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Melfort Music Festival’s 93rd year: The show must go on

MELFORT — The Melfort Music Festival has held their second competition during the pandemic, although very few could see due to restrictions. “The performances themselves were still very good.
Jessica R. Durling
Melfort Music Festival 2021
Performers from various disciplines showed off their skill at the Melfort Music Festival’s 93rd show. From left, Danielle Itakura, the recipient of the Melfort Music Festival Association (MMFA) piano trophy; Keely Hadwen, recipient of the MMFA strings plaque; Megan McAvoy, recipient of the vocal plaque; and Heidi Klettberg, Sefton Memorial Competition winner. Submitted photo by the Melfort Music Festival Association

MELFORT — The Melfort Music Festival has held their second competition during the pandemic, although very few could see due to restrictions.

“The performances themselves were still very good. Everyone was well prepared and made it very entertaining for us,” said Dawne Glanville, the festival’s president, adding that entries were cut back due to the cancellation of band performances.  

“Everyone was so happy we were able to host a festival. Even though we couldn’t have any public audience watching, it still turned out really well for us that we were still able to host this year.”

She said that while last year’s cancellations of the bands were due to the pandemic restrictions set just prior, this year was due to the inconsistent band season between students. 

“The way the semester system ran this year at the high school meant that some students were finished with their band portion by mid-November, and other students were beginning band by the beginning of February which made it very difficult to get interest for band.”

Other cut acts include duos, trios and ensembles. Acts included piano, strings, vocal, musical theatre and speech arts.

The 2021 Sefton Memorial Competition and the Final Highlights Program was fully recorded and can be found on the festival’s website at melfortmusicfestival.ca. Any other recordings were left up to the family of the performer to record.

Glanville said that should regulations change by next year, they intend to reopen the competition to public spectators.

The 93rd annual Melfort Music Festival was held March 7 to 16.

The organization is seeking volunteers to join their committee. They can be contacted by email at melfortmfa@gmail.com.

 

Awards

Piano

Kinette Club of Melfort Award

  • $25 – Clay Christopherson

Schmiedl Award (Primary – 6 years & under)

  • $25 – Aquisid Matias

Scotiabank (Primary – 8 years & under)

  • $25 – Elianna Tsaprailis

Molly Howden Memorial Award (Primary)

  • $25 – Kenzy Szakacs

Molly Howden Memorial Award (Elementary)

  • $25 – Janine Klettberg

7 Oaks Manufacturing 

  • $25 – Savannah Kuras

Dynasty Twin Cinema Award (Movie Soundtrack class – 14 years & under) 

  • $40 – Helena Chester

Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (Intermediate – 16 years & under)

  • $50 – Rhesa Petersen

Molly Howden Memorial Award (Junior)

  • $50 – Amy Szakacs

Schmiedl Award (most promising solo)

  • $50 - Alisa Itakura (for her performance of ‘River Flows in You’ by Yiruma)

Sarah Labossiere Memorial Award (Sacred music performance)

  • $50 – Elyse Johnson (for her performance of ‘Agnus Dei’ by Smith)

Dynasty Twin Cinema Award (Movie Soundtrack class – 15 years & over) (for her performance of ‘Mission Impossible Theme’ by Schifrin, from Mission Impossible)

  • $60– Naisa Marshall

Order of the Eastern Star, Accession Chapter No 96 Award (Solo – 14 years & under)

  • $100 – (split) Georgia Strasser and Danielle Itakura

Van Burck Seeds Award (Solo – 12 years & under)

  • $100 – Evagelia Tsaprailis

Van Burck Seeds Award (Junior duet)

  • $100 – Elyse & Kendra Johnson (for their performance of ‘Star Wars’ by Williams)

Affinity Credit Union Award (Senior – 18 years & under)

  • $100 – Heidi Klettberg

Molly Howden Memorial Award (Intermediate)

  • $100 – Anna Ingram

Molly Howden Memorial Award (Land location – Student living south of Melfort)

  • $100 – Georgia Strasser (from Watson)

 

Strings

Performance Award

  • $50 – (split) Bryce Lair and Acelyn Wyonzek

Performance Award

  • $50 – RaeAnnon Willness

Tisdale & District Strings 

  • $100 – Samuel Petersen

Saskatchewan Orchestral Association ($500 given by the SOA, amounts to be determined by the adjudicator)

  • Beginner $50 – Alison Summach
  • Elementary $75 – Jennifer Summach
  • Junior $75 – Will Heavin
  • Intermediate $150 – Keely Hadwen
  • Intermediate $150 – Rhesa Petersen

Orville & Lila Storey Memorial Scholarship

  • $100 – Natalia Stephaniuk


Musical Theatre

Melfort Knights of Columbus

  • $25 + Keeper trophy – Kacie Wilson

TJ’s Pizza/Jim Mitchell Award

  • $50 – Jennifer Summach

Prairie North Co-op Award

  • $75 – Madison McAvoy

 

Vocal/ Speech Arts

Melfort Ministerial Association Award (Sacred music class – solo or duet)

  • $50 – Rhesa Petersen (for her solo of There is Nothing Greater Than Grace)

Olive Middlemiss Award 

  • $50 – Heidi Klettberg

Olive Middlemiss Award 

  • $50 – Megan McAvoy

Bryn-Julson Award – (13 years & over), (Art song by a 20th or 21st Canadian Composer)

  • $75 – no qualifying winner

Regan Grant Memorial Award, (Preference given to Male Voice or Speech Arts)

  • $100 – (split) Levi Grabill and Isaac Friedt

Lynne Monsees Memorial Award (Senior Voice)

  • $100 – Megan McAvoy


Open Awards

Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (11 years & under)

  • $25 – Abigail Summach (musical theatre)

Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (11 years & under)

  • $25 – Kacie Wilson (piano)

Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (14 years & under)

  • $25 –Azlyn Szakacs (piano)

Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Award (14 years & under)

  • $25 – Isaac Friedt (piano)

Tower Glass Award

  • $30 – Selah Johnson (piano)

Melfort Catholic Women’s League Scholarship

  • $50 – Andrea Matias (piano)

Kinette Club of Tisdale

  • $50 – RaeAnnon Willness (piano)

Melfort Fire Department

  • $50 –Jervy Santos (piano)

Melfort Masonic Lodge No 18 Award

  • $50- Alia Hadwen (musical theatre)

Melfort Ministerial Association Award (Sacred Music – Instrumental)

  • $50 – Rhesa Petersen (piano) (for her performance of ‘I Love to Tell the Story’)

Watson Sacred Heart Parish Catholic Women’s League Scholarship

  • $50 – RaeAnnon Willness (piano)

Victoria Malden Memorial Scholarship (former student of Victoria Malden)

  • $60 – Naisa Marshall (piano)

Melfort Knights of Columbus Award 

  • $100 – (split) James Carrier and Logan Wilson (piano)

Rotary Club of Melfort Award

  • $100 – Heidi Klettberg (piano)

Sefton Scholarship 

  • $100 – Danielle Itakura (piano)

Sefton Scholarship 

  • $100 – Heidi Klettberg (musical theatre)

Sefton Memorial Competition (any discipline)
Competitors for 2021 were Megan McAvoy (Musical Theatre), Jervy Santos (Piano), Naisa Marshall (Piano), & Heidi Klettberg (Piano).

  • $300 – Heidi Klettberg

 

Overall Festival Awards

  • Piano, MMFA Trophy – Danielle Itakura
  • Strings, MMFA Plaque – Keely Hadwen
  • Vocal, MMFA Plaque – Megan McAvoy