2022 Sand Hills Music Festival
By Mallory Cawthra
The 2022 Sand Hills Music Festival will take place on Monday, April 11th, at the Leader Community Centre: spectators are welcome! This one-day live District Music Festival will include morning and afternoon sessions, with Speech Arts (Poetry, Public Speaking, Prose, Choral) starting at 9:00 a.m., and Music (Percussion, Piano) starting at 1:00 p.m.; The festival showcases performances by soloists, duets, trios and ensembles aged 18 and under in various classes. Additionally, there will be a silver collection at the door.
The provincial Syllabus (which provides information on the types of classes) for the festival is provided by The Saskatchewan Music Festival Association (SMFA, established in 1908); the festival also provides the opportunity for competitors to receive scholarships and awards. Carol Donhauser, SMFA’s Executive Director, said that, “Music festivals promote excellence, provide important goals, and offer students feedback from first-rate adjudicators.”
To elaborate further, the Sand Hills Music Festival provides youth with the opportunity to demonstrate their musical abilities and to practice their public speaking skills. A guest adjudicator (a qualified, professional musician) will provide feedback and marks to the competitors based on their execution. Afterwards, the adjudicator will meet and discuss with impartial volunteers to decide who will receive the scholarships and awards. The District Festival competitions are held annually in 47 locations throughout Saskatchewan, with over 17,000 musicians taking part. The Sand Hills Music Festival would not be a success without the help of volunteers and sponsors of the scholarships and awards, in addition to support provided by the Leader Youth Committee and the Sand Hills Music Festival Association.
The SMFA’s website explains that in order to qualify for scholarships and awards, the competitors must perform in two classes of the same discipline. There is an “annual Open Centennial Legacy Award open to those performing works by Saskatchewan authors and/or composers. This award is made possible through funding from the 2009 Building Pride Grant.” This grant program is provided through the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport, and is designed to help support creative and innovative initiatives that leave a legacy for future generations.
The Grand Concert will be held at the Leader Community Centre on the evening of Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m., whereby a number of performers are invited to perform their pieces once-again in front of teachers, parents, family, friends and spectators. Scholarships and awards will be announced and presented on this evening as well.
The 2022 Provincial Finals Competition will be held the week of June 2nd to 5th at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon. At this competition, the various district winners compete provincially for scholarships and awards.
