NORFOLK, Neb. – Northeast Community College will be the setting for area high school musicians and vocalists to showcase their talents.
The Northeast Music Department and the Northeast Area Jazz Ensemble will host its fourth annual HAWKFEST on Mon., Oct. 10. The event will feature 85 students - 35 in band and 50 in choir - from 22 area high schools. The honor band will be under the direction of Kevin McLouth, director of instrumental activities at Northeast, while the honor choir will be led by Margaret Schultz, Northeast music instructor.
Students earned entrance to HAWKFEST through an audition process that included scales and a musical selection to perform. McLouth said HAWKFEST is unique because it features both a band and choir at the same time with the program ending with both groups performing together.
“We are super excited to be hosting HAWKFEST this year,” McLouth said. “It is a great opportunity for students from all these schools to come and work together to make some great music."
HAWKFEST rehearsals begin at 8:30 a.m., with the day concluding with a concert. Performances by the honor band and honor choir will be held at 5:30 p.m., in the Lifelong Learning Center on Northeast’s Norfolk campus. It is free and open to the public.
The band will perform Three Ayers from Gloucester, Circus Days, Prairie Dances, and Rain. The choir will sing There Will Be a New Day, Veni, Sancte Spiritus, The Skipping Stone, and Hi! Ho! The Rattlin’ Bog. The performance will conclude with the band and the choir performing We are the Heroes.
Participating high schools include Battle Creek, Boone Central, Cody-Kilgore, Creighton, Elkhorn Valley, Hartington-Newcastle, Lakeview, Madison, Newman Grove, O'Neill, Osmond, Pender, Plainview, Pierce, Ponca, Randolph, St. Edward, Stanton, Summerland, Winside, and Wynot.
Honor Band members include:
Cody-Kilgore – Bara Bilkova.
Creighton – Benjamin Johnson, Autumn Key, Kayla Key.
Elkhorn Valley – Alexis Lind, Emma Qualset.
O'Neill – Kyler Dean, Tyler Diediker, Rachel Hupp, Caleb Laursen.
Osmond – Matthew Alderson, Keely Gubbels, Erin Wagner.
Pender – Cole Athey, Mason Bodlak, Braden Prokop.
Plainview – Marlena Curtiss, Weston Hoffman.
Pierce – Trayton Christiansen, Mya Johnson.
Ponca – Karen Alvarado-Mendez, Trevor Arrasmith, Nate Coffman, Abby Furnau, Michael Hamilton, Grace Hansen, Kyler Mahler, Oliver Persinger.
Randolph – Nicole Haselhorst, Matthew Schultz.
St. Edward – Jasmina Foshee, Grace Tibor, Izabelle Zurovski.
Honor Choir members include:
Battle Creek – Taylynn Aldag, Ashlynn Rath, Lana Tillman.
Boone Central – Quinn Bittner, Philip Carnley, Madison Gompert, Riley Lordemann, Myranda Nelson.
Cody-Kilgore – Kayleigh Ravenscroft, Rylie Sexson.
Elkhorn Valley – Layce Brandt, Paizlynn Glenn, Montana Howard, Merinee Vaughn.
Hartington-Newcastle – Aaralynn Collier, Ryell Haug, Rebekah Pinkelman, Kaylee Ptak, Trevin Scoggan.
Lakeview – Izaac Cunningham, Trenton Ditter, Dara Kapels, Trey Hill, Damion Jonson, Emylie Leffers.
Madison – Angelica Zuniga Mercado, Julixa Moran, Madilynn Sweeney.
Newman Grove – Carmen Montoya.
Plainview – Marlena Curtiss, Kayci Daudt, Kyler Mosel.
Ponca – Jackson Addison, Kemper Carlson, Brooklynn Lowe, Ashlyn Kingsbury.
Randolph – Lily Umberger.
St. Edward – Lydia Ketelsen.
Stanton – Bradyn Dickey, Kennedie Gartner, Emalee Hilbers, Tresha Koch, Audra Melcher, Arynn Spence.
Summerland – Jadyn Hobbs, Lenora Kester, Adrienne Parker.
Winside – Elayna Hoskinson.
Wynot – Isabelle Heimes, Joslyn Hochstein.
Two, $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to two seniors who participated in HAWKFEST - one in the choir and one in the band - at the conclusion of the day.
For more information on Northeast Community College’s HAWKFEST, visit northeast.edu/events/hawkfest.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Area high school vocalists perform during a HAWKEST honor choir performance at Northeast Community College in 2021. The College will host the 2022 version of the third annual event, featuring 85 honor band and honor choir members from 22 area high schools, on Mon., Oct. 10, on the Northeast campus in Norfolk. A performance of both groups will be held at 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.