The Cowichan Music Festival,which turned 75 this year, capped off three weeks of various performances with their annual Highlights Concert on March 4.
It featured skilled students from throughout the Cowichan Valley showcasing their incredible talents in song, dance, and on instruments such as the violin and piano.
READ MORE: Cowichan Music Festival celebrates 75 years
The Highlights concert is a perfect name for this night out and works two-fold as not only does it highlight the hard work of the many gifted and adept young musicians, singers, and dancers we have in the valley — it also was certainly a highlight of the week for all who attended. One thing is for certain — the Cowichan Valley is bursting with tremendous talent.
The night was emceed by Jean Davis, and began with O’ Canada, performed by the Cowichan Secondary Band which Davis noted was a treat as the festival has not had a band perform for years. The band followed up our national anthem with the inspirational piece ‘Portrait of Terry Fox’ — just like the legend himself the piece began humbly and became larger than life and inspired as the band played on.
On top of receiving an array of awards several students will be heading to Fort St. John from June 2 to 6 to be representatives for Provincials.
Students sang musical theatre numbers from both Disney and Little Shop of Horrors. Representing in the category of Voice for Junior and Senior Musical Theatre will be Julian Lapointe who is in Grade 8 at Queen Margaret’s School and Arabella Costello who is in Grade 12 at Lake Cowichan Secondary. Joining them will be Rowan Picard for the Junior Classical Voice category, and Agata Minka for Intermediate. Ryland Racicot will be the alternate for Intermediate Musical Theatre while Maggie White and Zebastin Borjeau will be alternates for both Junior and Intermediate Classical Voice. Lucy Blackburn, who is Grade 6 at Mill Bay Nature School, received recognition for her Canadian work in Classical Voice and received the Cowichan Musical Society Award for Musical Theatre.
Students made the baby grand piano come alive as they took their turns tickling the ivories while others made the violin sing. Ashley Pepper who is a Grade 10 student at Cowichan Secondary received the Cowichan Valley Teachers, the Newington Family and the Judith McIvor Award; she will also be the Provincial Representative for Intermediate Piano. Caidence Burns received the City of Duncan Award for Outstanding Intermediate Student in Piano. Brentwood’s Finn Dahlstrom received the North Cowichan Award for Outstanding Senior Student in Piano. QMS students Marina Jiayan-Xie and Ella Anins were both bestowed the MacFarlane Family Award — Xie for Outstanding Senior in Piano and Anins for most Promising Student in Strings.
Many young dancers will be putting their best foot forward at Provincials including Aubrey Hunter of Cedar Elementary for Modern Dance 1, Julia Parkins of Ladysmith Secondary for Modern Dance II and Cowichan Secondary’s Satya Foo for Modern Dance III. Representing for the category of Stage Dance will be Adagé Studio’s Yasmin Foo, and Ladysmith Secondary students Beth-Rose Trawick for Stage Dance II and Marley Bohmer for Stage Dance III. This year’s Modern Dance III alternate will be Luca Kendal. Elena Clements will be the alternate for Stage Dance I, Tess Massey for Stage Dance II and Lily Killam for Stage Dance III. All of the above young women also received awards in their respective categories, while Brielle Chance received the Adagé Studio Dance Award for Junior Ballet and Isla Bryne was recognized with the Duncan Volunteer Fire Department Award in Street Dance. Dance merited representatives include Sydney Johnson, Ryland Racicot, Jillian Telfer, Alivia Jones and Jorga Hawkins for Stage, and Madison Steen and Ella McQueen for Modern.
Others students who received awards in an array of categories just before the concert’s intermission included Jack McQueen, Carolina Vazquez, Ridley Havok McLeod, Calista Phillips, Jade Chen, Emily Fetchko, Addison Merrick, Ava Heppell, Camryn Butler, William Allison, Sophia Rodall, Seraphina LaPointe, Rockland Mitchell, Ava Bellefleur, Athena Wise, Bella Koreski, Jillian Krienki, Silver Costello and Sophia Toye.