OUTLOOK - The Outlook & District Festival of Music is set to begin Monday, March 27 and runs for three days, with the festival finale concert taking place Sunday, April 2.
The festival is making a return after a three-year absence due to the pandemic, so excitement is running high to see it's return. Festival president Sandy Stephenson remarked, "It is going to be something special. We have a community of many talented young people and we can’t wait to bring the festival back."
The 2023 festival will feature performances in piano, handbells, choir, children's chorus, woodwinds, strings, spoken word, vocals and musical theatre, all adjudicated by North Battleford's Katrina MacKinnon.
MacKinnon is a pianist, piano teacher, chorister, and choral director. She obtained a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Music Degree from McGill University. Additionally, she holds the ARCT diploma in piano performance, first class honours with distinction, from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. While at McGill, Katrina completed a minor in music theory.
As a singer, MacKinnon is a passionate chorister. She is currently a member of the Saskatoon Chamber Choir. In the fall of 2021, she had the pleasure of working with the Saskatoon Children’s Choir as they resumed rehearsals after an 18-month hiatus. While at the U of A, Katrina sang with the award-winning ensemble the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers. At McGill, she sang with the Schulich Singers, McGill’s elite chamber choir, and the Concert Choir. She also appeared as a soprano in concert with the Montreal professional choir Voces Boreales. In the summer of 2018, she represented the province of Quebec in the National Youth Choir of Canada.
The festival committee is anticipating a great week of performances, while at the same time mourning the loss of long-time teacher and committee member Sylvia Sundby who passed away February 14, 2023. Sundby had a passion for teaching and for the music festival. She said so many of her friendships came out of connections through music. Her contributions to the festival each year were numerous and she is greatly missed. The 2023 Festival of Music is dedicated to her memory.
Programs outlining performers, classes, venues and times are now for sale at Outlook Printers and Riverbend Co-op. The festival finale, featuring selected performances from the week, will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Sunday April 2 at 2:30 pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Admission $5.00.
With the festival ready to take center stage in town in just a few days, the community is encouraged to come and check out the hard work of the performers. Stephenson said, "It’s a forum for young people to share their talents through song, individual instruments, musical theatre and spoken word. It is truly a celebration of music.”
