Local Arts

The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts (SCFPA) is delighted to be celebrating its 35th anniversary - the longest running festival on the Coast.

On Feb. 16, 20 of B.C.'s young fiddlers will travel to Toronto to perform in Olifiddle, a benefit concert for a man who has touched many hearts and influenced many lives from B.C. and around the globe.

The Sunshine Coast Arts Council will host A White Evening, a salute to Harbour Publishing's Howard White, at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m.

A local band has a pair of gigs in Pender this weekend that should not be missed. Murphy's Lágh is composed of Roberts Creek's Sara Fitzpatrick on vocals and violin and Belfast-born Damian Brennan on vocals and guitar.

A new chapter has begun for the Pender Harbour Choir with Joy McLeod as the new choir director. McLeod moved to the Sunshine Coast over a year ago and is the founding director of Suncoast Singers.

Saturday night saw excitement at the launch of a new monthly coffeehouse hosted by The Wild Bistro in Gibsons.

Diversity is the keynote for Festival of Wind Music 2008. The Sunshine Coast Music Society's landmark festival features two concerts and three ensembles. A local concert band, a visiting brass band and chamber ensemble are booked.

A three-day dance performance and workshop is coming to the Coast next weekend. Last November, Caravan World Rhythms launched its Dance-PLUS performance series with a spectacular flamenco show at the Raven's Cry Theatre.

Pender Harbour Jazz Festival chair Monty Rolston tendered his resignation to the Music Society's board last October, and other resignations immediately followed from members of the stalwart committee who had put together 11 festivals.

Jim Byrnes played the Music School in Pender Harbour Jan. 12, after a hectic year and some scheduling snags, but nobody minded: he was worth the wait.