Celebrating 117 years of music and speech in Edmonton

A piano performance at the 117th annual Music and Speech Arts Festival. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Talent from all across Canada is in Edmonton for the 117th annual Music and Speech Arts Festival.

The first festival, a music competition announced by Lieutenant Governor George H.V. Bulyea, took place in 1908 at what is now All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral.

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In the 1940s, folk music and speech were added to the festival. In the 1950s, famed singer and actor Robert Goulet sang at it.

The festival has grown to now attract around 1,400 entries and 20,000 participants.

Participants this year range in age from four to over 80 years old. The festival gives them a chance to connect with others who enjoy the arts.

“If you’re a piano student, it’s kind of a lonely thing, but then you get into a space like this and there may be 10 other people in your class … and you become part of a unit and they see those same kids year after year,” said Heather Bedford-Clooney, the festival’s executive director.

The festival also has classes to teach skills such as musical theatre, speech arts, piano, strings, guitar and more.

The festival used to be more of a competitive event, and still has competitive elements that include scholarships, but it is now more of a celebration of the arts, added Bedford-Clooney.

The festival is the longest running of its kind in North America and goes until May 4 at various venues around the city. Performances are free to attend.