Getson gets three performances
Largest West Prince group ever moving on to Provincial Music Festival
The West Prince Music Festival will be sending its largest contingent ever to the Provincial Music Festival in Charlottetown on June 1 and 2. Adjudicators Suzanne Campbell for voice and Morgan Saulnier for piano recommended 14 performances from the 35th annual West Prince Music Festival move on to the provincial festival, and three of those performances will be by 15-year-old Callie Getson from Montrose.
Getson, who has “been singing since I could talk,” was recommended in intermediate piano, musical theatre and vocal solo.
She welcomes the challenge of getting three pieces ready for provincials.
“It takes a lot of commitment and practice,” she acknowledged. “You have to set a lot of time out of your day and say, ‘OK, during this time, what do I have to work on to get myself from here to there?’” The daughter of Dean and Nancy Getson said she appreciates the observations of the WPMF’s adjudicators, as that will aid her in her preparations for provincials.
A Grade 9 student, Getson said being a junior high music teacher is one of the career paths she is considering. She’s been taking piano lessons with Brenda Lee Perry since she was four. While admitting she loves studying both vocals and piano, Getson said her favourite performance piece is musical theatre “just because, for those three minutes or so you’re up on stage, it’s like you’re somebody else and you just get to fulfill that role.” During the WPMF’s Awards Concert she performed “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman” for musical theatre, and “Chanson Triste” on piano. Special guest for the awards concert was Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry, a former committee member of the West Prince Music Festival.
Also recommended for provincials are MaryAnne Gard and Selena Gaudette in junior piano, Meredith Rix in intermediate piano, Carley Allain in senior piano, Madeleine Gaudette in advanced piano National Festival Class; the Ellerslie Elementary School K-6 two-part chorus in the choral class, Ava Perry and Muireann McGuire in junior musical theatre, Amber Phillips in intermediate musical theatre, Rebekah Brown in intermediate vocal solo and Taylor Donald in advanced vocals.