Sjoerd Witteveen
Ritva and Charlie Croughan of Newmarket listen to the St. Anthony Catholic School choir perform Lead Me Jesus during last year’s choir festival at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket. The event returns Feb. 17 and 18.
Newmarket
November 29, 2008 11:42 PM
Teresa Latchford
Elementary students will serenade shoppers in the new year.
Choirs Festivals of Canada, an organization that hosts an annual event at Upper Canada Mall for the eighth year, gives elementary student choirs from the public and Catholic school boards and private schools across York Region the chance to showcase their talents in a non-competitive, public environment, founder Doug Pettigrew said.
“Elementary schools don’t get many opportunities to perform outside the classroom,” he said, adding the festival is also an opportunity for students to see other schools perform.
Last year, the event attracted 18 schools and Mr. Pettigrew can remember when he was excited just to have 10. Although the festival is non-competitive, the top 10 performers will return for a finale during which each choir will be recorded live inside the mall.
“People have suggested I should franchise the festival, but I could never let it go,” Mr. Pettigrew said.
“To see a kindergarten kid line up with 100 others to share their joy of music is priceless.”
Each school gets about 15 minutes to perform three or four songs, showing their love of singing and spreading the joy that comes with music, he added. His own passion for music, coming from a musical family himself, was the drive to create the organization that honours the motto “by the kids, for the kids”.
“They come to have fun,” he said. “That’s what it is all about.”
The festival is at the Upper Canada Mall Feb. 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every 15 minutes with the finale to follow Feb. 28.