Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 27/01) - From fiddles to bagpipes, guitars to bodhrans, music abounds during the Great Northern Arts Festival, ending here earlier this week.

Bob Mumford is entertainment co-ordinator for the Great Northern Arts Festival. - Malcolm Gorrill/NNSL photo

Entertainment director Bob Mumford confirms that the musical portion is growing each year at the festival, as it expands into other art forms.

That suits Mumford just fine. He himself sings and plays the guitar, mandolin and saxophone.

"That's the fun for me, just getting out to play with a lot of these people," Mumford said, pointing out a lot of "spontaneous jamming" occurs. "There's a lot of interaction between the musicians."

Mumford pointed out that the festival provides an opportunity for musicians to meet each other for the first time.

Mumford has helped out with the festival for about eight years. He will be employed full-time for about a month for this year's festival, but pointed out that he started working for this year's event last October.

He said he has to spend more and more time on festival matters as the big week approaches. Early on, the overall theme has to be decided, and then musicians need to be approached.

More recently Mumford helped develop a schedule for entertainment events. During the festival he has to tend to such matters as preparing stages, as well as sound and lighting.

"During the festival it's really just kind of making sure everything is flowing, and that all the performance slots are filled," Mumford explained.

"There's five major evening events, but then there's probably going to be another 20 small performance events during the festival," he said.

"I love it. It's great. It's just so much fun to watch all these people."