Rosalia Hosts Area High School Mass Choir and Band Festival

ROSALIA- Rosalia High School hosted the annual High School Mass Choir and Band Festival Concert in the Rosalia School Gymnasium Wed. Oct. 26.

Several schools from around the region participated including St. John-Endicott, Washtucna, Prescott, Waitsburg, Dayton, Kahlotus, Rosalia, Colfax, Clarkston, Asotin, and Oakesdale.

"As a group we are trying to further the advocacy for music programs and events like this in public schools," said Oakesdale band director Kathy Zornes, she noted a middle sheet placed in the program, "We put a half sheet so people can see how important the kid's participation in these programs are."

Several quotes make up the half sheet, one from Nature Neuroscience, April 2007, "Students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of community."

Guest director for the combined choir was Sheila Wayman. They sang Cross the Wide Missouri, an arrangement by Don Besig and Nancy Price; The Old Mill, by Kenneth Rigs; and Singin' the '70s, an arrangement by Paul Langford.

Guest director for the combined band was Terry Jones. The band performed Into the Clouds by Richard L. Saucedo, The Red Covered Bridge by Robert Sheldon, and Mazama (Legend of the Pacific Northwest) by Jay Chattaway.

St. John-Endicott band director, Billy Ray explained that for the festival schools practice on their own and then come together for a combined concert, "We've been working on it for seven weeks or so," he said " being able to put everything together is neat, because this is the fist mass band choir festival since Covid."

Band members who participated from St. John-Endicott are Kaitlyn Nave, clarinet; Sophia Johnson, clarinet; Jenah Johnson, clarinet; Zanthany Brown, bass clarinet; Holley Thomas, alto saxophone; Paloma Sandoval, trumpet; Wade Gribble, trombone; and Sarah Lafleur, percussion.

"The music was selected last spring at the may music educators meeting," said Zornes, "We began working on this music along with technique work since the start of school," noting that there was additional time they spent on music to perform for prep rally.

Band members from Oakesdale were Shawn Bober, Percussion; Jacob Goyke, Trumpet; Charlie Henning, Trumpet; Dawson Lobdell, Trumpet; Grant Opitz, Trumpet; Riley Richardson, Trumpet; Wyatt Southern, Bass Clarinet; Jack Warwick, Alto Saxophone.

Zorne explained that the motto of Oakesdale school is, "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence is not an act, but rather a habit," which she felt her band students personified, noting that she had to leave at one point, and they took charge to tie up loose ends to the pieces. "When I came back they were better than they were before," said Zorne.

Band members from Rosalia included Bryden Ball, Kaleb Brown, Paige Cocking, Hunter Crouser, Gaven Decremer, Liam Demler, Preston Dunvan, Chaz Dupea, Hunter Halseth, Hailey Helvik, Ainslee Imler, Grace Jones, Tanielle Knox, Hope Lyons-Baker, Christopher Nalley, Ethan Plummer, Abigail Stilson, and Michael Talley.