Thousands Of Band Students Set To Invade City For 71st Band Festival
By Robert Thomas
After a three year absence - due to the COVID - 19 pandemic- thousands of band students are set to descend on Moose Jaw’s downtown starting this coming Monday.
“I could talk about this forever,” an ecstatic Janie Fries chair of the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival told MJ Independent about the festival’s return.
“Everybody is so excited to getting back to doing it. You have no idea how excited we are,” Fries said.
It’s something that has not only created a major buzz for organizers but downtown businesses as well. It’s an event which will bring 3500 band students to the downtown over the course of four days.
The banner is out across Main Street, announcing the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival is a go for next week - photo credit Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival Facebook
The festival, which runs from Monday, May 15th to Thursday, May 18th will feature dozens of high schools bands from across the prairie provinces performing and being adjudicated.
“If we spread the bands’ performances put it would equal 11 and a half days of concert band performances,” Fries said.
The majority of performances are free to attend at one of the six venues the festival is being held at.
The six venues are the Crescent Park Amphitheatre, Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, Peacock Collegiate’s Centennial Theatre, Zion United Church, St Andrew Church and St Aidan Church.
Fries said the festival attempts to keep the majority of performances and events in the downtown core.
She said the safety and friendliness of Moose Jaw’s downtown is a major reason for the festivals success.
“You couldn’t hold this in Regina or Saskatoon their downtowns are different. You couldn’t have hundreds of band students walking from venue to venue in their downtowns like you can in Moose Jaw.”
“It’s safe place for parents to send their kids. It’s walkable,” Fries said.
The festival has evolved over the decades to be more relevant and to survive.
The move to an adjudicated festival geared towards high school band programs instead of the competitive festival of the past saved the festival of today, Fries said.
“We realized years ago if we hadn’t changed things we wouldn’t be around.”
The change in the direction of the festival moved it “more in tune with the schools’ music program,” Fries said.
The change worked with the festival, coming back on what many see as being on life-support, to almost doubling in size over the last 20 years.
This year the festival will feature 73 concert bands, 11 jazz bands, and 16 choirs.
Fries said you can compare this year’s festival with 100 groups to 1977’s festival where the Kinsmen were hoping to field 77 bands.
“We tend to fly under the radar. But if you look at it we are as big as in the past,” Fries said.
Another reason for the festival’s success is that they work hard to lower costs than other competing festivals in the market.
A major sponsor for the event is the Saskatchewan Band Association as well as local support.
“It’s nice to get sponsorships. The support is amazing,” Fries said.
Public Is Welcome - Free Outdoor Concert
Not only is a public welcome to drop in to the adjudicated sessions there will also be two free concerts at the Crescent Park Amphitheatre.
On Tuesday, May 16th and on Wednesday, May 17th from 11 am - 2 pm there will be a free concert Moosic In The Park.
“We do it over the lunch hour. It is specifically for people in the downtown area to come down, enjoy lunch and listen to the music,” Fries said.
Although the band festival has not held its signature parade since 1993 the organizers are cognizant to make the opportunity for the general public to come out and watch the bands.
All adjudicated sessions are free and open to the public to come and listen.
To see the schedule of performances click this link.
The festival is no longer a competitive festival but rather has turned into a festival geared towards hi school music programs.
Bands and groups appearing receive a one hour adjudicated performance as a means to improve their music.
Evening Concerts
The festival is also having a pair of evening concerts at the Mae Wilson Theatre.
The evening concerts are $15 to attend.
On Monday evening (May 15th) Carter Powley and the Chop Shop will perform at 6:30 p.m. and 8 pm at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.
Carter Powley and the Chop Shop is jazz/rock band out of Regina.
To purchase tickets click the link.
On Wednesday evening (May 17th) West Of Mabou will perform at 6:30 PM and 8 PM. at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.
West Of Mabou is a Celtic fiddling group.
To purchase tickets click the link.
The group is one Fries is excited to see performing at the band festival pointing out the $15 tickets for the performances is much lower than the usual $50 admission fee for the group.
Not The Band Festival From Yesteryear
The Moose Jaw International Band and Choral Festival has a deep emotional tie to Moose Jaw’s past.
Suggested by the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce in 1949 the band festival was picked up by the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club in 1950 who ran it until 1993.
The band festival was best known for its Saturday parade that went down Main Street. The parade in its heyday would often last close to three hours and drew thousands spectators.
“The Kinsmen had the rule that in order to compete in the band festival every entrant had to also participate in the parade,” she said.
The festival also led to a Moose Jaw being called the “Band City” as well as “The Band Capital of North America.”
Today’s festival has changed, and no longer has the parade but at the same time there are opportunities for the public to come out and enjoy the music.
For more information on the history of the Moose Jaw International Band and Choral Festival click on the link.