The Vox Central Jazz, a newly formed extra-curricular ensemble of the choral music program at Hopewell Valley Central High School, broke new ground on Feb. 6 by attending the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival in Boston.
Vox Central Jazz sings both a cappella and with rhythm section accompaniment. The group meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A total of 21 students from the school’s Chamber Singers have volunteered long hours to learn about the style of vocal jazz. The ensemble competed in the V1 class of the festival and placed third of 16 competing schools from many states along the East Coast. The students received praise for their performance, along with beneficial feedback from the panel of Berklee professors serving as clinicians for the festival.
Gian Lombardo, a junior, won “Superior Musicianship“ for drum set. The award was given to one student from the 16 competing ensembles in the division.
Randy White, director of choirs at HVCHS, became enamoured of the style when he attended the University of Northern Colorado, a Grammy Award-winning jazz music program.
Vox Central Jazz will compete at the Roxbury Invitational in March, as will the Chamber Singers. There will also be a jazz and a cappella concert at Central High School on June 13 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, 259 Pennington-Titusville Road.
HOPEWELL VALLEY: High school jazz program praised at festival in Boston
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