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Festival committee welcomes new members

The Cariboo Festival has been around for 56-plus years and is a volunteer group that promotes performing arts and writing.
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Cariboo Festival Committee members at work

The Cariboo Festival has been around for 56-plus years and is a volunteer group that promotes performing arts and writing.

The board is made up of music teachers, school teachers, retired school teachers and others who want to see the arts thrive in Williams Lake.

Festival committee president Ann Smith, began volunteering years ago when her sons participated in the festival.

Ann, herself is a musician and singer and has performed in the festival as well.

Smith is also the festival’s piano section director.

Past president Jane Perry stepped into the role of treasurer after the committee sadly lost John Sykes who was the treasurer for years.

Perry has also performed in the festival in the strings section.

Carrie Barker has been involved for many years as a piano teacher and held various positions on the board.  Barker is currently filling the position of secretary.  Barker stepped into this position as the committee lost another long time member, Dodie Hama, last year.

Other members include Sharon Hoffman, retired school teacher and current singing and drama enthusiast, filling the role of vocal/choral director and Christine Constabel, retired dentist who also teaches music and is filling the role of band/instrumental director.

Laura Zimmerman, a parent of a student who participates in the festival, is filling the role of creative writing director along with myself, Michelle Erlandson, music teacher, filling the role of speech arts director and publicity promotions.

Sherry Johnson, school teacher and music teacher, covers the provincial details in order for the festival to be involved with the provincial festivals.

Raeleen Campsall, a retired school teacher, whose daughter participated with the festival, handles all the award needs of the festival and also represents the committee on the Williams Lake Community Arts Council.

Anne Brown, whose granddaughter participates in the festival, keeps in touch with the committee’s donors.

Other volunteers include Elizabeth Cornett, retired teacher and Jennifer Stirling, mother of youth who previously participated in festivals.

The Cariboo Festival committee is a great group of volunteers who work well together in order to give students of various disciplines the chance to further their art studies.

New members to the committee are most welcome and personal involvement with music is not necessary to join.

Just being a person who wants to see arts promoted is all that is required to be part of the committee.

The deadline for entries in Cariboo Festival 2014 is coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The festival syllabus is available at the Open Book.

The final festival honours concert will be held April, 26 when the adjudicators will announce the performers who will go on to participate in the provincial festival in Penticton June 3 to 7.