Classical patrons support Serenade in the Snow

In a community traditionally driven by sport, it was refreshing to see culture and philanthropy strike a harmony at the 8th Annual Serenade in the Snow.

The night of chamber music was again hosted at Jim and Bijou Farrell’s home at Sun Peaks and with a room full of attendees the concert raised almost $4,000 in support of the Sun Peaks Education Society (SPES) through donations at the door rather than through ticket sales.

“This is the eighth concert now that we’ve been able to do at Sun Peaks and it’s been greeted with great support each year,” says Jim Farrell of the event. “It’s a privilege to be able to be involved in this and from feedback received it seems to add value to the community of Sun Peaks.”

The music for the evening was performed by Kamloops Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Cvetozar Vutev on violin, Naomi Cloutier on piano and harp, Martin Kratky on cello and Carlene Wiebe, soprano vocals. Zanna Farrell also performed on piano.

“Each year Vutev . . . has been involved and has been a key driver of the program and success of the musical quality of the evening,” says Farrell. “The presence of the harp has also been very popular and it’s no mean feat to get the thing in and out of the house.”

To make the evening complete, the music is matched with food and drinks, all sponsored by local individuals and businesses. This year Petr Duda and Ines Popig sponsored the food, Michael and Jennifer Howard sponsored the wine, while the Farrells sponsored the musicians, venue and piano. The food was prepared by Sun Peaks Lodge Steakhouse and Powder Hounds Restaurants. Barb Kupferschmidt Linder and volunteers from the Sun Peaks schools also lent a hand with the setup of the event.

For people who love live and classical music, having an event like this at Sun Peaks makes patronizing the arts possible when bad winter roads could easily keep them from venturing to Kamloops for a concert. And, in an age when less that 15 per cent of Canadians see one live classical music event annually; music in the mountains becomes both an education and an opportunity.

So, after eight years, will the Serenade in the Snow continue as an on-hill cultural tradition? Jim Farrell confirms it will.

“Plans are being made to host next year’s concert and ideas are being assembled for the musical program and format with a longer term view to the 10th year to follow with something special,” he says.
Keep your ear to the ground for the next opportunity to enjoy classical music in the mountains, and visit the SPES website to discover more about the charity this concert
supports.