The annual Trinity College School Jazz Festival took place on Monday, March 2nd in the Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre. The festival was founded by retired faculty member, Mr. Ron Parker, as an opportunity for local high school bands to perform for each other, to receive feedback from a jazz professional and to foster the love of jazz band programs at the high school level. During the 2020 festival, six bands performed, including Jazz@4 from TCS, Campbellford District HS, Thomas A. Stewart SS, Crestwood SS, Clarke HS and Bowmanville HS. Mr. Parker was invited back as this year’s adjudicator to share his extensive knowledge of jazz and to workshop with each group during its 30-minute time slot on stage.

The bands ranged in size from nine to 25 members and demonstrated a diversity of charts from Snarky Puppy tunes to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. There were many traditional jazz instruments on stage including trumpet, saxophone, trombone and rhythm section players, but also some non-traditional instruments such as clarinet and flute players too. Some bands had a lot of stage experience before the festival while one band came to the festival to play for an audience for the first time. The support from all of the bands towards their fellow performers was outstanding, cheering them on in their own musical journey.

The students concluded their morning with lunch in Osler Hall with the delicious menu items prepared by the expert culinary services staff. Thank you to Mr. Christian McFadden from the IT services department for making the bands sound their best on stage and to the property department for helping to set up our jazz stage and gear. Thank you to everyone who came to listen and share in the love of music.

- By Nicola Lee, music department