NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE KIWANIS MUSIC FESTIVAL
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The Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival, which typically takes place each April, has had much to celebrate this year.
The year 2023 marks the return to a live festival for the first time since COVID. The 2020 festival had to be cancelled outright and for 2021 and 2022 it was necessary to carry out a virtual festival.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival and it has been great to do so by returning to the way musical performances were intended — in person, with a live audience.
The festival’s competitive performances have all been completed and the event will now conclude with the Spirit of Music Showcase concert, which will feature a variety of performances from across the three weeks of competition — all genres, all ages and stages. It will be a fantastic concert.
The Spirit of Music Showcase takes place on Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at Hiway Church, 50 Anne St. N. Admission is by donation; pay what you can. All members of the community are welcome and encouraged to come out and experience a wonderful cross-section of this year’s festival.
The past three weeks have really demonstrated that music is alive and well in Barrie with 531 entries performed by 229 participants in solo classes and nearly 200 school participants in nine ensembles.
This was all supported by an incredible team of 31 volunteers who committed over 407 hours to keep the festival running smoothly for three weeks. In addition to a fabulous concert, the Spirit of Music Showcase will also feature the presentation of $5,500 in donated scholarships to recognize some of the outstanding performers of the festival.
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