With the sound of symphony and choral music filling the air of our community for a month, the benefits accruing from International Choral Kathaumixw and Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA) are as numerous as the musical notes emanating from their concerts and competitions.
Monetary benefits can be calculated and extrapolated based on the numbers these two events attract.
Kathaumixw choirs include hundreds of singers, conductors and fans. With those visiting choirs filling local accommodations and eating at restaurants, the choral festival provides a huge economic benefit. Families who host billeting choirs fill grocery carts at local stores with more items than usual in order to prepare meals for their guests.
PRISMA has an orchestra of 90 and a couple dozen faculty members. Students and guest artists stay in commercial accommodations and some are also billeted.
All visitors purchase souvenirs of their time in Powell River, boosting the local economy with an injection of their hard-earned travel dollars.
At PRISMA on the Beach on Saturday, June 16, food and other vendors were provided with an opportunity to prepare and sell their specialities to an audience of thousands, which contributed to their economic well-being and provided an additional cultural flare to the event.
An outdoor beach concert allows families and individuals to hear symphony music without any ticket price at all. Seeing young children playing on the grass while being exposed to the music is one of the special joys of this annual event. People of all income levels can participate without any financial barriers.
How many communities have the benefit of hearing some of the greatest symphony music ever written without having to take a ferry, book a hotel room or pay a high ticket price?
Cultural benefits coincide with the financial impact of these events. Meeting people from different countries, learning about their cultures and sharing ours is an immeasurable benefit. Who has attended a Gala Closing Concert of Kathaumixw and not been affected by the mass choir and audience singing our national anthem and Oscar Peterson’s "Hymn to Freedom?"
In addition to the natural beauty of its surroundings and the extended welcoming of its residents, Powell River has a long history of volunteering for large cultural undertakings. It is a combination that contributes an invaluable component to the lifestyle of our ocean-side community.
