The Owen Sound city band and West Hill's new percussion ensemble will be part of the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music's concerts of festival stars for the first time.
Both were among this year's festival participants to achieve the highest results, which includes adjudicators' recommendations to play at the wrap-u p concerts and share some $10,000 in festival awards and scholarships, executive director Mary Jane Quinn said Friday.
Some 2,000 singers and musicians competed at venues around Owen Sound from April 4 through 7 and 11 through 14, with about 600 individual entries, Quinn said.
As always, the festival wraps up with two festival stars concerts, with winning soloists and small ensembles at Alliance Church tonight at 7:30 p.m. and choirs, bands and orchestras at OSCVI auditorium Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Admission to both concerts is $5.
Confirmed participants for Tuesday's concert include The Dufferin School Junior Choir, the Grade 7 and Grade 8 Choir from Hillcrest school, The St. Anthony's Glee Club, from St. Anthony's Catholic school in Kincardine, the Hillcrest Husky Jazz Band, The Georgian Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Georgian Bay Secondary School Senior Orchestra.
The Port Elgin Saugeen Central School Grade 8 Band has also been invited but had not confirmed availability Friday, Quinn said.
Our congrats again to all the musicians who participated in this year's Kiwanis and a big round of applause for all the music teachers and community band leaders; the performances this year were astounding and especially encouraging were the new entries from some of the smaller towns and schools. This is the real music, played by people who call it 'playing' because they know that it is play!
Show starts tonight at 7:30, a mere $5 admission goes to support the festival and thereby encourage the schools to put in all this amazing effort; promises to be a great show for one and all!
