Organisers of the Guyana Musical Arts Festival will head to Region Five today in a quest to attract more talented persons to compete in the 16th Guyana Music festival this year.
Chairman of the Music Festival Committee David Dewar, said yesterday that unlike previous years with entries numbering around a thousand, less than one hundred persons have registered for the event which is slated for next month. He said that the meeting place for the venture will be the Latchmansingh Primary School at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, at 13:00hrs.
Also he noted that the date for registration has been extended, with the new date now being March 18.
The event is being held under the patronage of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Frank Anthony, in collaboration with the Guyana Music Arts Festival Inc., the Music Teachers Association, the Woodside Choir International, and the Partners Programme of the Lutheran Church of Tulsa in Guyana.
At the official launch of the festival, Dewar said that the event at the beginning was fostered by great teachers of music and provided a launch pad for world renowned musicians. “Our music festivals were facilitated by exemplary teachers such as Ruby McGregor, Eleanor Kerry and Lynette Dolphin, among others”.
This year’s event he said will include various classes, including children’s vocal, choral and instrumental; and adult vocal, choral and instrumental. This festival will also feature the steel band, verse speaking, dramatic poetry, folk songs and ethnic music. Winners will receive medals, trophies and monetary prizes.
Entry forms can be obtained at the Music Festival office at Dewar’s Music School, 221 Charlotte Street, Bourda.
The British Guiana Music Festivals, organised by the Teachers Association began in 1952 and continued until 1973, after which the Guyana Festival of Creative Arts, Guyfesta, was introduced and held in all regions of the country. In 1972, Guyana hosted the first Carifesta. The festival committee organised two other festivals in 1994 and 1997.
Finally a new series of Music Festivals was started in 2009, with financial assistance from a number of local sponsors and assistance from the Lutheran Church in Guyana and Tulsa in the United States.