Choir wins big in California

SANDPOINT — Jasmin Foley, Danielle Capelli and the rest of the Sandpoint High School Chamber Choir had something to prove when they performed in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday.

As the lone choir from the Pacific Northwest competing against a half-dozen schools from much larger and wealthier districts in the Worldstrides Heritage Music Festival, the students were determined to represent Sandpoint the best they could.

“When we arrived in the city, we all thought, ‘Wow, we’re little Idaho, and we need to prove ourselves,’” Danielle said. “‘We need to represent our town well and show these guys what we’ve got.’”

On a personal level, Jasmin was also determined to distinguish herself amongst the competitors. As the only Lake Pend Oreille High School student to qualify for the advanced choir program, she resolved to put everything she had into her assigned solo.

In the end, everyone would be rewarded in the face of David-versus-Goliath odds.

The judges selected the 30-member Sandpoint choir as the “festival best,” earning the group a three-foot-tall trophy and an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City next year — a rare honor reserved for the best of the best. Choir director Jon Brownell is investigating whether the fundraising required to accept the invitation will be possible.

Jasmin was also selected as an outstanding soloist for her rendition of a German piece and was given a trophy of her own. The honor was an exhilarating moment of vindication for the young soprano.  

“I’m the only Lake Pend Oreille High School kid to make it into this choir, and to succeed like this is unbelievable,” she said.

No one could have anticipated how far the chamber choir would end up climbing in the Heritage Festival — not even Brownell. But from the very beginning, members agreed it was an opportunity worth seizing. They proved that through their fundraising efforts, which began in November and generated $35,000 to cover the costs of the trip.

“‘Proud’ is really the word of the day here,” Brownell said. “I’m proud that my kids performed so well, I’m proud that they raised so much money and I’m proud that they were so kind and courteous to everyone throughout the trip.”

Finances weren’t the only obstacles the performers had to overcome. The competition required the Brownell combine male and female choirs, which normally practice separately, into a single unit. That meant students needed to achieve an entirely new blend and balance to their performances.

When they arrived at the concert hall to give their performance, some nerves were understandably jittery. There weren’t many people in the audience at the early hour. However, everyone knew what was at stake, and emotions ran high. Everyone took comfort in the fact that they knew their songs backward and forward, Brownell said.

“We also felt better that there weren’t a lot of kids from other choirs watching our performance since it was so early,” Danielle said. “We just knew we had to sing for the judges and give them the best we had.”

Another surprise inspired them to even greater heights. For the first time in about 26 years, Brownell was able to meet with his own high school choir teacher, who sat in for the performance.

“I introduced him to the choir, and that just made it all the more special for them,” he said.

Brownell couldn’t ask for a better performance than the one that followed the introduction. Despite some minor mistakes, judges remarked upon the excellent blend and balance, scoring the choir at 92.3 out of 100 and ranking it above those from six major California schools.

The victory was an elevating moment not only for Jasmin, Danielle and the other participants but also for the choir program itself. When Brownell took the job of director 24 years ago, the program was in shambles. Over the coming years, dedicated work built the department into the four high school and two middle school choirs students enjoy today.

“It’s been a joy to watch Danielle’s voice mature and progress under Jon’s leadership,” Shelli Capelli, Danielle’s mother, said.

When it comes down to it, “progress” is really the key word. After all, the choirs allow talented students the opportunity to develop and achieve in ways that would otherwise be lost to them.

“I’ve received ribbons and other things like that in the past, but to have a trophy of my own is really incredible,” Jasmin said.