When the ice storm hit Woolwich on April 11 and 12, most of its citizens were at least temporarily inconvenienced. For the Elmira Kiwanis Music Festival, which was to hold events on those fateful days, the hassles led to several weeks out of key.

“When I got up in the morning, bright and early, I went up to the church, and of course the church had no power,” remembered Kiwanis member Murray Haight, who was to welcome a strings competition that day. “There was nothing – the place was locked. At that point, a phone call went out to all the students that were competing.”

With a key competition in limbo, Haight and the Kiwanis Club were forced to cancel the festival’s centerpiece event: “Stars of the Festival,” an afternoon concert featuring the best performers in the Elmira Kiwanis Music Festival, as chosen by the adjudicators.

“The adjudicator for [the strings competition] lives in Kitchener-Waterloo,” said Haight. “Her husband was able to get a hold of her and save her coming all the way in an ice storm!”

But now that the tree branches have been picked up and the frost-bitten fields are but a fading memory, the show must go on. Saturday, May 4 will mark the new date for the Stars of the Festival, and students of many musical disciplines will show their stuff.

“The performers get a chance to perform in front of a live audience, as opposed to being just adjudicated,” said Haight. “In a way, it’s another part of their education, being able to perform publicly.”

Winning participants will be awarded scholarship money, ranging anywhere from $50 to $250, that goes towards the students’ musical education.

Anyone who has ever sang in a school choir or played in a high school band class knows that the Kiwanis Music Festival is a time-honoured ritual for young musicians. Kiwanis International’s self-stated mission is “serving the children of the world,” and their commitment to music education continues even as school systems continue to downgrade their arts programs. How important, exactly, is a musical education?

“It seems to be not seen as ‘core’ for their development, but for some people, I would argue the opposite,” said Haight. “It enhances an appreciation of music. Everybody listens to music, right? Twenty-four hours a day I see people walking around with earpads and earphones and everything else!”

He added, “It’s also good for character development. You have to perform, you have to train … you have to be willing to put it all out on a stage, and you have to take criticism, both positive and negative, and know how to deal with that.”

The “Stars of the Festival” performance will take place at Floradale Mennonite Church (22 Florapine Rd.) on May 4 at 1:30 p.m.