Band and Choir Festival returns November 16-18
Join Comox Valley Schools for the 34th annual Band and Choir Festival, Nov. 16–18 at Courtenay Fellowship Baptist Church and the Sid Williams Theatre. Each day will feature talented young musicians from across Vancouver Island.
Comox Valley Schools have long valued the fine arts and supported opportunities for students to learn, perform and share their music. Our strong and vibrant music programs are reflected in this annual festival, where young musicians hear one another perform and learn from leading music educators in Western Canada.
This year, clinicians from Alberta and Vancouver Island will bring their knowledge and passion for music to the festival. Students from Highland, Mark R. Isfeld and G.P. Vanier secondary schools will join groups from all over Vancouver Island.
The choral portion of the festival takes place Monday, Nov. 16, at Courtenay Fellowship Baptist Church, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Clinician Bruce Cable holds a master’s degree from the University of Miami and recently retired after 25 years teaching choral music and musical theatre at the Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton. We are delighted to welcome him to the festival for the first time.
From November 17-18, the festival moves to the Sid Williams Theatre. Jennifer Mann, joining us for the first time, and returning clinician Jeff Weaver will work with groups throughout the day. Performances begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Admission is by donation at both venues, and community members are welcome to come and go throughout the day.
The district and local music teachers continue to support the festival through funding and volunteer hours, reflecting their belief in the importance of music in our schools.
“The festival has become an honoured tradition for many local and out-of-town groups,” says Jennifer Riley, fine arts lead teacher for Comox Valley Schools. “Education has always been at the forefront of this festival, and our mandate is to offer the students encouragement, and concrete musical ideas and concepts that they can continue to expand on throughout the year.”
For participating educators, the festival offers an opportunity to develop students’ musical abilities early in the school year and provide an authentic festival experience close to home.
We are grateful to local businesses, including Long & McQuade and the Old House Hotel, for their generous support each year. We also thank Courtenay Fellowship Baptist Church and the Sid Williams Theatre for providing welcoming spaces for students to perform and learn. These contributions help sustain the quality of the festival.
We invite the community to enjoy the musicianship nurtured by band and choir teachers in the Comox Valley and across Vancouver Island. Come celebrate our young musicians and the people who help their talents grow.
A detailed performance schedule is available on the Comox Valley Schools website at: https://www.comoxvalleyschools.ca/fine-arts/concert-band-and-choir-festival/
