From left to right: Jeff Mosher (Scarborough High School Choral Director), Isabella Del Rosso, Elizabeth Aubrey, Sarah Malayev, Max Chalmers, Teddy Fellows, Natalie Jensen, Noah Lyford, Emma MacLeod, Adriana Ramirez, Anish Pradeep, Livie Richard Courtesy of Betsy Chalmers

On the weekend of May 18-20, eleven students from Scarborough High School attended the All-State Music Festival at the University of Maine in Orono.

The students were selected through auditions last fall. They arrived in Orono on the morning of May 18 and participated in two days of rehearsals. On Saturday, May 20, they held two festival concerts for friends and family. The All-State Orchestra and Concert Band played in the morning. The All-State SSAA Choir and SATB Choir performed in the afternoon.

An SSAA choir is one that is composed of two distinct Soprano (S) sections and two distinct Alto (A) sections. An SATB choir has a section for Soprano (S), Alto (A), Tenor (T), and Bass (B).

“This year’s All-State Chorus Festival was an incredible experience with conductor/composer Dr. Stroope,” said Sarah Malayev, Scarborough High School senior. “Although singing for eight hours a day was exhausting, I learned so much and had an incredible experience singing with over 200 singers across Maine. Everybody there was incredibly talented and corrections were picked up so quickly it brought the pieces to life instantly. Singing in a choir so large and strong was definitely a magical experience and one I hope to experience again.”

Teddy Fellows of Scarborough was first trombone in the All-State Concert Band. He was under the direction of Dr. Trae Blanco, the director of bands at Butler University.

Elizabeth Aubrey and Isabella Del Rosso were in the All-State SSAA Choir. The choir was under the direction of Dr. Rachel Cornacchio, associate professor of music and director of music education.

Natalie Jensen, Sarah Malayev, Emma MacLeod, Adriana Ramirez, Livie Richard, Max Chalmers, Noah Lyford, and Anish Pradeep were in the All-State SATB Choir. This choir was under the direction of Z. Randall Stroope, an American composer and conductor.

At the concert, the All-State Orchestra played “Romanian Folk Dances” by Bela Bartok, “Lyric for Strings” by George Walker, “Perseus” by Soon Hee Newbold, and “Finale: Allegro con spirito from Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The All-State Concert Band played “Mother of a Revolution” by Omar Thomas, “Into the Silent Land” by Steve Danyew, “Rusty Buckets (and other Juke Joints)” by Carol Brittin Chambers, and “Fanfare Habayusa” by Satoshi Yagisawa.

The All-State SSAA Choir performed “Ad amore” by Lee R. Kesselman, “Rise, My Soul” by Susan Labarr, “Broken” by Dominic DiOrio, “I Cannot Dance, O Lord” by Stephen Paulus, “My God is a Rock (In a Weary Land)” by Daniel Kallman, and “By Night” by Elaine Hagenberg.

The All-State SATB Choir sang “Lamentations of Jeremiah” by Z. Randall Stroope, “Liebst du um Schönheit” arranged by Clara Wieck Schumann, “When the Thunder Comes” by Mari Esabel Valverde, “Song to the Moon” by Z. Randall Stroope, and “Alleluia” by Elaine Hagenberg.