By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
Local show choir stars may not have returned from States with the gold, but their teachers and the greater community agree that they have plenty to be proud of.
Show choirs of the Caribou Middle School and School Union 122 both earned the opportunity to compete in the State Vocal Jazz festival on March 28 at Ellsworth High School, and both teams gave it their all.
“They had such a good performance, it was the best they’d ever done,” said the Union 122 show choir coach and music teacher for the schools Jennifer Holmes. The Woodland and New Sweden singers performed the show “Annie” and, despite performing in the large gymnasium of the Ellsworth High School with 500 to 600 people watching, Holmes said that her students had great energy and projected very well.
“The gym was huge … so for them to put their nerves away and do their best, it’s excellent,” she added.
The CMS Show Choir performed “Toy Story” and though they didn’t place, “We did a good job with the program,” said CMS Music Curriculum Chair, Music Director and Show Choir Coach Vicki King.
Both Union 122 and CMS have a longstanding history of Show Choir successes at States; King has been coaching show choir for 31 years, and she’s gone to States most of those years, placing or winning roughly 20 times.
“We knew that this year we had some weaknesses … but we (met those weaknesses) and weren’t displeased with our performance at all,” King said. “We felt like we did a good job.”
The CMS show choir coach also mentioned that the entertaining “Toy Story” entry was well received downstate — and her well behaved students were well-received wherever they went.
Union 122 and CMS competed in different divisions, but both teams had a member honored with the “Outstanding Musicianship” award — and only two of those are given out per division.
Caribou’s Kyra Thibeault received the honor, as did Woodland’s Adia Greer.
While the local singers put on tremendous performances downstate, Holmes was quick to acknowledge that local support was critical to their successful season.
“A thank-you to my (singers) parents and the school, which are such great support both in New Sweden and Woodland,” Holmes credited.
Aroostook Republican photo/
Theron Larkins
Halle Greenier stands above Hannah Landeen, who played Annie in the production of the Broadway musical “Annie” performed by the Union 122 Show Choir. The show choir, made up of students from Woodland, New Sweden, Westmanland and Stockholm gave the audience a sneak-peek of the production at this year’s Education Night, held at the New Sweden Consolidated School on March 26.
