Community spirit is music to the ears
Folk fest gives Calgarians a chance to heal together
As I was driving through Calgary’s downtown recently, seeing first-hand how powerful the Bow River can be at its worst, a song came on the radio that put me in a contemplative mood.
Just a couple of weeks following the devastation the river had brought to the heart of the city, the lyrics of the song Magic Power by Triumph brought deep meaning and some hope to me.
“Are you the one and only who’s sad and lonely, you’re reaching for the top. Well the music keeps you going and it’s never gonna stop. It’s never gonna stop. It’s never gonna, never gonna, never gonna, never gonna stop,” went the lyrics.
“The world is full of compromise, the infinite red tape. But the music’s got the magic, it’s your one chance for escape. Turn me on, turn me up, it’s your turn to dream. A little magic power makes it better than it seems.”
You’re probably wondering at this point, “What is this guy going on about?”
It’s about the magic power of music to heal people’s souls. And with what this city has gone through in the past few weeks, the Calgary Folk Music Festival at Prince’s Island Park is just what the soul doctor ordered.
Music has a way of touching people in the depth of their souls.
It’s important that people take advantage of those opportunities and the annual folk festival is one of the best ways to do that.
Besides having great music, the festival has, for years, brought a community together in a lively, friendly atmosphere. There is a spirit that permeates the park every year at this time.
And because of what happened in late June, because of the pain, suffering and anguish we were dealt, that spirit of the folk festival will be a special one this year.
I was curious about famous quotes about music. So I did some Internet sleuthing.
I found some wonderful and thought-provoking statements relevant to our time and circumstance.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything,” said Plato.
“He who sings scares away his woe,” is attributed to Cervantes.
I’ve always found the folk festival to be a place where you can escape into the music. The timing of this year’s folk festival may the best ever.
As Edward George BulwerLytton said: “Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.”
How true. How very true.