ALL-AROOSTOOK HIGH SCHOOL BAND
ALL-AROOSTOOK HIGH SCHOOL BAND members rehearse before their performance on Jan. 16 in the Fort Fairfield Middle/High School gymnasium, including front row, from left: Ashley Richard of Caribou, Hana Charette of Katahdin and Elizabeth Day of Fort Fairfield. Second row: community member and musician Jackie Martin, Tasha Ponder of Houlton and Paul Elish of Presque Isle. Third row: Laurel Curtis of Presque Isle, Kjetil Rossignol of Caribou and Stephen Goulet of Presque Isle. Fourth row: Jessie McNally of Katahdin and Jacob Michaud of Caribou.
Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD — All-Aroostook musicians performed a notably impressive concert on Jan. 16 at the Fort Fairfield Middle/High School. Over 300 students either auditioned or were recommended to participate in the concert, which drew a packed house, though many were readily willing to stand through the show to listen to the talented Aroostook youths.
“It went terrific,” said MSAD 20 middle/high school band and music teacher Robert Helstrom, who was the manager of the High School All-Aroostook Band this year. “The students were outstanding, musically and behaviorally, the volunteers were really helpful, and the administration was wonderful; it really was a great event all the way around,” he said, adding that the weather was also significantly mild.
“Usually when we hold the All-Aroostook Concert, it’s 20 below!” Helstrom said.
Another atypical aspect of the All-Aroostook Concert this year, aside from the weather, was the final piece, during which the All-Aroostook High School Band and Chorus joined together to perform “Today is the Gift,” by Samuel Hazo.
“Today is the Gift” was the favorite song of many students, including All-Aroostook High School Band member Angeline Armour of Southern Aroostook Community School.
As opposed to some musicians who enjoy playing a piece for their specific part, “Today is the Gift” is Armour’s favorite piece to play because of the sound as a whole.
“Collectively, it’s beautiful,” she said.
Currently a sophomore, this was Armour’s fifth year of being All-Aroostook and as long as she’s in the county, she plans on continuing with future All-Aroostook auditions. Aside from the increased level of talent at the All-Aroostook level, “It’s nice to play with new people and to make new friends,” she said.
Erica and Megan Thompson, sisters from Fort Fairfield who both made the All-Aroostook High School Chorus, enjoy participating in the musical event because of the increased number of voices who make up the chorus.
“In our high school chorus, without the inclusion of the eighth-graders, we’d only have 12 people,” Megan said. “[In the All-Aroostook Chorus] there are a lot of different voices that you normally don’t hear in our small chorus because we get to hear all four parts instead of three.”
“It sounds so much better with baritones and tenors,” Erica added.
Their favorite pieces to sing were “O Sifuni Mungu” as arranged by Emerson, and “Witness” arranged by Halloran and Bolks.
Of the over 300 students participating in the event included:
Central Aroostook: Sage Ashby, Noelle Bailey, Courtney Milliard, Stephanie Dame, Kennedy Day, Karli Levesque, Ethan McKenney, Gwen Parsons, Mollie Garrison, Molly Anthony, Spencer Garrison, Conor Todd, Alex Folsom, Dane Kingsbury, Josiah Jackins and Chandler Brewer.
Fort Fairfield: Jordann Coiley, Melissa Hotham, Lillian Ashby, Taylor Churchill, Megan Jellison, Rebecca Theriault, Kalena Pearce, Alyssa Garman, Christopher Berry, Caleb Daigle, Reginald Mountain and Jacob Thompson.
Easton: Kerrigan Arnett, Abigail Thompson, Nicole Dudley, Drew Sotomayor, Alyssa Beaton and Logan Halvorson.
Ashland: Marrisa Chasse, Autumn Lavereau, Casey Bolstridge, Brittney Harris, Jessicca Johnson, Jasmine Clark, April Godsoe, Laura Sturgeon and Tommy Tarr.
Presque Isle: Jordan Buckley, Madeline Cannon, Anna Cannon, Erin Ackerson, Cassandra Buck, Hannah Stoutamyer, Amanda Palmer, Rachel Maxwell, Karen Jones, Tyler Ayotte, Clint Adler, Thomas Burnham and Tristan Woodworth.
Washburn: Cindy Ketch, Taylor Aruda, Brook Aruda and Jessica Aube.
Presque Isle: Stephanie Winslow, Alyssa Trombley, Angela Wang, Hillary Boucher, Trevor Levesque, Nicole Whittaker, Rachel Scott, John Freeman, Kaleb Dampf, Austin Albert, Michaela Dube, Chris Marquis, Rachel Hobbs, Angela Hallowell, Heather Nadeau, Joel Tewksbury, Brenden Goulet, Chris Carroll and Nick Shields.
Washburn: Carsyn Koch and Andrew White.
Ashland: Allyx Beaulier, Rachel Gillis and Gabrielle Cyr.
Fort Fairfield: Kaitlyn Kinsey, Elizabeth Day and Joshua Wortman.
Presque Isle: Samantha Sanborn, Kent Smith, Thomas Freeman, Divya Bisht, Paul Elish, Danielle Gagnon, Adam Scott, Kyle Goupille, Stephen Goulet, Laurel Curtis, Lucas Cyr and Nathan Hackworth.
Ashland: Brooke Labelle, Whitney Donovan and Duncan McFarland.
Easton: Megan Frank and Jessica Bennett.
Washburn: Lindsey Blackstone.
Ashland: Ashley Morton and Shea Craig.
Central Aroostook: Shannon Todd, Aryn Bernier, Mariah Brewer, Brian Faulkner, Landon Jackins and Andrew Smith.
Easton: Lisa Dayringer, Zachari Bourgeois, Marissa Parin and Taylor Lawrence.
Fort Fairfield: Melissa McKenney, Megan Thompson and Erica Thompson.
Presque Isle: Courtney Colligan, Hannah Nelson, Chloe Rossignol, Kathryn Schneider, Sophia Willette, Richard Flora, Kate Campbell, Liana Cao, Madelyn Carson, Christina Hallowell, Kori Kinney, Jordyn Shaw, Ashley Soucy, Maddasin Willette and Nicholas Green.
Washburn: Amber Reed.
Staff Photo/Natalie Bazinet
MATTHEW MADORE, choral director for the Waterville public school system, gives instruction to the All-Aroostook High School Band, which included front row, from left: Julia Weatherhead of Limestone, Kayla Harris of Hodgdon, MaryMargaret Portera of Limestone and Heather Jackins of Houlton. Second row: Maryah Ranck of Houlton, Ashley Morton of Ashland and Kayla Collins of Caribou. Third row: Melissa McKenney and Megan Thompson, both of Fort Fairfield and Chloe Rossignol and Courtney Colligan, both of Presque Isle. Fourth row: Helene Thompson of Katahdin, Amber Charette of Katahdin and Tessa O’Donnell of Houlton.
Staff Photo/Natalie Bazinet
BROOKE LABELLE, left, of Ashland, Kent Smith of Presque Isle and Emily Anderson of Caribou practice “A Festive Processional” by Daniel Kovats with the All-Aroostook High School Band, conducted by Kevin Kinsey Jan. 16 at Fort Fairfield Middle/High School.
Staff Photo/Natalie Bazinet
DIVYA BISHT, left, of Presque Isle and Whitney Donovan of Ashland practice every precise note before the All-Aroostook Concert.
Staff Photo/Natalie Bazinet
NICOLE DUDLEY of Easton, front, Jordan Coiley of Fort Fairfield, back left, and Lillian Ashby of Fort Fairfield, back right, rehearse for the Middle School Chorus performance of the All-Aroostook Concert that took place on Jan. 16 at the Fort Fairfield Middle/High School.
