waters adds, 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,” she writes.
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.
The entry deadline is Jan. 30 with a late entry date of Feb. 6 along with a late fee.
This year’s Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival dates are April 19 to 28.
