The event was first promoted in 1946 by Charles Picquet, a Sandhills area theater owner and Kiwanian, as a choral songfest at the weekly Kiwanis Club luncheon meetings. By the early 1950s, the songfest had become a glee club competition for the area’s high schools with trophies awarded to the most impressive group. Not surprisingly, the award stayed with schools that had a choral director and the local finances to support a choral program.
Today, the Kiwanis Picquet committee accepts a maximum of 11 students nominated from the music teachers at Pinecrest, Union Pines, North Moore and O’Neal schools. Vocal and instrumental students from these schools may compete in the areas of their school study (choral, band, and orchestra), and students are required to perform selections that are technically and artistically challenging.
In the form of college scholarships, the first place winner receives $1,500, second place receives $800, and third place receives $700. The top three winners will also be awarded corresponding trophies.
Nine candidates were nominated for the 2006 Picquet Music Festival, and they include Katarina Kohari, Bayle Owens, Clay Perry, Natalie Whitescarver, Megumi Reagan, Phillip Brock, Kelly Boaz, Kristin Terry, and Joshua Haley.
Katarina Kohari, alto, will be performing “Silent Moon” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Her music teacher is Michael Callicutt. Kohari, the daughter of Susan and Laszlo Kohari, is a senior at North Moore High and has studied music for four years. She has been chosen for Moore County’s All-County Chorus for four years and won second place in the 2005 Picquet Music Festival.
Bayle Owens has selected “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar to perform on violin and will be accompanied by Darlene Skinner. She is a sophomore at North Moore High and has studied music for eight years. Her parents are Pamela and Vernon Owens, and her music teacher is Wendy Steslicke and Shelly Johnson. She is a regular participant in All-County Orchestra and plans to attend Cannon Music Camp at Appalachian State University this summer.
Clay Perry, trumpet, will perform the first movement of Paul Hindemith’s “Sanate.” His music teacher is James Muccio. Perry, son of Steve and Sherrie Perry, is a senior at North Moore High School, and he has studied music for seven years. He has participated in All-County Band, All-District Band, All-State Band, the UNC All-Carolina Band, the UNC-Greensboro Honors Band, UNC Pembroke Honors Band and was recognized as the Outstanding Jazz Soloist at Music in the Parks in Williamsburg, VA.
Natalie Whitescarver, a senior soprano at Pinecrest High School, will perform “Domine Deus” by Antonio Vivaldi and will be accompanied by Mari Jo Brown. Her parents are Todd and Lisa Whitescarver, and her music teacher is James Brown. In addition to Whitescarver’s singing talents, she is also involved in a pre-professional dance program where she has studied for six years.
Megumi Reagan is a junior at Pinecrest High and will offer her performance on viola. She has selected the first movement of “Concerto in C Minor” by J.C. Bach and will be accompanied by Mari Jo Brown. Ragan is the daughter of John and Janice Reagan, and her music teacher is Paul Murphy. She has studied music for eight years, won the Arts Council of Moore County’s Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship in 2004, is in her second season with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, and studies privately with Dr. Scott Rawls at UNC at Greensboro.
Also from Pinecrest High is Phillip Brock, a senior who will be performing on the alto saxophone. He has selected “Sonata No. 3” by G.F. Handel and will be accompanied by Mari Jo Brown. His parents are Mike and Yvonne Brock, and his music teacher is Jerry Williams. He has studied music for six years and has participated in All-County Band, All-District Band, and the UNC-G Music Festival in 2004.
Kelly Boaz, a violinist from Union Pines High, will perform “Meditation” from the opera “Thais” by Jules Massenet and will be accompanied by Mari Jo Brown. She is a junior and has studied music for 12 years. She is the daughter of Gilly and Patty Boaz, and her music teacher is Michael Jones. Boaz has been a member of All-County Orchestra for four years. In addition, she also plays the guitar and piano, and is a member of the Union Pines track team.
Kristin Terry is a sophomore at Union Pines High and has studied music for two years. Terry, a soprano, will perform “Pie Jesu” by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and will be accompanied by Cathy McCanless, who is also her music teacher. His parents are Robbie and Evelyn Terry. Terry has been a soloist in the St. Joseph’s choir and Vass United Methodist Church, and a talent winner at the Carthage Buggy Festival.
Joshua Haley has selected “Aria” by Eugene Bozza to perform on the alto saxophone and will be accompanied by Jennifer Thomas. Haley is a senior at Union Pines High and has studied music for seven years. His parents are Tim and Lori Haley, and his music teacher is Rob Hill. He has participated in All-County Band and is a member of the Sandhills Community College Jazz Band.
The judges for this year’s Picquet Music Festival are Danny Infantino, June Infantino and Valerie Stancik.
