Metcalfe talks North Hastings Music Festival

March 25, 2025

By Michael Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the North Hastings Music Festival coming back from May 5 to 9, Gillian Metcalfe, president of the NHMF spoke to Bancroft This Week further about the upcoming festival and what to expect for 2025. She says that as of March 22, they have 102 participants/groups registered with 219 entries.
The NHMF is coming back on May 5 to 9, allowing amateur musicians of all ages in Bancroft and the surrounding area to
perform and get feedback from an adjudicator in a supportive learning environment at the festival. The festival, as members of the Ontario Music Festivals Association, offers additional musical enrichment opportunities to musicians taking part in the festival who are recommended to participate provincially. Registration ended on March 16, and this year’s syllabus can be found at www.northhastingsmusicfestival.ca. To get involved or for more information, email [email protected].
Metcalfe told Bancroft This Week that preparations are coming along well for the festival.
“We typically begin preparing for the festival in September and the committee meets about once a month to touch base on our separate tasks,” she says.
Registration closed on March 16, and Metcalfe said on March 22 that she’s gone through the entries and they have 102 participants/groups registered with 219 entries.
“Last year we had 108 participants/groups register with 223 entries and in 2023 we had 110 participants/groups register with 219 entries. I’ll be working on the program over the next couple of weeks with the intent to have it published in mid April. I’ll also be updating the bios of our adjudicators on our website this evening. https://www.northhastingsmusicfestival.ca/
Metcalfe says that this year’s festival will offer more classes that are eligible for participation in the Ontario Music Festivals Association provincial finals. She reveals that they had to make a change to a couple of their adjudicators this year.
“But otherwise, the information is contained in the syllabus. For voice, Caitlin O’Connor, piano, Christopher Siu, wind and percussion, Maggie and Craig Thompson and fretted and fretless strings, Sam Allison,” she says.
Metcalfe told Bancroft This Week that the NHMF has offered an enriching experience to local musicians since 1958.
“It is completely volunteer run and we greatly appreciate the community support that we’ve received over the years. The festival is only possible through the generosity of local community members and businesses who show their support for musicians of all ages and abilities. The non-competitive nature of the NHMF helps foster a safe environment where participants can perform and build confidence that can be applied to many other areas of their lives. They receive valuable feedback from experienced musicians that they can incorporate in their musical journey. We invite all to get involved, either as a participant, a volunteer, or simply a member of the audience,” she says. “Our website can be found at the following link. https://www.northhastingsmusicfestival.ca/home.”