‘Night of Jazz’ – Show choirs to perform in encore supper

    HOULTON — Last Thursday, Houlton High School hosted a Night of Jazz, as Houlton High School Jazz Band, Houlton Junior High School Jazz Band, Houlton High School Jazz Ensemble, along with the high school and junior high school show choirs performed.
JUNIOR HIGH — Members of the Houlton Junior High Show Choir perform during last Thursday’s Night of Jazz and will be hosting an encore supper Saturday, April 5 at the Houlton Lodge of Elks.
    During intermission of the Night of Jazz, a special collection was taken to benefit Ian Pasquarelli, who  is getting treatments for cancer again. He is an alumnus of Houlton High School and he was an active member of the SAD 29 Music Department.  He was a member of several state championship show choirs. More than $1,300 was raised to help support his family in their travel expenses to Boston.
WEST SIDE STORY — Lowell Matthews sings and acts with the High School Show Choir during their March 27 performance at the high school.
    The Music Boosters Club is also running several silent auction items — ticket package for the 2008 fall high school musical, donated photography by Fox Hollow Photography and a hockey stick — at this weekend’s Show Choir Encore supper.
    All money raised at the silent auction will be added to the collected amount to be given to Pasquarelli.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE — Pat Longstaff and Rudy Ponder play with the High School Jazz Ensemble during the recent “Night of Jazz” at Houlton High School.
    The Show Choir Encore Supper, hosted by the SAD 29 Music Boosters, will be Saturday at the Houlton Lodge of Elks. Seating starts at 5 p.m. for the first performance and the other begins at 6:30 p.m.
    Both the Houlton Junior and Senior High Show Choirs will perform after both seatings. This will be the last performance of the year for the show choirs, so don’t miss a great dinner and award winning entertainment.
JUNIOR HIGH JAZZ BAND — Cody Woods plays “The Stroke of  Midnight” with the Junior High Jazz Band. Woods also played alto sax with the band.
    Money raised from the supper will support music booster activities including: scholarships, music festival trips, visiting artists and equipment purchases.
    The Houlton Show Choirs performed their very best this weekend at the State Vocal Jazz Competition at Lawrence High School in Fairfield. 
    The Junior High Show Choir performed a medley of Disney Songs  in Division I this year, competing against larger school districts.  The Houlton  junior high earned a gold rating (a score of 88 or better) and placed fifth.
JAZZ BAND — At top, members of the Houlton High School Jazz Band, from left: front, Michael Flewelling and Tanner Caron; back, Casey Faulkingham and Mike Libby play. Below: Dustin Delano adds some trumpet to the jazz band’s performance.
    The high school Show Choir performed selections from West Side Story and had tough competition from Stearns, MDI (new to Division II this year) and Lincoln Academy.  They earned a gold rating, and placed third. 
    “The bar continues to be raised among high school show choirs around the state,” said SAD 29 choral director Rebecca DeWan. “Our musicians sang extremely well, earning compliments from audience members, judges, parents — and even rival show choir directors.”
  Jenny Beasley won the Best Female Vocalist Award given to just one female singer in each division.