Cheryl Abma delivers her adjudication to a group of speech entrants on Wednesday.--NEWS PHOTO ANNA SMITH
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
As the speech portion of the 2026 Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival comes to a close, attendees can look forward to various disciplines in the days to come.
This year’s group of speech performers has been absolutely wonderful to witness, said speech adjudicator Cheryl Abma. Amba has been a speech instructor for more than a decade, as well as having adjudicated for multiple music festivals in the past.
It is, however, her first visit to Medicine Hat.
“There’s mastery of the text and students show ownership of their work,” said Amba. “All the foundational aspects I look for have been established, and throughout every level, especially the senior levels, I have seen artistry coming through this beautiful work, and I’m honoured to be adjudicating this year’s rotary festival.”
She says there is something of a consistent “cherry on top” toward the end of many entrants’ work, something that keeps performances feeling spontaneous and surprising all the way to the final word of the prepared scenes, monologues and readings that make up the category.
“It’s really been a joy. I feel inspired for when I go back to Calgary. I have so many more fresh ideas for repertoire for my students, for how to approach things,” said Abma.
The festival continues today with musical theatre, which begins at 9 a.m. in the main hall of St. Barnabas Church.
