Next Friday, March 18 is the deadline for entries to the Guyana Festival of Musical Arts, which will be held from April 26 to 30 at the National Cultural Centre and any entries after that date will attract a late fee.
According to a press release from the Guyana Festival of Musical Arts Inc (GFMI), formerly the Guyana Music Festival, 31 categories are listed through which participants may compete for trophies, medals and certificates. The festival is being hosted and organised under the chairmanship of David Dewar and patronage of Dr Irv Janssen and is held biennially.
All age groups are catered for from nursery age to adult, and the categories include test pieces for Vocal Solos and Duets, Verse Speaking, Choral Speaking, Primary/ Secondary Schools, School Choirs, Action and Folk Song Groups, piano, recorder and steel pan players, Ladies, Men and Mixed Voice Choirs, Gospel Groups, violin, guitar, woodwind, and brass players.
In an effort to engage interested persons, workshops have been held in Linden, New Amsterdam and Georgetown. Another is planned for West Coast Berbice. At sessions of the workshops, participants were exposed to basic but fundamental rules of music and diction in the areas of vocal and choral classes, verse-speaking and dramatic poetry – aimed at enhancing the delivery of the arts with excellence as its goal. Some of the competition music of the upcoming festival was also shared to increase familiarity and make participants more comfortable with it.
The festival was resuscitated in 1992 and has since been held in 2007 and 2009. It receives the unwavering support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Further information, registration and material for the festival may be obtained from the GFMI secretariat at 221 Charlotte Street, Bourda, Georgetown, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 15.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs. The secretariat may also be contacted on 226-3052 or 223-1069.
Recorded music for test pieces has been prepared and can be obtained from the GFMI on request. Festival call – TV and radio spots will also highlight the various music pieces in order to sensitize interested persons to some of the music of the festival.
All interested persons are invited to participate and urged to encourage children to do so as well.
