The 2021 Rose Bowl winner Josie Hoffarth, with 2021 Festival Chair Milan Vujovic and MC Mike Christie. After running last year online, the Rotary Festival is pleased to announce plans for in-person musical enjoyment this coming March.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
lthomson@medicinehatnews.com
After barely squeaking in a festival in 2020 and hosting it online in 2021, Delynne Lorentzen, executive director of the Rotary Music Festival, is pleased to announce they are planning to return to live music this coming March.
“After a successful online festival in 2021, we are excited to be returning to an in person festival this year,” said Lorentzen in an email to the News. “In spite of venue changes and working within COVID protocols, we will be hosting the two-week festival from March 6-20.”
The festival will take place in the city-owned wing of the Cultural Centre at the Medicine Hat College and St. Barnabas Anglican Church. Many sessions will have only a small audience of family members this year.
“The exceptions to this would be the Intermediate and Senior Vocal sessions taking place on March 6 at St. Barnabas Anglican Church,” Lorentzen said. “Seating capacity is much greater in this venue so we are happy to open this event to the community.”
Other classes will be live-streamed for the public, including the Rose Bowl and Stars of the Festival concerts.
“We’ll be holding the Rose Bowl at the Esplanade in the Studio Theatre this year,” Lorentzen said. “It is Friday night, March 18, at 7 p.m. … The Rose Bowl winner will be announced on Sunday night, March 20, at the Stars of the Festival concert.”
Due to COVID restrictions, choirs and orchestras will not be able to perform this year, which will bring participant numbers down. However Lorentzen thinks there will be about 300 participants, from five years old to 65. Registration is still open and more information can be found at http://www.rotarymusicfestival.com.
This marks the 67th year that the Rotary Club has sponsored the festival.
“They’ve been faithfully sponsoring it. It’s never actually a money maker. We take low registration fees and then the club raises the money to put on the festival,” said Lorentzen in an interview. “We’re just really grateful that they see the value in music and want to encourage the kids, too.”
Lorentzen said hosting the festival online last year worked better than she anticipated, but that they are looking forward to have in-person adjudicating again this year.
“I think that’s the main thing is that kids have a chance to play for their family and then have a chance to receive really expert opinion,” emphasized Lorentzen. “We’re bringing in adjudicators that have been working in their fields for decades. I know that they’re going to be encouraging, we’re really careful in our selection and just try to keep music alive for these kids.”
She feels the last two years have taken a toll on kids and their involvement in music.
“There are so many kids who have quit music over the past two years, because they’ve had online lessons and when you’re working so hard for something and you never get a chance to perform, it’s kind of discouraging. Music is a lot of work,” explained Lorentzen. “This year we’re probably going to be down in numbers but I’m hoping we can just really celebrate these kids that have pushed through these two years of online lessons. Giving them a chance, a stage is so important, because they really work so hard practising. I am in awe of them.”
