The Truro Music Festival was started in 1922 by Prof. Harry Wellard and his assistants, Miss Margaret McLean and Miss Lois Richardson. He was the organist at First United Church in Truro and Professor of Music at the Normal College (now called the Nova Scotia Teachers College). He truly loved music and felt that music plays a significant role in children's development. In the beginning, the Music Festival was only for schools, and was known as the Truro Choral Society Music Competition. At first, the festival was only for "town" schools, but soon included county schools and school aged soloists. The competition usually took place on the last Saturday of May in the old Colchester Academy. Today, it runs over a six week period, normally the last week of March and April, and the first week(s) of May.
The annual tradition has continued, uninterruped up to the present,
and this is the 85th Festival to be held. Sessions will be held at the
Marigold Centre, First Baptist Church, St. Andrew's United
Church, C.E.C. Auditorium,
and St. James Presbyterian Church from April 2nd to 6th and April
28th to May 9th, 2008. The festival concludes on May 9th, 2008 with the
Festival
Concert featuring some of the 'Best of the Festival'.