Two local competitors will perform at national festival
The news was exciting, yet a bit worrisome at the same time.
When Lucas March found out he had been recommended to compete provincially, after performing at the New Glasgow Music Festival, he was happy, but also concerned.
That’s because he found out he had less than a month to prepare an entirely new piece of music.
The clarinetist worked on the piece he played for the local festival for about seven months – on and off – spending a lot more time practising as the festival approached. But having only weeks to master a new selection was daunting.
“It was really stressful,” said the 15-year-old from New Glasgow.
He said learning the two movements of the concerto wasn’t too bad, but memorizing wasn’t complete until a day or two before the provincial competition, organized by the Music Festivals of Nova Scotia, which was held Friday and Saturday in Liverpool.
It appears that he did a good job though, as his performance has earned him a recommendation to the National Music Festival, taking place in August.
“It’s really exciting to know all the hard work I put into music is recognized,” said the Grade 10 student at North Nova Education Centre, noting that he was surprised by the recommendation.
March has been playing clarinet for about six years, starting with the A.G. Baillie Memorial School band when he was in Grade 5, and now with the NNEC concert band. But he said he wasn’t very serious about the instrument until this year.
Last summer he moved from New Glasgow to Ontario when his mother accepted a term position there, and he began taking lessons from a member of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra – Zoltan Kalman. “When I moved to Ontario, I was around a lot more musical opportunities,” he said.
Returning to Nova Scotia this year, he continued with private lessons with Eileen Walsh, a member of Symphony Nova Scotia.
“It helps me learn a lot about clarinet that I otherwise wouldn’t,” he said. “I’ve learned so much and improved a lot in my playing.”
He usually spends eight to 10 hours a week practising clarinet and piano.
Although he was the only competitor in his class, he still had to be recommended for the national festival.
March is one of two local competitors taking part in the national festival. Sarah English of McLellans Brook will also perform there after winning her class in Liverpool.
“It’s really exciting, and something I definitely wasn’t expecting,” she said.
“It’s a big honour to go to nationals.”
English just completed her second year at Mount Allison University, where she’s studying both psychology and vocal performance.
She sang five pieces in her second appearance at the provincial festival – an operatic solo and a sacred aria – both recommended from the local festival, and a song cycle, which is several pieces performed together.
“There’s a lot of talent at the whole festival, but also in that class. Any one of us could have been selected to go,” she said, noting that the senior voice class had five competitors.
English joined the NNEC choir when she started high school, and in Grade 11 began taking private lessons from Ann Holton, a music teacher at G.R. Saunders Elementary in Stellarton.
English enjoys the many different genres, as well as taking on the persona of the characters in the songs she performs. “It’s a form of storytelling, really, and it’s fun.”
She said she most enjoys Italian operatic arias. While she said she doesn’t speak Italian, she translates the songs so she knows what she’s singing about. “It’s my favourite language to sing.”
Both English and March will compete for the first time at the national festival, which will be held in Ottawa Aug. 10 to 12.