The Bainbridge High School Jazz Band, the Wind Ensemble, the Chamber Choir and the Jazz Choir flew to Anaheim, Calif., last week for several days of musical competition with students from 14 states in the Heritage Festival.
They went, they played and sang, they conquered, promoter Carolyn Clucas said.
Director Stephanie Dupuis batoned the Wind Ensemble instrumental group to a first-place finish, a gold medal for high points, and an invitation to play in the festival’s national performance next year.
The invitation is extended to just 12 ensembles chosen from among regional winners, with the performance to be held at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall or New York’s Carnegie Hall.
The Jazz Band earned a second-place finish and a gold medal for high points, for three pieces that featured soloists Will Griffin on trombone and Bryan Benninghoff on saxophone.
Rick Vandenhole, directing the high school Chamber Choir and Jazz Choir for the first time, guided the singers to two second-place finishes, and silver and gold medals for points.
The award ceremonies were held at Disneyland amid fireworks and dancing, with a visit from Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The festival attracted nearly 3,000 student performers.
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***Interfaith group goes online
The Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap Interfaith Council has launched a website, www.bainbridgeinterfaith.org.
The site is a new way for the council – which includes 19 different area faith groups – to provide information to the community, said Dick Goff, IFC board president.
The site offers information on member faith groups, the purposes of the IFC, and upcoming and recent events sponsored by the council.
A “How You Can Help” section includes information on numerous ways in which people can volunteer with other organizations serving the needs of youth and others in the community, Goff said.
The Interfaith Council is an association of groups of different faiths to share and celebrate different religious traditions and work for good in the community and beyond.
The groups promote common faith-based beliefs by working for dignity, justice and opportunity for all persons, promoting and assisting compassionate responsiveness to human needs, confronting violence and oppression, fostering peace and healing in communities and among nations, and caring for the earth and its creatures.
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***Museum hosts WWII panel
The Bainbridge History Series will bring a panel of World War II veterans from Bainbridge to Island Center Hall, at 2 p.m. April 27.
Life on Bainbridge Island was dramatically affected by World War II. Forty-two warships were built in Winslow by thousands of workers commuting from Seattle.
About 500 sailors and WAVES trained at the south end of the island at the navy’s radio communication school at Fort Ward, a cover for a secret intelligence operation. And 473 island boys – plus 19 girls – went off to war. Eighteen islanders gave their lives.
Now in their 80s, a few of those boys are still around to tell what it meant then to serve their country. Panelists will be islanders who left the Bainbridge to join the service during World War II, or men who served on the island.
All World War II veterans and their families are welcome to attend the event and be recognized.
The program continues a multi-year project by the Bainbridge Island Historical Society to examine how island was affected by the world war. Some panelists helped plan the museum’s newest permanent exhibit, “World War II and Bainbridge Island: World Events, Local Effects.”
The April 27 program is free to Bainbridge Island Historical Society members. Non-members are $5 for adults, $ 2 if under 18, paid at the door. Information: 842-2773.
