Congratulations to the Enharmonix, Portsmouth Abbey's vocal jazz ensemble, for placing third at the 47th annual Berklee High School Jazz Festival on Saturday, January 31st. There are only 16 schools allowed to enter each instrumental and vocal category, and for the second time in three years, the Enharmonix, under the guidance of Portsmouth Abbey School Director of Music Jeff Kerr, were recognized by the Berklee College of Music faculty as one of the top groups at the festival in the Vocal II category. Sophia Diodati '15 was also recognized for the second straight year as the Judges' Choice award winner for her skills as a vocalist and jazz pianist. As a festival winner, Portsmouth Abbey School Abbey will be able to send two students from the group to one of Berklee College of Music's summer programs with a 25% scholarship.
The day was filled with fun and education, as the students were able take in all different kinds of music throughout the day. The musicians not only performed well, they also connected with the audience, which made it a memorable performance for the packed room. Here are some of the judges' comments:
"What a fun group!" – Jeff Ramsey (Associate Professor, Voice)
"They achieve a good blend with the harmonies, and make the most of the vocal quality present." – Tom Stein (Professor, Professional Music)
"Nice stage presence! Good blend, nice big vocal sound. Love the dissonant harmonies. Lots of conviction! Really nice variety of material, very entertaining!"
– Nancy Morris (Professor, Ensemble)
Abbey Musicians:
Caellum Kerr, '16 – Bass
Victor Florescu, '15 – Bass
Dylan Bedford, '15 – Tenor
Tiernan O'Rourke, '15 – Tenor
Zoe Butler, '16 - Alto
Sophia Diodati, '15 – Alto
Maggie Ingraham, '15 Alto/Soprano
Carly Johnston, '16 Alto/Soprano
Mary Kennedy, '15 Soprano
Maya Wilson, '17 Soprano
Mike Gibb, '15 Percussion
Mr. Joe Bentley, Double Bass
Mr. Bob Brett, Guitar
Mr. Bo Smith, Percussion
Mr. Jeffrey Kerr, Director
Berklee College of Music hosts its High School Jazz Festival at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Berklee's annual event is the largest of its kind in the United States, free, and open the public. Big bands, combos, and vocal jazz ensembles will perform and compete throughout the day. All ensembles are adjudicated by a panel of Berklee's top faculty and will receive a written critique of their performance. Top-ranked ensembles will be awarded partial scholarships to Berklee's Five Week Summer Performance Program, and individual students are invited to audition for tuition scholarships towards the full-time program or our Five Week Summer Performance Program.