HISTORY
Unity has the honor of holding the first Local Festival in the province in May, 1926, when it had over 60 entries. As part of Western Branch #1, Unity held the Festival every fourth year, rotating with Kerrobert, Biggar, and Wilkie. It seems to have started as an annual Festival in 1958 (possibly as early as 1956), when it had two adjudicators for its 179 entries. They also put on a Christmas Carol Festival. School Chorus entries continued high, even when the Band classes expanded. Its 1988 Festival was five days and required five adjudicators. While there have been many volunteers who kept the Festival strong, the Cleall family has to be singled out. Mr. Cleall was Unity's first President, while Mrs. Cleall became its strongest and most determined supporter. When the future of the Festival was threatened in the 1960s, Mrs. Cleall knocked on every business and office door to raise enough money to keep the Festival going and flourishing. (She would not leave until she got a donation.) Of the 274 entries in 1960, 177 were due to Mrs. Cleall and her daughter Kathleen Keesey. In 1973, Myrtle Cleall and Lyell Gustin were honored in North Battleford for over 50 years of music teaching in the province.
*taken from Music for One . . . Music for All by Mossie Hancock - Copyright 1988 - ISBN 0-9693801-0-0
*taken from Music for One . . . Music for All by Mossie Hancock - Copyright 1988 - ISBN 0-9693801-0-0
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