Powell River once again welcomed the world July 4–8 for the re-emergence of Kathaumixw, the world class choral festival and symposium. This year’s festival was an exuberant and joyful success, with audiences and participants having waited five long years since the last gathering.
Kathaumixw is a Coast Salish word meaning “the gathering together of different peoples.” And indeed, the qathet region has an ancient history of people gathering and cooperating. This energy remains strong today.
Powell River Academy of Music, busy with a student body that ranges from preschoolers to people in their 90s and a faculty of 40 teachers, finds the wherewithal to organize the International Choral Kathaumixw, and has done so every two years since 1984 (except when COVID interrupted).
And it is all to celebrate singing.
Singing is health-building, relationship-building, community-building. Melody, lyric, and harmony are an ancient and potent triumvirate that delivers message and experience in a memorable way that is accessible across cultures. This year’s guests and participants came from BC and all over North America. Never merely a series of concerts, the five-day festival includes common song singing, choral and vocal solo competitions, conductor’s seminars, and social events. Choirs were billeted in local homes
and in commercial lodgings. This meant that for five days the town was filled with the universal language of song—often erupting spontaneously—in restaurants and at social events, indoors and out. No wonder the festival is embraced wholeheartedly by townspeople.
Our International Choral Kathaumixw celebrates place as much as song. Festival participants delight in our warm, calm seas, inviting lakes, accessible nature, and unique cultural offerings. This year’s remarkable weather made it especially delightful for visitors to experience the peace and inspiration of our natural surroundings. Among the highlights of the 2023 International Choral Kathaumixw was the presentation of a commemorative paddle, created by Tla’amin carver Craig Galligos, to the “2023 Choir of the World.” This year’s winner, the Saskatchewan Children’s Choir, was chosen from all those choirs awarded first place in their various categories
