The congregation cheered.
Last September, when Rev. David Cathcart told his flock at Trinity United Church that the Council of Elders had given permission to the Coquitlam and District Music Festival (CDMF) to use their Port Coquitlam venue for its performing arts competition, there was a round of applause.
Cathcart, a supporter of the arts and culture, had heard the festival was in dire need of a home after the facility it had been using for a decade, the Hyde Creek community church, was bought last year by an Abbotsford congregation. Festival organizers had been storing their computer, files and more than 100 trophies there, and hosted its three-week long competition in the sanctuary.
Knowing that one of his parishioners, Jo-Ann Dahms, was the CDMF recording secretary and co-chair of the Trinity United Church board, Cathcart suggested their site for the 66th annual gathering.
After all, it had more parking space available for out-of-town guests (some 600 young pianists and thespians are entered this year), was along a bus route and was in a more visible location than the Hyde Creek community church. “It couldn’t have been a better fit,” said Thelka Wright, CDMF co-ordinator for the vocal and speech arts portions of the competition, “and, to tell you the truth, moving here has given us an extra impetus. We are really looking forward to this year’s event.”
The move to Trinity United also gave CDMF organizers a boost to their volunteer roster as many congregation and choir members — or their children — had performed in past CDMF festivals, Dahms said.
CDMF president Michael Wright, a former PoCo city councillor, said the festival’s official piano tuner, Matthijs Pieter Eterman, was brought in to assess the sound quality in the Trinity sanctuary; last week, he tuned the Yamaha grand piano and an upright to perfect the timbre before the piano contest began yesterday (Monday).
Wright also tapped Rob Perryman and PrimeAcoustic to bring in moveable panels to absorb the noise to ensure the church’s other users (Kiddies Korner preschool, Share food bank, etc.) weren’t disrupted.
As well, a schedule was created to accommodate Trinity’s other church bookings. “We have been very mindful that we will not be the only ones here,” Michael Wright said.
In the meantime, Wright’s been busy cataloging the numerous trophies hauled from the Hyde Creek community church and placed into storage. CDMF organizers have whittled down the hardware to about two dozen trophies; the surplus will be returned to the donors, if possible.
As a result of the downsizing, first place CDMF winners will now receive a medal while the Top 3 will get a certificate from the adjudicators: Sonia Lee (piano); Allison Arends (musical theatre and classical voice); and Nitasha Rajoo (speech arts).
The best will showcase their talents at the Honours Concert on April 8 — with a chance to win a trophy and a nod to Performing Arts BC, to be held May 29 to June 2 in Victoria.
Thelka Wright said when many CDMF entrants arrive to play, “many of them are in their gowns and tuxedos and there’s a lot of pressure on them to do well. But there’s so much more than that. Our philosophy is that this is a competition, yes, but we really hope that the educational aspect of the festival comes through, too, and that the kids have fun with their performances.”
• The CDMF Performing Arts Festival runs until March 4 at Trinity United Church (2211 Prairie Ave., PoCo). Admission is free; however, donations are accepted. Visit cdmffestival.ca.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
