Douglas hits high note with honor band, choir

Thursday night, Douglas High School was filled with about 200 honor choir and jazz band high school and middle school students, from 26 schools throughout Northern Nevada.

The students, many from Carson Valley schools and others from schools as far away as Lovelock, had been hand-picked by the Northern Zone Nevada Music Educators Association to perform in the concert. They practiced for two days straight at Douglas High this week to prepare for the performance.

"It's just a really awesome experience," said Lindsey John, 17, a senior at Douglas High School.

At Wednesday's rehearsal, Lindsey said she wasn't too surprised she made it into the honor choir since she has been in choir for four years, in the Madrigals for three years and this is her second year in honor choir. She plans to minor in music in college.

Surrounded on two sides by red, blue, silver and gold trophies awarded to the high school music department, on Wednesday about 100 high school honor choir members from 12 schools belonging to the Northern Zone Nevada Music Educators Association sang in harmony to songs like "Sicut Cervus," "Stars I Shall Find" and "The Earth, the Air, the Deep."

"Be sensitive please. Louder is not always better," said Carson High School choral director Susan Sonnemaker, who was filling in until guest conductor Don Brinegar, professor of music and director of choral and vocal studies at Pasadena City College, flew in from Los Angeles. He arrived about 11:15 a.m.

High school students met for one rehearsal Monday afternoon at Dayton High School, but middle school students didn't get to rehearse until the day before the concert. They met at Douglas High for another all-day rehearsal on Thursday, prior to the 7:30 p.m. concert. The concert included five numbers by the high school choir, four by the middle school choir and four by the jazz band.

"What they sound like right now is nothing compared to what they'll sound like tomorrow night," said NZNMEA president Mary Ryan on Wednesday afternoon. Ryan is also the vocal director for Pershing County schools, and has been involved in NZNMEA for at least 20 years.

"There are four zones in the state," said Ryan. "This is the northern zone. We include schools from Lovelock to Tonopah."

Of the 26 schools participating, there were five from Douglas County - Douglas and Whittell high schools and Pau-Wa-Lu, Carson Valley and Kingsbury middle schools. There were 12 schools represented in the high school choir, students from 12 schools in the middle school choir and the jazz band had participants from six schools.

Jazz band director Andy Heglund, who teaches percussion and directs the ensemble and jazz ensemble at the University of Nevada, Reno, said he also directed the honor jazz band a couple years ago. He said they did a different selection of music this time, with the band performing songs like "Greetings and Salutations" and "Saint Thomas."

At each school, choir and band members were asked to audition for the NZNMEA in November, with those accepted announced in December.

At Wednesday's rehearsal, Joan Browne, 17, a senior at Whittell High School, said she was surprised to make it into the honor choir since it is her first year taking the class.

"I was also excited," she said, "because this was my last chance to be in it."

"It was really cool. I was really shocked that I got it," said Rachel Jackson, 15, a homeschooled sophomore who is a member of Douglas High School's Madrigals.

-- Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.