On April 27th, the Festival of Stars Awards Concert video became available for viewing on the Festival’s website. The musical skills of our very talented Grey Bruce children and youth are showcased as an exceptional celebration of rewarding performances. Look for special guest appearances by the Mayor of Owen Sound and the Owen Sound Kiwanis President. The show offers a variety of musical styles for everyone’s taste. It makes for a great evening to gather around the screen and view local talent. It can be viewed free of charge and will remain on the Festival’s website for the year.

The 89th year of the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music was virtual! Every year, the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music has given children and youth an opportunity to express their passion for music with their demonstration of talent. Board Chair, Mark Hendry, states that “It was with great pride and pleasure that we were able to launch this special virtual Festival in April 2021, as it was cancelled last year due to Covid-19. A lot of extra preparatory work was involved in arranging this year’s event.”

With the support of technology, this year brought an entirely new way of encouraging children and youth to demonstrate their talents. Categories included piano, strings, brass and woodwinds, vocal, music theatre and drama in the various age and skill levels. The young musicians were asked to record their piece of music and upload it to YouTube. They then entered the link to their video in the Festival’s registration system. Registration numbers were really great this year. Professional adjudicators for each musical category adjudicated each musical entry and generated positive helpful comments and marks for each student. This year, the class certificates and adjudication reports were emailed to each participant. The adjudicators’ recommendations for awards, scholarships, and provincial recommendation were then reviewed by the awards committee and the winners notified. Awards were mailed to all winners and their names are posted on the Festival’s website at http://kiwanismusicfestival.net/index.php/awards/.

The cost of entry to the Festival was reduced this year because of the generous gift of the Dorothy Wakeford Memorial Donation. Dorothy loved music of all kinds and her generous service to our community involved sharing her vocal talent in solo concerts as well as with dance bands, plus directing young children’s choirs. Dorothy served as the Secretary/Manager of The Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music for 25 years.

Donations to the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music are always welcome as these proceeds will allow the Festival to continue creating superior experiences for participants of all ages. The main goal is to nurture and support the musical abilities and growing talent of our local young people. The Festival of Music is a registered not-for profit charity and opportunities for donating are available on the website.

For more information and to view the Festival of Stars Awards Concert video, go to the Festival website at http://kiwanismusicfestival.net.

source: media release, Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music