Music and Speech Festival receives $15,000 scholarship donation

By Lethbridge Herald on February 6, 2026.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club present the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Festival $15,000 for a scholarship in memory of Fran Rude on Thursday at LSCO.

By Alexandra Noad

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter- Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Festival, formally the Kiwanis Music Festival, received $15,000 to support a new Scholarship in the memory of Fran Rude.

Rude put on 80 productions which included over 500 participants over the span of 55 years.

Following Rude’s death about two years ago, many wanted to pay tribute to her and support from the Sunshine Rotary Club, To Fran, With Love hit the stage last fall, with proceeds from the show going to the scholarship fund.

Ken Rodgers, musical director of To Fran, With Love, says Rude never wanted to be publicly recognized on stage, she only wanted the attention to be on the performers.

He recalls one time, the performers tricked her into going on stage to receive an applause, and she was not happy about it.

“Once, in all of the shows we did, did she walk out on stage and get an applause, she absolutely refused to be centre of attention.”

Rogers met Rude over 40 years ago, when she asked him to help with music direction for one of the shows she was doing and would turn into what Rogers calls “one of the most meaningful friendships” he would experience.

“I saw right away she was very professional, very knowledgeable, treated people with great respect and it was such a wonderful experience, I eventually came back for more.”

He adds that the money raised being given to the Music and Speech Festival, was very fitting as Rude supported the festival in many ways while she was alive.

“She was a huge supporter of the festival, she always donated scholarship money to the festival, she was a super volunteer at the festival, you’d see her there the whole time working.”

The Music and Speech Festival has been going on nearly 100 years and is one of the largest of its kind in the province.

Each year the festival gives between $10,000 and $20,000 in awards. The Fran Rude Scholarship will be the Music and Speech Festival’s second largest award.

Bryce Johnston, chair of the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival Society says the festival allows children to truly test their limits and capabilities in a safe space.

“I think it’s important for kids to be able to get out there and test their vulnerability or their limits of what they think (they can do) versus what they can actually do.”

This year the festival will run from April 20 through May 1 and will include many different disciplines including classical music, choirs, contemporary music and musical theatre.

While she may not be physically present, the spirit of Fran Rude’s legacy will continue to be felt in the theatre community for years to come.