Playing our song Posted:

The first-ever Winnipeg Music Festival took place in May 1919. Interest in the inaugural event was so strong, despite the fact that the last class on May 15 lasted until after 1 a.m., the audience stayed until adjudication was finished — and then many people walked home, as the Winnipeg General Strike had just begun and streetcars were not running.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/03/2019 (2125 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first-ever Winnipeg Music Festival took place in May 1919. Interest in the inaugural event was so strong, despite the fact that the last class on May 15 lasted until after 1 a.m., the audience stayed until adjudication was finished — and then many people walked home, as the Winnipeg General Strike had just begun and streetcars were not running.

Established by the Men’s Musical Club, for the past 100 years, the festival has been awarding trophies for musical performances in a wide variety of categories, including the Rose Bowl (outstanding vocal performance), Aikins Memorial Trophy (outstanding performance among diploma-level instrumentalists) and Walter Klymkiw Trophy (outstanding performance of a folk or multilingual song by a community choir).

More than 3,000 performers come from all over Manitoba, northern Ontario and the United States to compete.

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Grace Pilkey of St johns Ravenscourt, performs “Mamma Mia” from the musical “Mamma Mia at Churchill Park Church.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Grace Pilkey of St johns Ravenscourt, performs “Mamma Mia” from the musical “Mamma Mia at Churchill Park Church.

This year’s festival runs until March 17, with a gala concert of highlights at Westminster United Church at 2 p.m.

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files Alex Gordon of St Johns Ravenscourt gives a vocal performance of “Be Prepared” from the musical “The Lion King” Thursday afternoon at Churchill Park Church as part of the city wide, Winnipeg Music Festival.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files Alex Gordon of St Johns Ravenscourt gives a vocal performance of “Be Prepared” from the musical “The Lion King” Thursday afternoon at Churchill Park Church as part of the city wide, Winnipeg Music Festival.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Cellist Logan Smith plays W.H. Squire’s At Morn (Joyeuse) as part of the Winnipeg Music Festival at Young United Church on Sunday.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Cellist Logan Smith plays W.H. Squire’s At Morn (Joyeuse) as part of the Winnipeg Music Festival at Young United Church on Sunday.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files Maguire Steingart of Technical Vocational High School sings Part of Your World from the animated Disney film The Little Mermaid.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files Maguire Steingart of Technical Vocational High School sings Part of Your World from the animated Disney film The Little Mermaid.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Judicator, Naomi Forman, critiquing the students’ vocal performances Thursday afternoon at Churchill Park Church as part of the Winnipeg Music Festival.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Judicator, Naomi Forman, critiquing the students’ vocal performances Thursday afternoon at Churchill Park Church as part of the Winnipeg Music Festival.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Helena Czaykowski (far left), Alex Gordon (right) and Maguire Steingart (far right) listen as Grace Pilkey (left) explains why she chose to sing Mamma Mia during her performance at the Winnipeg Music Festival at Churchill Park Church, Thursday.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Helena Czaykowski (far left), Alex Gordon (right) and Maguire Steingart (far right) listen as Grace Pilkey (left) explains why she chose to sing Mamma Mia during her performance at the Winnipeg Music Festival at Churchill Park Church, Thursday.

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Playing our song
Editorial cartoon for March 4, 2019