A group of Powell River residents and music lovers have taken it upon themselves to save a renowned program that brought world-wide attention to the community.
When Powell River Academy of Music announced in October it was suspending the 2013 season of SOAP (Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific), supporters couldn’t stand by and let it disappear. They formed the Pacific Regional International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA) and started planning for concerts and a teaching program.
The group has an impressive roster of high-profile, energetic and experienced volunteers who have committed to ensuring the world-class program blazed by SOAP continues. Along with revamping the structure and organizing the 2013 event, the group has also launched an appeal to the community, called SOS, for Save Our Symphony.
To be successful, PRISMA will need community support. The group is seeking individual and corporate sponsorships, immediate donations and volunteers.
Powell River residents are responsive to appeals, as the successful campaign to raise funds for the digital conversion of Patricia Theatre proved. There are many reasons why PRISMA is important for the community and why Powell River residents should throw their support behind the endeavour.
SOAP had a major economic impact in Powell River. In 2010, SOAP generated a minimum of 1,141 local hotel/billet nights, 3,423 contracted meals and 96 local bus trips.
A special matinee brought several hundred visitors from the Comox Valley to enjoy the variety of Powell River restaurants and shops. Their participation generates repeat visits and word-of-mouth publicity, which, along with their direct participation, potentially adds thousands of dollars of economic activity. PRISMA will work to expand the base of participants from Vancouver Island and also to make arrangements for participants from the Lower Sunshine Coast to attend a PRISMA concert, expanding Powell River’s reputation as a cultural destination.
Powell River audiences have been fortunate for the past nine years to experience the miracle of SOAP. They have attended performances of young professionals and seasoned masters, and experienced the symphony orchestra, which has offered a wide range of works from the greatest classical composers—music that has stood the test of time because it has the power to stir universal feelings and offer insight into our humanity. Now is our time to help out and ensure the miracle continues.
