Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society (BVFMS) has honoured Marshal Boucher by renaming its annual bursary program the Marshal Boucher Memorial Award.
“Marshal was a beacon of positive influence, an incredibly talented musician, and the type of person people liked to gather around,” the BVFMS website said.
Boucher was a well-known musician in the Bulkley Valley and played bass guitar throughout his school years, and after. He died tragically in May 2009, at 21 years of age.
The announcement was made via Zoom by friends and fellow musicians and bandmates Ian Olmstead and Alexander Loschberger during the BVFMS annual Mother’s Day Coffee House.
“I am so proud that this bursary has been dedicated in Marshal’s name, he would be so pleased, and it is very fitting that this continues for young musicians,” said Myrna Boucher, Marshal’s mother.
“Music was so important to him, and so much a part of his life that he loved. This is a very touching tribute for all of his family and friends.”
The Sunday evening concert was dedicated to Boucher’s memory, with a tribute from his friend, Marie Perry (MIP) who played a set of from Toronto via Zoom.
“Marshal and I connected through music and went to school together. He was the ultimate cool dude and was the epitome of bass face. He was a very special guy that I remember very fondly,” Perry said of her friend.
The evening also featured Simone (Hug) and Sharon (Carrington) and the duo of Marian Rose and Laura Hols-Wimbush.
Simone and Sharon shared a selection of classic pop and tango, while Marian and Laura explored a variety of folk styles on multiple instruments.
June 6 is the next virtual Coffee House, which can be viewed on the BVFMS Facebook page or bvfms.org
The BVFMS bursary has supported artists and musicians in the Bulkley Valley for almost three decades.
The BVFMS award is intended to support and promote continued education in the performance arts. It is in the amount of $1,000 and is meant to consider a diverse range of educational opportunities for young musicians.
Coffee house organizers invited people to share the news of the new award with young artistic people and applications are available online, at Smithers Secondary School and Bulkley Valley Christian School.
Memberships to BVFMS can be purchased online or at Mountain Eagle Books in Smithers for $10.