Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Guyana Music Festival being revived

Feb 26, 2009 News

A local group of musicians is making another effort to revive the Guyana Music Festival, which in its heyday was hailed as an important avenue for the development of local musical talent.
The Guyana Music Festival Association, along with the Guyana Music Teachers Association, the Woodside Choir and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, plans to put on the festival from April 14-18 this year.
Persons who can sing or play an instrument are being invited to pick up an application form at the Festival’s office at 221 Charlotte Street, Bourda, next to the Bahai Centre. The Festival’s office is the residence of David and Marilyn Dewar, both members of the Woodside Choir, which had its humble beginnings at the Guyana Music Festival decades ago.
An invitation is extended for vocal solos and duets; verse speaking; choral speaking; primary/secondary school choirs; church choirs; action and folk song groups; piano, recorder and steel pan players;  ladies, men and mixed voice choirs; gospel groups; violin, guitar and brass players.
The festival is being held under the patronage of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and has the support of the Ministry of Education.
Professor Vibert Cambridge is sponsoring a US$500 prize for a special category featuring “Bird Songs of Guyana.”
The Guyana Music Festival was held regularly from 1952-1973, and the competition was later moved on to be part of Guyfesta.
Efforts to revive the Festival came in 1994 and 1997, but were never followed through with.
However, when Dr Erv Janseen, the Coordinator of the Music Education Programme of Partners in Mission with the Evangelical Lutheran Church learnt of the Guyana Music Teachers Association, the idea of a revival of the music festival was born.
The Lutheran Church will be sponsoring the visit of Americans Donald Ryan and Marilynda Lynch, who will be the main adjudicators. Some of the local judges will be Cecil Bovell, David Dewar and Joyce Jonas.
Among those whose talent the Guyana Music Festival discovered was that of famed pianist Ray Luck.
David Dewar posits that if the Festival had continued, Guyana would have had much better musicians to be proud of. “And we would have had better calypsos,” he quipped.
In fact, Dewar noted that many of Guyana’s national songs were written for the Guyana Music Festival, and so he sees good reason in the revival of the event at this time.
The opening of the Festival is slated for the National Cultural Centre, while the competition proper will be held at the Bishop’s High School in Georgetown.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

 

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Futebol Real Brazil executive Naranda Wislon visits Guyana

Futebol Real Brazil executive Naranda Wislon visits Guyana

Dec 21, 2024

…A game-changing opportunity for youth footballers Kaieteur Sports- In a significant move to bolster the local football landscape, the Petra Organisation welcomed a distinguished visitor yesterday...
Read More
Windies captain Matthews cites lessons from T20I loss to refine strategies for ODI series

Windies captain Matthews cites lessons from T20I...

Dec 21, 2024

Powell calls for Reflection after West Indies suffer T20I whitewash

Powell calls for Reflection after West Indies...

Dec 21, 2024

Herstelling A are EBDCA/SPL T10 champs

Herstelling A are EBDCA/SPL T10 champs

Dec 21, 2024

Opinion Piece: Condemning the Nonsensical Guyana Cricket Board-Wehby Report Opposition

Opinion Piece: Condemning the Nonsensical Guyana...

Dec 21, 2024

India produce dominant 60-run win over West Indies to claim 2-1 T20I series victory in Mumbai

India produce dominant 60-run win over West...

Dec 20, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]