Some 700 local elementary students from School District 47 and beyond filled Evergreen Theatre at Powell River Recreation Complex with song on May 6.
The children were participating in Music Monday, an annual event launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, and the celebration in Powell River was one of the largest, according to music teacher Roy Carson.
“We boasted 700 people at the Evergreen Theatre,” he said. “We had School District 47 students and we also had a visit from the French school and the christian school. We packed it full of kids and celebrated music education across Canada.”
Each year hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and musicians across the country join in on a simultaneous performance of a song written by a Canadian artist selected by the coalition. Local students were joined by musical educators Megan Skidmore, Walter Martella and Carson, and accompanied by the Powell River Community Band.
City of Powell River councillor CaroleAnn Leishmanalso attended the event and spoke to students about the value of music education and her own involvement in music and arts in the community.
“I was so thrilled to see the large turn out to Music Monday filling the Evergreen Theatre with eager and excited students all singing along to the songs performed by the community band,” she said. “But not at all surprised given the amazing music teachers like Roy Carson, Walter Martella and Megan Skidmore, who work with these students every day and bring them the gift of music. Powell River students are so lucky.”
This year’s theme song was Montreal jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom.” Inspired by the civil rights movement, it was written in 1962 with lyrics by Harriette Hamilton. The piece is familiar to many in Powell River as one of the songs performed en masse by singers at International Choral Kathaumixw festivals.
“It was really quite a rush having that many kids singing,” said Carson. “It was like we visited Kathaumixw in the middle of the year. I got comments that people were feeling goosebumps with all those kids singing together. It was quite amazing.”
Powell River’s celebration was also an award recipient this year, added Carson.
“We won an award for the biggest celebration in BC,”he said. “The event really highlights the importance of music in our schools and music education. It’s a great model for our community.”
