District Music Festival involves 1,500 students
<p>Violin player Christian Diaz, a senior, warms up before the Glacier High School Chamber Orchestra takes the stage at the District Music Festival on Friday at Flathead High School.</p>
<p>Polson sophomore Lydia Dupuis, left, and members of the Polson Select Women's Choir sing Tatkovina on Friday, April 11, at Flathead High School. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>From right, Cassie Cislo, Vicki Hiza and Baron Pulitzer of the Bigfork High School Choir perform “Ave Maria” at the District Music Festival on April 11 at Flathead High School. The choir earned “excellent” ratings for both performance and sight reading.</p>
<p>Judge Lynn Ryan, a choir teacher at C.M. Russell High School, gives pointers to students from Bigfork following their performance at the District Music Festival on Friday, April 11, at Flathead High School. Ryan's first job as a teacher was 11 years ago at Bigfork. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Music lovers have had the opportunity to hear the complete spectrum of Northwest Montana high school music during the District 1 Music Festival at Glacier and Flathead high schools.
About 1,500 students are participating in the three-day festival, which began Thursday and goes through today.
Today, solo and ensemble performances will be held at Glacier. Ensembles may feature between two and 20 students. Solo and ensemble performers seek “superior” ratings to qualify for the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in Helena May 2 and 3.
Qualified music specialists have been hired to judge student performers, rating each entry as 1 (superior), 2 (excellent), 3 (good), 4 (fair) or 5 (poor).
Forty bands, orchestras and choirs from Libby, Troy, Eureka, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Polson, Bigfork, Glacier and Flathead high schools performed for judges Thursday and Friday.
The public is invited to attend all festival events. A schedule of events is available at www.sd5.k12.mt.us/Page/4056.