ELLENSBURG — A Sequim vocalist earned a top-three finish at the state solo and ensemble music competition, one of 27 North Olympic Peninsula entries to the state’s top high school music competition in Ellensburg.
Silas Baird, 17, a junior attending Sequim High School, earned second place and a superior rating for his solo bass vocal performance of “O Isis und Osiris” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and George Handel’s “Honor and Arms” during the competition Saturday.
“He’s a natural. He has a resonance you usually only see in older singers,” said John Lorentzen, Sequim’s choir director.
This is Baird’s first year as a singer, and Lorentzen said he believes Baird will qualify for the competition again next year.
“He really wanted to be first,” Lorentzen said.
Baird was not available for comment Monday.
The Solo and Ensemble Contest is held annually at the Washington Music Educators Association State Solo and Ensemble Contest at Central Washington University.
The 27 North Olympic Peninsula entries qualified for the state contest by meeting high standards at the regional qualifying event in February at the North Olympic Music Educators Solo and Ensemble Festival at Port Angeles High School.
Student performances were graded by qualified judges in their categories as superior, excellent or good and were critiqued to help students improve their future performances.
The top superior performance from each category advanced to the state contest, where they competed against up to 21 other regional winners in 29 solo and 14 ensemble categories.
Other music students from Sequim qualifying for the state contest were:
■ Eric Anderson and Blake Eriks, duet, small woodwinds ensemble.
■ Sequim High School Men’s Ensemble, large men’s vocal ensemble.
■ Sequim High School Vocal Ensemble, large mixed vocal ensemble.
■ Elizabeth Sweet, clarinet solo.
■ Eric Hermosada, vocal tenor solo.
■ Colleen Carpenter, vocal soprano solo.
■ Anderson, piano solo.
■ Ian Houghton, baritone solo.
Port Angeles High
Five ensembles and seven soloists from Port Angeles High traveled to Ellensburg for the contest.
■ Benedictus Quartet, women’s small vocal ensemble.
■ 3 Bars of Glory, small strings ensemble.
■ Port Angeles High School Chamber Orchestra, large strings ensemble.
■ In Remembrance of Bella Voce, large women’s vocal ensemble.
■ Jub & the Bubs, large percussion ensemble.
■ Naomi Kuykendall, vocal alto solo.
■ Mackenzie Cammack, vocal soprano solo.
■ Lauren Waldron, viola solo.
■ Joshua Gershon, flute/piccolo solo.
■ Bridget Lachner, euphonium/baritone horn solo.
■ Mariia Dzhenkova, violin solo.
■ Paige Sanders, vocal mezzo soprano.
Forks High School
After a decade’s absence from the contest, two Forks High School students qualified for and took part in the state contest.
Marissa Bailey competed in the French horn solo category, and Chelsea Biciunas in the trumpet or cornet category.
The Quillayute Valley School District canceled its music program in 2006 due to budget cuts.
In 2010, voters approved a property tax levy, part of which funded the restoration of music programs in 2011.
The program worked up through the junior high school level and now includes all grades at the high school.
Chimacum High School
Four Chimacum student musicians competed in five categories Saturday.
■ Forrest Brennan, multiple percussion and snare drum.
■ Sean Miller, mallets.
■ Jacob Kirsch, timpani.
■ Nate Miller, saxophone.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
