Country festival to finish on high

Horsham Country Music Festival will disappear from the rural city’s annual major-events calendar after next year.

Festival organisers will fold their annual music celebration based at Horsham’s Sawyer Park Soundshell after a 2019 March finale.

The event, which attracts country music fans and performers from across Victoria and beyond to Horsham each year, will only continue if a new group comes forward to take the reins.

Horsham Country Music Association chairman Colin Morrell confirmed next year’s event, from March 21 to 24, would be the association’s 13th and final festival.

He said failure to find a volunteer festival co-ordinator to replace Lyall Wheaton, who has led festival organisation and development since inception, had been the catalyst to folding the event.

He added another major factor was that of the 14-member festival committee, 11 were older than 70 and the workload involved in running the event was getting beyond them.

“Everyone is disappointed the festival is folding but at the same time everyone is getting older. We’ve looked at all avenues to try to keep it going but have been unsuccessful,” Mr Morrell said.

“We’d love to be able to keep it going and perhaps in a few years a group might be able to come forward, perhaps with a different format and ideas to get it going again. But from our experience, our advice to anyone contemplating taking a festival on would be to make sure they have a person with a passion for country music willing to put in many hours of organisation. Without that type of person or people, the job is simply too large.

“And although what we’ve done has been successful, it would be important for new people to do it differently – do their own thing.

“I firmly believe there continues to be an opportunity for the festival.

“It has been getting bigger every year and from our perspective we will be bowing out with the event at the height of its popularity.”

Mr Wheaton, also association secretary, announced in April he would be stepping down from his co-ordination role after next year’s festival.

The association gave itself until October to find a suitable replacement.

Mr Wheaton said the association was in a sound financial position and the decision to quit the festival was in no way based on financial viability.

“We have given away nearly $40,000 to charity and still have a healthy bank balance,” he said.

“We will continue to run regular dinner shows and morning melodies events at Horsham RSL. In fact we are in negotiations with artists for eight dinner shows and morning melodies in 2019.”

Mr Morrell said the committee planned to end its festival run on a high.

“We’re urging country music fans to make the most of the festival in March. Let’s make the last the biggest one,” he said.

“We have a top-quality artist line-up for the 2019 event and are expecting a record attendance.”

Mr Morrell said he was open to an approach from a new group that might take on and-or adapt the community festival in the future.

He said anyone needing advice could call him on 5382 4585 or email colin.morrell@bigpond.com.