Flathead choir's tour changed

Misconduct at a choir retreat in September has prompted a change in plans for the annual Flathead High School concert choir tour.

Neither Choir Director Kevin Allen-Schmid nor Activities Director Frank Jobe would disclose the specifics of the incident. Allen-Schmid said he “would have to take that under advisement with our principals” to discuss what happened.

Jobe did, however, say that the incident involved a violation of Flathead’s code of conduct.

“Kids broke the code during a school-sponsored activity,” he said. “If you look at our code, there are only a few things that fall into play. It’s either alcohol or drugs or tobacco.”

School officials found out about the substance use a few weeks after the retreat, Jobe said.

“There’s a handful of kids that came forward and told us what they’d done,” he said. “It wasn’t the whole group; it was only a part of the group.”

As a result of the incident, the annual concert choir tour — which was slated to be five-day Salt Lake City trip — has been altered.

“It has not been canceled. There has been some changes in plans,” Allen-Schmid said.

Now the concert choir tour includes a workshop in Kalispell with two visiting choirs and a noted composer, a concert with a guest organist and a one-day trip to Spokane.

Flathead students will have workshops March 25 with Custer County District High School from Miles City, which Allen-Schmid called “one of Montana’s respected choirs,” and Dolce Canto, a select adult community choir from Missoula.

The workshops will be led by Ola Gjeilo, a Norwegian composer and pianist living in the United States. The choirs will perform an evening concert of one of Gjeilo’s latest works, Allen-Schmid said.

“This is a groundbreaking opportunity for us, one we might not get even by traveling to New York City,” he said.

The choir’s next local event will take place with organist Shauneen Garner, former Glacier Chorale conductor.

“We will do a concert with her the evening of April 7 at one of the local churches with a nice organ,” Allen-Schmid said.

The next day, the concert choir will travel to Spokane for a workshop and performance with a college choir, either from Gonzaga University or Whitworth University. The choirs will perform together at a Spokane cathedral.

The trip will also include a fancy-dress dinner followed by the choir’s awards, wills, processes and sharing — all tour staples and “all lasting into the wee hours before we board the bus” for home, Allen-Schmid said.

“Thus the essential musical learning experiences and traditions of Flathead choir tour remain in tact,” he said.

But not everyone has been happy with the schedule change, Jobe said.

“I guess the thing that some of the kids and parents are having a hard time with is they feel the choir tour to Salt Lake is their right when it actually is a privilege,” he said.

Jobe also said that comparing the school’s handling of this incident and a code of conduct violation during Flathead’s football season are unfair.

Four football players were suspended in September after a traffic stop in Kalispell led to the discovery of marijuana and paraphernalia, according to court documents. One player was reinstated after a court challenge.

“It’s like apples and oranges. They’re two different situations,” Jobe said.

Choir is a curricular activity with some extracurricular options, including the concert choir tour, he explained.

“If [Allen-Schmid’s] curriculum said they were required to take a tour, that would be different. He’s not required to take a tour,” he said.

Flathead’s code of conduct exists for students’ benefit, Jobe added.

“We want to help them make the right choices,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t, and there’s a consequence.”

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.