Chelsea High’s Concert Band and Cantare Choir demonstrated once again why they rank among the state’s finest music programs—urban or suburban—by earning multiple awards at the Music in the Parks Festival held last weekend.
Hosted at Westfield South Middle School and Westfield High School, the Festival typically concludes with an awards ceremony and a fun day at Six Flags New England. Last weekend’s inclement weather prevented the Chelsea musicians from enjoying that final component, but they still returned home with some of the state’s top honors.
Both groups performed exceptionally well, according to Cantare Director Pete Pappavaselio and Concert Band Director Shannon Sullivan.
The CHS Percussion Ensemble earned first place and the highest adjudicated score of the day among all ensembles, scoring 98 out of 100 with a Superior rating.
The CHS Band received an Excellent rating and finished fourth overall.
Cantare earned an Excellent rating and placed third, while the CHS Choir achieved a Superior rating and came in second. Student Dimas Villanueva was honored as the Best Student Accompanist among all competing ensembles, earning recognition for his guitar performances on “California Dreamin'” and “Blackbird.”
The CHS Band will perform next on Memorial Day at City Hall for a ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. All ensembles will also perform at Arts Night Out on Friday, May 31, a combined year-end celebration with the Visual Arts Department. The art gallery opens at 6 p.m., with the concert starting at 7 p.m. Gallery admission is free, and concert tickets cost $4.