The Prince Albert Music Festival wrapped up their 78th edition with the Vocal Awards Concert on Sunday at Messiah Lutheran Church.
Prince Albert Music Festival President Jordana Friesen said the event, which ran from March 2 to 13 and March 25 to 27, was a success.
“We had some really great performances in all of the disciplines—piano, instrumental, band, and then voice and choral—and some really great adjudicators who, I think, have really brought their expertise to help all of our performers there.”
The festival adjudicators were Audrey Falk Janzen for piano, Brent Pittman for instrumental, Gene Aulinger for band and Gary Gable for Choir and Voice.
After searching for a year for a Festival Coordinator former Prince Albert resident Fran Atkinson stepped into the role this year and Friesen said that was fortunate.
“Fran Atkinson has been really involved with the music festival in the past, but currently lives in Saskatoon,” Friesen explained. “She stepped up to be our festival coordinator, and we’re really grateful for her. Last year we ran the festival without a festival coordinator, and that was not sustainable.”
Friesen said this year’s event was much smoother with Atkinson in place.
“There were some things that were still bumpy because we are still kind of dealing with not having all of our positions filled, but having the festival coordinator position filled is so important,” Friesen said. “Fran is a very organized person and that’s really what we need for the coordinator.”
Friesen said there were roughly 260 entries across all disciplines. For the second year in a row the new Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band was part of the Festival. Friesen said it’s great to have new ideas like that.
“Those community-based bands and people from instrumentals. I think that really brings a lot,” she said. “Lots of times when we think of festivals, we think of schools or else private teachers. Sometimes we forget about the community bands and the community choirs because adults can participate also, in all of the disciplines.
“We have categories that are open for any age, so, if you used to play an instrument, you could pick it up and you could learn a song or two and enter the festival.”
Friesen said they are looking to fill the role of instrumental coordinator for next year and also creating a new position to accentuate the festival’s vocal performance aspect.
“Right now we have the same person, Karen Langlois, doing all of the voice things, but choir really does require its own (person),” Friesen said. She said that when a choir comes in they require a workshop and other different things.
Payton Boese performed “Monkeys” at the Prince Albert Music Festival Vocal Awards Concert on Sunday at Messiah Lutheran Church.
Alexandrine Bergeron performed “My Cedar Canoe” at the Prince Albert Music Festival Vocal Awards Concert on Sunday at Messiah Lutheran Church.
“It’s a lot for just one person to schedule all of that and to be here for it,” Friesen said.
Friesen added that with the 78th Music festival done they are already preparing for the 79th and beyond. She said they have already setting up some follow up meetings to prepare for 2027.
Friesen added that they’re already thinking two years ahead, since 2028 will be the 80th Prince Albert Music Festival.
For the 75th Anniversary the Festival hosted a Gala Concert at the EA Rawlinson Centre and that continued the next year.
“I think we’re looking at probably something like that,” Friesen said. She added that it stopped after the 76th year for a variety of reasons.
“With rising costs for things and not having a super fleshed out board, it’s just a lot,” she said. “The old adage that many hands make light work is so true.”
Friesen said the great thing about the board is that it is a minimal time commitment with the few weeks in March when it is busy.
“But other than that, it’s like an hour long meeting once a month, so it’s pretty, pretty, like you don’t need to have a lot of time. You don’t need to have a lot of background in the discipline,” Friesen said.
She saluted all of the current board for their continued commitment to the Music Festival.
“We’ve got some really long time board members who know what they’re doing, and they make sure that things work and happen, so kudos to them,” Friesen said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
