Skeena Middle School concert and jazz bands along with Caledonia Senior Secondary brought home top awards from MusicFest Canada, held in Richmond this year.
And two Skeena band students were recognized: an honour jazz award for Tyler Dozzi, and an honour concert award for Alex Robinson.
Skeena concert and jazz bands both won gold in their categories. They also played a song by composer Neil Yorke-Slader, a Toronto composer who heard them play it in a workshop he did with them and said they were “awesome,” said band teacher Susan Brouwer, adding that he then helped them become even better.
In their off time, the students took in as much as they could including the Olympic Oval and its climbing wall, Spamalot, plus they heard the Conn-Selmer National Honour Jazz Band and performed a concert in Moricetown at the elementary school.
The Caledonia concert band won a gold standing, the jazz band earned silver and the choir won silver, said band teacher Geoff Parr.
“All the ensembles performed their best at MusicFest Canada,,” he said.
Caledonia students also saw the University of Michigan Men’s Chorus, a Cirque du Soleil performance and the musical comedy Spamalot.