Local students make it to Provincial Music Festival

Manny Everett

Times Contributor    

 

The Alberta Music Festival Association held their annual event from May 29 through to June 1 in Edmonton this year. 

Many Festivals are represented in the main event including our local Festival Association in Drumheller where four local young ladies got to compete at the Provincial level.

Rayanne and Shelby Laycock have both been competing since they were 3 years old. Proudly both girls got Marks of Distinction in their musical pieces. Rayanne competed in the Girls 12 and under vocal solo singing ‘Butterflies’, and her second song was ‘The Water is Wide’. Shelby performed a  Musical Theatre solo in the 12 and under category with ‘My Party Dress’.

Susanne Sevick placed second in the province in Piano Solo Grade 5 and 6 requiring two pieces of music. Sevick’s piano teacher from Strathmore Carolyn Steeves remarked, “She played first of 13 competitors from various festivals around the province representing the Drumheller Festival and am pleased to announce she placed second.” 

The first piece was 6 variations in G major and the second piece performed was ‘A Sauntering Tune’. Mom Margo Sevick was pleased with her performance and said “ Susanne had fun and really liked the Adjudicator Michel Fournier who was fantastic with the kids.”

Chelsea Murphy from Rosebud performed well in her two categories of Musical Theatre. In her Up tempo piece named ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ by Noel Coward she placed second in the province, and in her Ballad piece, ‘My Dog’ by William Finn she placed first. The inspiring 18-year-old from Rosebud will be attending UBCO in the fall in preparation to attend Nursing School.

It is great to know that we have such wonderful young artists in our communities to represent us in the provincial levels.