By Kathy Gallant

M.L. music fest awards celebrate local talent

Apr 24, 2018 | 11:50 AM

The best and brightest music students from the Meadow Lake region were applauded at the 40th annual district music festival awards night on Monday, April 23.

Young pianists, bands, and vocal performers took to the stage to accept their accolades. Awards were given for bands, piano age groups, special category piano (such as baroque and sonatina) and vocal performances. The awards were determined after the week-long event April 16-20.

Karen Unger, the current president of the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association visited the community to help celebrate the 40th anniversary. She said Meadow Lake has a lot to be proud of.

“Music and speech arts enhance lives and enrich our world,” she said. “Festival provides an early opportunity to share your music, work towards excellence and develop confidence. I often think how music is a legacy, through passing on the love of music to others that we know. It would be interesting to fast forward 20 years or 40 years.”

Lara van de Venter, a Grade 12 vocal soloist, will be proceeding to the provincials after being recommended by her adjudicator. She said she was thrilled for the opportunity, since this is her last year performing.

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 “Provincials is going to be really different,” she said. “It’s going to be all the best in the district, so I’m going to see a lot of really good vocalists, learn some new songs to sing and learn some new tips.”

Sam Ellis, a Grade 3 student, was the lone performer in the individual verse category. He did a performance of Roald Dahl’s The Dentist and the Crocodile.

“I felt like I did wonderful,” he said. “Actually I first started [doing speeches] because I like to talk.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath