This year’s Music Festival will be a full-week event, beginning on Monday, April 16 at 9:00 AM in the Kipling United Church. Don’t miss the future stars of the Festival, piano students as young as age 5, performing in their first festival.

Monday and Tuesday will continue with piano and organ sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening of both days.

The adjudicator will be Laurel Teichroeb of Yorkton, who is making her second visit to Kipling Festival. Laurel grew up in Springside, SK, where she studied piano with the late Jean Laube. She earned her Associateship, Teachers diploma, with the Royal Conservatory of Music and continued further studies in electronic and pipe organ. Laurel also received Certification in Kindermusik at the University of Calgary. Her favorite capacity is that of teaching beginners.

On Wednesday, April 18, starting at 9:00 AM, the Church will be filled with the sound of children’s voices, beginning with solo speech arts, followed by school and choral music.

Vocal soloists will continue throughout the afternoon.

The ever-popular even-ing session promises to be a wonderful concert for your $2.00 admission, featuring choirs and musical theatre.

The adjudicator is Kathryn Watt from Regina. Kathryn was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and moved to Saskatchewan 20 years ago. After arriving in Regina, she began her studies in voice and received her ARCT diplomas in performance and teaching voice from the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. Kathryn enjoys and active musical life, teaching private voice and theory lessons, and adjudicating throughout Saskatchewan. She has sung with the Regina Philharmonic Chorus, Elizabethan Singers and the Opera Saskatchewan Chorus, as well as performing small roles for Opera Saskatchewan.

Thursday morning’s session will open with various instrumental classes, including violin, guitar, percussion and woodwind instruments.

Woodwinds continue throughout the afternoon.

On Thursday evening, the Beginner and Junior Bands will play at the High School Gym, followed by a number of ensembles.

There will be no session on Friday morning; Friday afternoon will be back at the Church, with more woodwinds, and brass.

On Friday evening, the Gym will once again be the venue for the Intermediate and Senior Bands, and ensembles. The woodwind and brass solo and ensemble performances will wrap up on Saturday at the Church, with both morning and afternoon sessions.

Karen Finnsson of Regina will be making a return visit to Kipling, to adjudicate this portion of the Festival. Karen is currently Associate Professor of Music at the University of Regina. She received her Bachelor of Music degree at North Texas State, majoring in performance/woodwinds. Ms. Finnsson is soprano saxophonist with Regina Saxophone Quartet, which performs throughout SK and western Canada. The quartet also performed at the World Saxophone Congress in Montreal. Ms. Finnsson has recorded for CBC radio, both with the quartet and as a soloist. She has played clarinet, bass clarinet, and alto, tenor and soprano saxophone with the Regina Symphony Orchestra. She greatly enjoys adjudicating and working with young children.

The Final Concert/Awards Program will take place on Sunday, April 22 at 7:00 PM in the United Church. The final concert recognizes those performers who have excelled in their classes, and gives the audience an opportunity to hear a variety of music and speech arts from performers of all ages and levels of proficiency.

Programs can be purchased at Balfour Drugs and Kipling Pharmasave. For those who plan to spend the day at the Festival, the committee will offer noon lunches every day except Friday, and coffee/snack breaks during all daytime sessions. Proceeds help support the local Festival.

Many volunteers are needed to make this event successful. Anyone wishing to give a few hours of time during Festival week may contact any of the following committee members: Jean Daku at 736-2598, Monica Dayman at 224-4200, or Susan Lange at 224-4957.