We have missed your wonderful festival during Covid. Your work for this festival is an incredible artistic contribution to our community and provides a fantastic opportunity for students. Thank you so much for all your hard work! ~Hannah Shelton Campbell, MMus, BMus Voice Specialist, Piano & Theory Teacher

My choir, and I, had such a phenomenal experience on Wednesday. Thank you so much for providing my school with this opportunity. Everything was well organized, and the kids were SO excited to sing and be a part of the process. The Primrose Singers were inspiring. The adjudication was positive and helpful, and I was so impressed with how my students took it all to heart. They really rose to the occasion, because it ‘felt’ like a special occasion. Lynne – thank you for welcoming us, and for answering my many questions. We were all a little nervous, this being our first festival with an adjudicator, but I want to tell you that I am so very excited to come again next year. It was simply a wonderful experience, all ‘round! Please let me know if I can help in any way, from my end. Spreading the word to other schools? Anything. We were on a high all day. Thanks so very much!! ~ Kim Stevenson, Montgomery Village Children’s Choir (2018)

I just wanted to thank you for allowing our band to attend today. It was a lovely morning and our students really thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was pretty impressed with how quiet they were…when they were supposed to. I was also impressed by how much feedback we received for every piece. The students couldn’t wait to hear the report….You worked hard and I just wanted to thank you. We would love to come again next year and I might even bring my first-year band along. Again, what a smooth-running event…of course…no surprise there. ~ Laurie Heimbecker, Princess Margaret Public School Band (2018)

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to adjudicate your Festival! It was very organized and well run, and your team is to be congratulated on their superb organization and attention to detail. And many thanks also to you and Tom, for your hospitality in hosting me during my time in Orangeville! You have a lovely home and location and it was great to share some time together with both of you. All the best and hopefully our paths will cross again before too long! Warmly, Melodie ~ Melodie Hewer, 2018 Adjudicator

The Orangeville Music Festival has been a part of my life for 8 years now. For young artists, the festival provides an incredibly kind, friendly, and constructive environment for artistic growth. Your support of young artists like me is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for understanding the difficulties, particularly financially, that can follow musicians, and for offering assistance to young people who are looking to start a career in this difficult field. I used to think that I would end up becoming a scientist or a mathematician because this was a “safe” career, but I finally realized that I simply could not live a life where I was not around music every day. I needed to grab at the chance of doing what I loved. Singing fulfills me and I am so lucky to be able to do it professionally. My goal, in the end, is to be an opera singer, and this is certainly a career that one can only pursue if one is incredibly passionate about music and has a dedicated and proactive attitude. Thanks so much. ~ Alexandra Brennan (2015) Scholarship Recipient

I’d like to thank ODMF for the opportunity to attend the Summer Sizzle Keyboard Kamp. It was quite an experience and was very enjoyable. I have been inspired to do some composing myself. Thank you again ~ Jonathan Lane-Smith (2014) Scholarship Recipient

The Orangeville District Music Festival made a wonderful contribution to my musicianship as a teenager. It gave me an opportunity to perform under pressure as well as offered me a fresh view of my abilities as a performer. With each entry, I was able to further my skills and to hone my talent in order to ultimately tackle the professional world of music and the judgment that inevitably occurs within it. The Orangeville Music Festival inspires and motivates young musicians while giving them a set of critiques that encourages them to continue their studies, to expect excellence from themselves, and to walk away with a sure sense of pride in their work as a musician. Any promising young musician should seriously consider participating in this incredible experience! ~ Pamela Scott, actress, drama instructor, vocal teacher Director, 2012 Orangeville Music Theatre

I’m just writing to thank you for the wonderful experience I had at the festival this year. I appreciate your cordiality and for being so accommodating when my brother forgot his violin. I also wanted to let those who were interested to know the results of my performer’s ARCT exam. I passed with a mark of 80 and I am quite pleased with what I got. I just have two more theory exams to do, after which I can get my performer’s ARCT diploma. Thank you once again for your encouragement to me through the music festival. ~ Michael Wulff, Participant

Thank you for putting on the music festival. It was lots of fun playing in the festival and gala. Thank you for the money that came with the scholarship and the Most Promising Musician Award. I am donating part of the money back to the church. Thanks again for everything!!!
~ Callum Boland, Scholarship Recipient

Thank you for running the Orangeville Music Festival this year. I had a fun time participating. ~ David Price (1999) Participant

Thank you for the scholarship. I was really impressed by the music festival. I’m glad you will be continuing next year. I’m sure I will be coming back. See you then. ~ Allison Price (1998) Scholarship Recipient

Thank you for the piano scholarship. I really enjoyed playing at your Music Festival. Thanks for all your time to plan the festival. I hope I can perform again next year. ~ Emily Somerville (1998) Scholarship Recipient

Thank you so much for running the music competition in Orangeville. I’m really glad I signed up for the competition because I got a lot of confidence playing there. I also compared myself to other students and learned a couple of things from them too! I really liked how I didn’t feel a lot of pressure before I went up. The adjudicator was really helpful too. I learned a lot of things from her. The money came in really handy when I went shopping for some clothes. You’ll see me at the piano competition (and maybe the fiddle competition) next year. You did a great job organizing it. Thanks again. ~ Jane Lanktree (1998) Scholarship Recipient