Four Cowichan Valley singers triumphed at the B.C. Performing Arts Provincial Music Festival, held virtually from June 1 to June 5.
The 2020 winners from the Cowichan Music Festival were eligible to enter this year, as the 2020 provincial festival was cancelled, as was the 2021 Cowichan Music Festival, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entrants forwarded their individual recordings online for adjudication. Only three awards were given per category, winner, runner-up and honourable mention.
Winners from Cowichan included Bryn Posey, who was runner-up in Senior Classical Voice; Shaylee Martin, who won an honourable mention in Junior Classical Voice; James Meyer, who was runner-up in Senior Musical Theatre; and Sam Mellemstrand, who won an honourable mention in Intermediate Vocal Variety.
Congrats to all the winners!
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At their annual general meeting on June 8, the Cowichan Valley Arts Council (50 years old this year) handed out the Jeff Hunter Outstanding Contribution Award to two people: Cam Russell and Rory MacDonald.
“The two men coordinated the renovation plans that included a new storage room in the studio (former Mesachie Room at the Cowichan Community Centre) and the upcoming installation of new flooring in the galleries,” said Susan Down, CVAC manager. “The award was established in 2015 to honour Hunter, a former CVAC board member who negotiated a stable home for CVAC in the Cowichan Community Centre in 2010. A small-world tidbit: the award is a wooden plaque originally built by Karen Trickett, life and business partner of Russell, one of this year’s recipients.”
After a brief presentation by Christiane Smyth, owner of Salish Weave, a private collection of Coast Salish art, CVAC elected two new members to the board of directors: Darin Corbiere and Sheila Karrow. They also thanked two departing directors for their service: Angela Andersen and Fran Benton.
CVAC president is Janet Magdanz; vice-president is James Darin Corbiere; treasurer is Maggie Macdonald; and secretary is Diana Batcheler. The full slate of directors is Victoria Blouin, Sheila Karrow, Rory MacDonald, Cam Russell, Travis Rankin, and Lon Wood.
CVAC operates a large community art gallery and workshop space for youth and adults featuring more than 30 exhibits annually at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. CVAC hosts the largest non-juried art show (held in May) on Vancouver Island. The non-profit group was founded in 1971.
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Up next at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in their series of online streaming concerts is the return of Cabin Fever, “a dynamic group of five Cowichan region-based artists whose wholly original tunes are full of heart and energy” and whose “30-minute set will leave you cheering with joy”, promises a write-up on the CPAC website.
Cabin Fever hits the stage Friday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m.
The band includes Thomas Kuecks (guitar, flute, and vocals), James Kuecks (guitar and vocals), John Ivison (guitar and vocals), David Lane (keyboards) and Rod Gray (bass).
Once you buy tickets, you’ll have 48 hours to access the concert(s). To get tickets to either show visit www.cowichanpac.ca/