Midsummer Festival in Smithers this year 2013 was wonderful. It was two days of driving to get there. Steve was stopped once for doing 122 KM, the officer was very nice and gave him a warning, thank you for looking after us. Smithers has a lot to be grateful for in the BVFMS Bulkey Valley Folk Music Society. Starting out as coffee houses and concerts it has morphed into 30 years of Midsummer Music Festival, coffee houses and concerts. Out of all of that came Valentino's (cabaret 30's style) guitar camps for youth and adult, seed money to help start more festivals, Kispiox Festive, Edge Of The World Festival on Haida Gwaii, to name a couple. The BVFMS also provided the inspiration for music to live in our hearts and beat forward to touch a community and a region, the children have grown, surrounded by the art of music in all its forms. Thank you BVFMS, for all your years of work, I will always consider Smithers home in my heart.
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| James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez at the Jam zone on Saturday doing a workshop called "Get Out Your Guitars" performance workshop. These two have been playing together for 26 years, they do bring out the play in each other. James feels that rhythm guitarist are underrated, I understand what he is saying, for myself I was happy to play rhythm guitar, but with a voice like James Keelaghan who needs a guitar.The audience roared when I said that as MC on Saturday evening, they love his voice. Oscar Lopez, said to play from your heart and soul, have fun, let your Tiger out! |
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| Saturday evenings audience from Main stage. |
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| The Kids Area. Norma Stokes has been busy making puppets, she, Melanie Monds, Jeannie Boyce, and Kate Kantakis have a puppet troupe called BV Puppetry. They did their own version of "Jack and the Bean Stock" On stage are Jack and his Mom. |
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| The kids got a little carried away when the Giant came walking through. |
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| The Giants Wife and Norma Stokes puppeteer, co festival coordinator. |
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| A small part of the sound and stage crew, Jason, George Stokes and Chris. Main stage. |
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| driving home fields of hay bales and cliffs. |
Links to three northern festivals;
http://www.smithersmusicfest.com/
http://kvmf.ca/
http://www.edgefestival.com/
