Thousands of feet cross the stage at Evergreen Theatre each year during Powell River Festival of Performing Arts. Soloists, duets, ensembles, choirs, dance troupes and school classes prepare under the direction of their teachers for weeks and months beforehand.
For nearly two weeks performers in six disciplines: piano, strings, vocal, speech arts, dance, as well as band and instrumental, display results of many hours of practice under the tutelage of dedicated teachers and dedicated parents.
Currently Jan Grants serves on the festival committee as coordinator of adjudicator secretaries. As a young girl she was involved as a participant, and as an adult a supporter through attendance. She is now a volunteer.
Her mother Margaret Bowes taught her singing and elocution, known as speech arts now. Margaret also taught her four granddaughters, all of whom participated in the festival. She was known to say that everyone has a voice, they just need to have someone help them find it.
When Grants, who also studied the flute privately for many years, participated, the festival was held in Dwight Hall. She still remembers those times as “a big deal for me. Others played sports; I played music.”
Unlike various sports that had competitions throughout the year, music was focused on one annual event.
“It was great fun and a great training ground,” said Grants.
Six decades later, Grants is entering her second year in her volunteer position. She makes sure there is a secretary at every session to assist the adjudicator.
During debriefing after each discipline ends, adjudicators are asked for recommendations for the next festival. Once the dates are fixed, invitations go out to them so they are in place months in advance. Travel and accommodations are made closer to the festival start.
In the early years, Knights of Pythias and Pythian Sisters organized the festival and that continued until 1987. For the past 16 years it has been organized by the Rotary Club of Powell River with assistance from community volunteers interested in the performing arts. A core group of volunteers meets regularly for months and then that core expands to other Rotary and community helpers when the festival starts.
“We have people who return to help each year, as secretaries, marshalls for school groups and door attendance,” explained Rotarian Jill Ehgoetz.
She also credited Powell River Arts Council, City of Powell River, School District 47 and quathet Regional District for their continuing support, as well as Powell River Recreation Complex staff and Powell River Academy of Music.
Last month, the festival committee held its first organizing meeting in anticipation of the annual cultural highlight. “Actually we have been thinking for about a year how to enhance the festival for our 75th,” said Ehgoetz, who has served on the committee in a variety of capacities for many years. “Those ideas will consolidate into action very soon.”
When the festival was in danger of dissolving 16 years ago, the Rotary club took it on, despite a dearth of knowledge about music.
“I remember my reaction the first time I heard the word syllabus,” said Rotarian Jan Gisborne, a member of the original Rotary group that took on the festival. “Looking around the table at other Rotarians, I saw my confusion reflected in their faces. We didn’t know what a syllabus was, however, we’re good at organizing. Here we are years later, looking to the 75th time this event has taken place in Powell River.”
Anyone wishing to share memories of past festivals is invited to do so on the festival’s Facebook page.
The next Powell River Festival of Performing Arts takes place in February 2019.
