Haines High School musicians received high marks at the 2018 Southeast Alaska Spring Music Festival in Juneau last week.

Individuals and ensembles in band and choir won several superior ratings for their performances at Juneau-Douglas High School. Music teacher Matt Davis accompanied 20 students to the festival.

“The kids went through our digital catalogue and picked out all the music,” Davis said, adding that the musicians have been practicing their selections for months.

Three judges for large ensembles awarded Concert Choir two superior ratings. Man Choir received three superior ratings, “and the most vigorous standing ovation of the festival,” Davis said.

Keegan Palmieri, Raine Winge and Dalton Klinger won outstanding musician awards for Concert Choir, Concert Band and Man Choir, respectively.

In the solo and ensemble category, one judge gave Man Choir a superior rating with Mark Davis on tenor I, Palmieri and Nathan Haas on lead/bass I, and Dalton Klinger on bass II for singing “What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?” by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw.

Palmieri, accompanied by Rebekah McCoy, received a superior rating on his baritone solo called “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind.” Yzella Miramontes, a student of Nancy Nash, got a superior rating performing “Bethena” by Scott Joplin on piano. Lydia Andriesen, accompanied by McCoy, got a superior rating for the song “Valley of Laughter.” Mark Davis, accompanied by Miramontes, got a superior rating for performing Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto-second movement: Andate.”

Davis said Haines students also started the first regional brass quintet at the festival, with players from Thunder Mountain High School, Petersburg and Sitka joining in.

Man Choir, Miramontes, Andriesen and Mark Davis were invited to perform at the Alaska State Solo Ensemble Festival in Anchorage on May 11 and 12.

Davis said he would like to thank teacher Lily Boron’s sister Rose Lawhorne who fed the entire group twice at her home and once at the high school. Davis said it was nice to feel like the music department had family.

After the festival, students signed and framed a certificate of appreciation for Davis as he nears the end of his first year as music teacher.

“We have been through a lot of music teachers as seniors, and I can tell you without a doubt, Mr. Davis, that you have been the best music teacher I’ve had. No doubt,” said Palmieri as he presented Davis with his award.

Davis, in his first year as music teacher, said one judge who was impressed with his students’ talents told him “you owe their previous music teachers a beer.”

Davis said he felt like he was in the wrong place. “Other people get these types of awards,” he said. “There’s lots of thanks to be given to the students’ previous music teachers and who taught them as kids,” Davis said.

Videos of the musicians’ performances can be found on the Haines Glacier Bears Facebook page. Haines alumnus and horn player John Plucker watched the video. ”I’m very impressed by the high level of musicianship from the Haines students,” Plucker said. “It’s not a big band, or a big choir, where half of the members can coast on the effort of the other half. But this is pure chamber music, where each musician is a soloist, and essential for the success of the whole group.”

Band and choir in grades 5-12 will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2 at the Chilkat Center.