Festival was held on August 6 and 7 at two different Caledon locations

By Zachary Roman

On August 7, the covered outdoor performance space at the Alton Mill Arts Centre was packed.

A sold-out crowd of spectators came out in the sweltering heat to listen to the “Friends of Chamber Music” concert, the second and final show of the 2022 Caledon Music Festival.

Masters of the flute, viola, violin and cello all played for the crowd in different formations; in groups as small as two and as big as six. They played music from a variety of different composers, and one composition performed — Vivaldi's Summer — fit the vibe of the day perfectly.

During the show's intermission, attendees were able to purchase snacks and cold drinks inside the Arts Centre. During this time, and after the concert was finished, many people chatted with the musicians who were performing. The musicians received a standing ovation when the concert was over.

During the intermission, the Citizen caught up with Caledon Music Festival organizer Terry Lim. The put together largely by Lim, and while he performed flute in the August 7 concert, he was also putting out chairs before the show and checking people's tickets.

Lim said he was very pleased with the turnout for the festival, explaining on the seventh he actually had to add more tickets than planned to meet the demand from people hoping to get a spot last minute. He said people were enjoying the music, and that he and the other performers wanted to bring a balance of strong, passionate music, and lighter sounds for a summer day.

Lim said there was a chance of a thunderstorm during the concert, but luckily it remained sunny. He explained it would have been quite a coincidence if it did thunderstorm right as the musicians played Vivaldi's Summer, as part of that piece is meant to imitate a thunderstorm.

The acoustics at the Alton Mill concert location were great, said Lim, as the walls bounced sound off of them and created a church-like sound.

Playing in the heat presented its own challenges. For example, Lim said his flute keys were a bit stickier than he's used to, which can make a difference when playing fast parts of a composition. And sweat can certainly make playing any instrument harder when a player is trying to be precise. However, Lim and the musicians assembled for the Caledon Music Festival are used to playing in all kinds of different places and conditions, and the show went off without a hitch.

“As soon as this is over, I'm going to change into my cool clothes,” said Lim with a laugh. He and the other musicians performing were all in stylish formal wear. Lim's favourite part of hosting the Caledon Music Festival is meeting lots of new people that come out to the concerts. 

“I always get lots of comments from people, whether through email or after a concert, that they really, really enjoyed it,” said Lim. “And more people coming each year, more and more people, this is always exciting.”

Since the 2022 Caledon Music Festival was a success, Lim says he is hoping to build on that success and keep the festival going next summer. He's even hoping to secure some more grants and host a winter festival as well as the summer one.

“Sometimes when you do once a year, people kind of forget… so I want to make sure that it pops up throughout the year,” said Lim.

Lim said the August 6 event, Tasting Notes at Windrush Estate Winery, was also a great success. To keep up with all things Caledon Music Festival, those interested can visit caledonmusicfest.ca.