2017 Scholarship winners: Matthew Zhou, Jonathan Renaud, Sarah Looby and Ken Jacklin.
More than 550 individuals were involved in this year’s Rotary Music Festival which took place over four days at three venues in St. Thomas. They performed in a wide range of styles ranging from classical to jazz, pop and broadway and in a variety of formats from solo voice and instrumental to choirs and bands.
The Festival is organized by the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. The 63rd edition came to a close on the evening of Friday February 24th with the final major competitions.
The Festival is organized by the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. The 63rd edition came to a close on the evening of Friday February 24th with the final major competitions.
Over the years, the festival has given thousands of local musicians opportunity to share and develop their talents. Competitors benefit from the experience of performing and from working with highly qualified adjudicators who provide helpful suggestions for personal growth in the music field. This year’s adjudicators included: Carol McFadden (vocal), Judy Woods (piano), Nick Carlucci (strings), Don Clark (community bands, choirs, mature voice) and Jim Smyth (instruments, elementary bands). They provided guidance and supportive encouragement to the young and not so young performers up to the age of 74!
2017 performers included elementary schools (including New Sarum, Elgin Court, St. Anne’s, Mitchell Hepburn as well as Wortley Road and Ashley Oaks in London), along with community choirs and bands representing Aylmer and West Elgin.
Rotary also supports young musicians with scholarships and awards. Special competitions on the final day of the Festival are held for the Rose Bowl (voice), Silver Tray (piano), Cunniffe Scholarship (instrumental), Stephanie Leung Scholarship (piano) and new this year, the Harrington-Catchpole Award and Scholarship for strings. Many recipients of these awards go on to pursue higher education in music. Other scholarships and awards are presented to the high achievers in various classes at a Keynote Concert in April.
The 2017 Annual Keynotes Concert will take place on Friday April 7, with presentation of awards and scholarships and a showcasing of the talented festival winners. The location is the Salvation Army, 380 Elm St, St Thomas,7pm. The concert is a public event with a freewill offering at the door.
2017 performers included elementary schools (including New Sarum, Elgin Court, St. Anne’s, Mitchell Hepburn as well as Wortley Road and Ashley Oaks in London), along with community choirs and bands representing Aylmer and West Elgin.
Rotary also supports young musicians with scholarships and awards. Special competitions on the final day of the Festival are held for the Rose Bowl (voice), Silver Tray (piano), Cunniffe Scholarship (instrumental), Stephanie Leung Scholarship (piano) and new this year, the Harrington-Catchpole Award and Scholarship for strings. Many recipients of these awards go on to pursue higher education in music. Other scholarships and awards are presented to the high achievers in various classes at a Keynote Concert in April.
The 2017 Annual Keynotes Concert will take place on Friday April 7, with presentation of awards and scholarships and a showcasing of the talented festival winners. The location is the Salvation Army, 380 Elm St, St Thomas,7pm. The concert is a public event with a freewill offering at the door.
Photo courtesy of Rotary Music Festival. Article info from press release submitted by Elaine Catchpole.
Winners of the major competitions Friday evening were:
Winners of the major competitions Friday evening were:
- Matthew Zhou, London, performed “Fantasie Inpromptu in C Sharp Minor” by Chopin for the Silver Tray and Scholarship for Piano;
- Jonathan Renaud, St. Thomas, played “Paganoogie Variations” by John Maul for the Stephanie Leung Memorial Trophy and Scholarship for Piano;
- Ken Jacklin, St. Thomas, played “The Merry Widow Waltz” on his harmonica for the Tom Cunniffee Scholarship for Instruments;
- Sarah Looby, St. Thomas, performed “Sarabande in D Minor” by J.S. Bach for the new Harrington-Catchpole Award and Scholarship for strings.
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