Volunteer Awards

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."

Kahlil Gibran Lebanese Poet and Novelist

Christine Massier – Estevan & District Music Festival

Christine came on board the Estevan and District Music Festival

Committee around the year 2003, serving as treasurer for most of the

ensuing years, with a few years off when her children were young.

Christine and her husband have three children; their oldest daughter

completed the Music for Young Children program in Estevan, and their

younger daughter is currently enrolled in MYC.

Jacqueline (Belcourt) Poirier – Lafleche & District Music Festival

Lafleche & District Music Festival is honoured to nominate Jacqueline

(Belcourt) Poirier to receive the Saskatchewan Music Festival Volunteer

Award. After participating in our festival throughout her school years,

Jacqueline was quick to volunteer her service to the LDMF Board of

Directors. Since joining our Board in 1985, Jacqueline has dedicated

thirty-five years as Official Accompanist, six years as Trophies and

Awards Convenor, thirteen years as Entry Secretary, two years as Vice

President, fourteen years as President and eight years as Past President. That’s a total of seventy-

eight years, and Jacqueline only turns thirty-nine this coming February. LDMF is getting two for

one from this volunteer!

Jacqueline also is the long-time organist, pianist, vocalist and accompanist at St. Radegonde

Church in Lafleche. Jacqueline and her husband Perri raised four musical children, all LDMF

participants. Jacqueline began teaching piano in 1983 and has been accompanying choirs and

voice students since then.

Thank you, Jacqueline! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Glenda Giles – Kindersley & District Music Festival

Glenda Giles volunteered many years as Recording Secretary for the

Kindersley Festival, helping out in every way imaginable at the festival

sessions. Glenda also has, for many years, planned, organized and

participated in our annual Carol Festival. The Carol Festival is a

wonderful evening of Christmas music, a great kick off to the Christmas

season and a major fundraiser for our festival, and it wouldn’t happen

without Glenda! In addition to her work with Kindersley Music Festival,

Glenda is an integral part of the Community Choir, United Church Choir

and United Church Bell Choir. Glenda, we appreciate all you do for Kindersley & District Music

Festival, and we thank you very much!

Jean Istace – Kindersley & District Music Festival

Jean Istace has volunteered as the Entry Secretary for Kindersley Festival

since 2008. She invests countless hours to balancing all the entries and

accepting entries delivered to her home. A couple of years ago when we

encountered challenges during our first attempt at receiving online

entries, it was Jean that went through every entry to ensure all were

accounted for. She has created spreadsheets and tracks our numbers every

year. Jean is also a great help during the week of festival. The festival

wouldn’t run without the dedication of many volunteers, and Jean’s

investment in the Kindersley Festival is greatly appreciated!

Florence Poirier – Kipling & District Music Festival

Florence has been a dedicated volunteer member of the Kipling Music

Festival Committee since 1965; over 54 years, and she is still serving her

community!

Florence started on the committee as Secretary/Treasurer, then

Secretary, and subsequently took over the role of finding sponsors for

the festival. She has worn other volunteer hats as a parent, patron,

calligrapher and attendee at the majority of festival sessions.

Kipling & District Music Festival celebrated 65 years as a festival in 2019.

We acknowledge and appreciate all our volunteers, but Florence is an outstanding

representative. We thank her for her dedicated volunteerism over 54 years.

Judith Nordness – Saskatoon Music Festival

Judith Nordness joined the Saskatoon Music Festival Committee at the request of Bonnie Meier.

Her first task was to staff the Festival’s "tuck shop" for one season. When Edith Altman left the

committee, Judith took over the responsibility for scheduling the adjudicator assistants. Judith

significantly helped the Festival to transition from paper-based to computer-based records and

she worked with Darren Schwartz to create a training workshop for adjudicator assistants. With

the support of the organizing committee, and particularly Doug McCosh and Darren, the

workshop became an annual event.

Judith is grateful to the members of the Saskatoon Music Festival Committee for all of the good

years and good memories.

Janice Paterson – Saskatoon Music Festival

Janice Paterson is an SRMTA member from Saskatoon. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Music

(Performance) and a Master of Music (Performance) from the University of Saskatchewan, and

an Opera Diploma from the University of Toronto. She currently teaches voice at the University

of Saskatchewan and maintains a large private voice studio. She is also a founding member

along, with Bonnie Nicholson, Dianne Gryba and Chris Kelly, of the Summer Academy for Voice

and Piano in Saskatoon.

Janice was a finalist at the National level of the Canadian Music Competition, was a runner-up in

both the NATS competition and the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions and was the Vocal

Category and Grand Award winner at the National Music Festival.

Janice Paterson has volunteered for the Saskatoon Music Festival for 23 years, helping the

Committee with programming, scholarships, and general duties. Currently, she is on the

Saskatoon Music Festival Committee as the Patron/Advertising person.

“The volunteers of the Saskatoon Music Festival have positively impacted my life and career

since I entered my first festival in 1977! It is my pleasure and honour to now help create

wonderful memories and learning opportunities for the young musicians of Saskatoon!”

Bernadette Schneider – Shaunavon & District Music Festival

Bernadette Schneider grew up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, and

her love for music started as a preschooler when her mother taught

her some basic chords on the piano. At age four, she entertained

herself playing songs by ear and singing along. Her education began

in a “country school” and she loved that teachers would start each

school day with music, which usually evolved into the production of

Christmas Concerts. Later, attending public and high school in

Shaunavon, Bernadette was part of choral groups and had the

opportunity to receive voice instruction and compete in the Shaunavon Music Festival. In due

course, her children learned to play piano or guitar and competed in the Shaunavon Music

Festival.

Bernadette grew to appreciate the importance of the opportunity for young music students to

perform for adjudication. In the mid 1990s, due to lack of volunteers, it appeared that the

Shaunavon & District Music Festival Association was in danger of disbanding. Seeing a need,

although she lived in an adjacent community, Bernadette volunteered to become a part of the

committee and has served in various capacities ever since. One of the greatest joys over these

years was organizing an annual community Christmas Concert to promote the Shaunavon &

District Music Festival Association.

Bernadette feels strongly about the value of music in children’s lives and remain committed to

the importance of the role the Shaunavon & District Music Festival Association plays in the

community. She says, “I feel very privileged to have served with countless dedicated and

hardworking volunteers in this amazing organization.” Bernadette continues to pursue her love

of singing and playing as a member of Shaunavon’s “Stayin’ Alive Choir”, a senior choir under the

direction of Dianne Greenlay and Norma Hunter who continue to challenge singers to learn new

harmonies and songs from diverse music genres.

Michelle Walker – Yorkton Music Festival

Michelle’s involvement with Yorkton Music Festival began when her

daughter was in Grade 4. She knew that music festival was going to be a

big part of her family’s life and figured she may as well jump right in.

Michelle served as treasurer for about six years, followed by a couple

more years on the board, filling in where needed.

She has loved watching her son and daughter perform in all the

disciplines offered at the Yorkton Festival. As well, watching the children

and youth in the community develop throughout their entire festival life

has been a wonderful privilege.

Michelle’s cheerful disposition made her a great addition to the Yorkton Music Festival

committee, and we greatly appreciate all the work she has done and the support she has been

to our team.