Westport school officials have canceled the annual all-town band and orchestra festival, but they are seeking alternatives to the event that could include smaller concerts at individual schools.
Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said he decided to cancel the event—which features bands and orchestras from all of Westport’s schools—for a variety of issues, but he has asked for recommendations on how to move forward.
“I’ve asked the teachers how we should proceed,” he said. “We could have a showcase at each school.”
One of the issues with the annual event was its size and the number of people who attend, he said.
The concert used to be held in the gymnasium at Staples High School at no cost, Landon said, but the concert became so large it needed to be moved to the field house at Staples to accommodate the number of students performing and their families.
Playing in the field house means there needs to be a stage set up, he said, and the concert could cost $25,000 to $30,000 to be held.
Plus the acoustics are not good, Landon said, because it is so big and spread out.
“It’s unwieldy,” he said. “We’re paying a fortune in supplemental costs for it.”
