For Art's Sake
The Legend of Kathaumixw
By Jessica Colasanto
It has been suggested that legend is simply the survival of rumour. Some events, though completely possible, seem implausible when retold. String a few of those together, and a legend is born.
One of the magical things about the International Choral Kathaumixw is that there are hundreds of those amazing stories--and they're all true. Perhaps some have been embellished over the years, but as you step into the arena and experience the power of the festival, you begin to believe that anything--and everything--is possible.
The concept of Kathaumixw began quietly in 1982, when two men who had recently taken the Powell River Boys Choir to an Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales stood on a hiking trail overlooking the Malaspina and Georgia Straits, wondering aloud why there couldn't be a festival of a similar calibre in North America. Don James, music director of the Powell River Academy of Music, was convinced not only that there could, but that it should be right here in Powell River; Dal Matterson, a mill executive, agreed on the spot to become its chairman. They honed a mission statement (Matterson still has it handwritten somewhere) and swore to stick to it. Thus was born the legend of Kathaumixw.
Inspired by the unique name of Llangollen's Eisteddfod (it's a Welsh word given to a festival of literature, music and performance, which literally means "to be sitting together") and wanting to underscore a strong sense of place, James insisted they use a Coast Salish word to name the festival; Kathaumixw, meaning "a gathering together of different peoples," became the perfect choice. This was providential, because what good is an international festival that doesn't have an international reputation? It just so happened that the director of the Tapiloa Choir in Finland, considered one of the best children's choirs in the world, was intrigued by the name and agreed to come as the headliner. The little international festival was quickly becoming an important international festival.
"Getting into an international festival was something else," James reflects with a deep laugh. At that time, the only reliable way to communicate with the overseas choirs was by using the Telex in the mill office (think of an electronic typewriter sending a fax.)
Dick Hibberd, a member of the Kathaumixw planning committee from the beginning, had made his own connections while teaching abroad; he invited the Nyonza Singers and Dancers from Uganda to perform in the very first festival. The choir arrived in London on July 1st, 1984, where they were planning to obtain their visas to enter Canada. However, being Canada Day, the Canadian Embassy was closed. Somehow the folks at the Academy of Music managed to convince a Member of Parliament to get someone to open it, and miraculously the visas were granted. This slight delay meant that the group was late to arrive in Vancouver, however, missing the connecting flight to Powell River.
Somehow the folks at the Academy of Music managed to convince the Powell River Flying Club to head down to the South Terminal with a small fleet of planes, and miraculously the choir made it here, in twos and threes, minutes before the opening concert. "They immediately fell asleep in their seats," laughs James, "but we woke them up at intermission!" The Nyonza Singers and Dancers proceeded to change into traditional costume--with the women bare-breasted, of course--and emerged on stage brandishing spears, which were thrust into the stage floor (they stuck!) for the group's finale.
"Imagine," James says with a satisfied grin. "Right here in Powell River."
Another magical thing about the International Choral Kathaumixw is that the legend is happening right now. In the beginning, Don James thought
Kathaumixw might last two, maybe three festivals. But it continued to grow, to the point where the committee had to pull out the original mission statement and decide not to go any bigger than the current size in order to keep the high standards they've set for quality. In the beginning, five people, including James and Matterson, put up $5,000 each to launch the festival, vowing not to go over budget. And although it has grown in size and scope (an additional festival, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, is now in its seventh season) Kathaumixw has never gone in the red. In fact, the current festival budget is approaching $1 million, and the Powell River Regional Economic Development Society estimated a few years ago that the event pumped over $1.2 million into Powell River's local economy.
Attend any part of the 14th International Choral Kathaumixw and you may find yourself in the midst of an amazing, implausible story. At the very least, you'll enjoy a spectacular performance, and you may even leave believing that anything--and everything--is possible.
