When you set a Guinness World Record in anything, you set a pretty high standard.

In fact, some might be inclined to think that your next project might be a little anti-climatic.

Not so for Kevin Ker and Heather Cook, organizers of the Wintersong Music Festival..

Five years ago, in 2017, they hosted the longest concert ever – 437 hours, 54 minutes and 40 seconds – in the town of Stouffville. It was a massive event that featured more than 400 bands and became, for Kevin, a community binding catalyst.

“It really brought the community together,” he said during a recent interview. “It was an incredible moment for the community. It brought incredible energy to the community. We wanted to do something to celebrate that every year and that’s where Wintersong started.”

The Wintersong Music Festival, March 25 and 26, will feature scores of musicians across a dozen or so local venues. They’ll be playing as many varieties of music as you could possibly imagine.

“We have more than 100 acts performing at Wintersong,” said Heather. “You name it, it’s in the festival. We have everything from youth a cappella groups to blues trios, some really exciting instrumental players.

“There’s rock and jazz and hip-hop and country – something for everyone.”

By including music from a wide variety of genres, Kevin and Heather have made the conscious decision to include as much of the community as possible. They community has been starved for live music, live entertainment of any kind, for two years.

“We’re very involved in live music,” Kevin started to explain. “For the past two years, it’s been pretty much nothing. The timing of this festival couldn’t be better. The community needs this – we need something to rally around, something to connect us.”

Heather agreed, adding she can feel the excitement building as the festival gets closer.

“Everyone I talk to is elated, excited and overjoyed,” she said. “They can’t wait to get out and feel the energy.”

For more on the Wintersong Music Festival, please visit https://wintersong.ca/