The piano adjudicator, Arne Sahlen, on the first day of the Festival of the Performing Arts (FOPA), was as entertaining as he was informative. “You look like you belong at the keyboard,” he told one junior pianist to her delight. To others, he told jokes but always worked in some technical information or demonstrated techniques that would help them become better musicians.
Barbara Lightfoot, current president of the Coast’s long running Festival, welcomed the audience of parents and music teachers to the 45th year of performance. It’s a serious business for the kids who challenge themselves in this competition. It offers music, drama and dance students of all ages a chance for public performance and a detailed evaluation from a music professional. The critique is not designed to be harsh – on Monday’s day of Baroque and classical recital there was no criticism harsher than the command to trim fingernails before playing. The critique should encourage and teach. Still, it makes the pianists nervous that they will be judged and some have stage fright. Others have great stage presence, they bow and introduce themselves beautifully. All this is taken into account in their evaluations.
Audience is welcome at all the performance days with admission by donation at the door of the various venues. The funds from the door plus the many local sponsors and donors go toward scholarships and bursaries for the students.
The piano programme is over now and bowed strings finishes this Friday, April 13. Speech and dramatic arts is assessed April 16 at the Arts Centre in Sechelt, and folk instrumental and plucked strings will be on April 17 and 18 respectively. Other musical categories include brass and woodwinds (April 23), bands (April 24), voice (April 25) and choirs and ensembles (April 25 and 26). The Festival always culminates with the Highlights Concert, this year on April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons.
If you plan on stopping by for some music, check out the full schedule and locations of the Festival at www.coastfestival.com
