FARMINGTON – The SAD 9 Music Department has announced the concerts celebrating the Music Educators National Conference March 2008 Music in Our Schools Month.

The district chorus festival will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in the Mt. Blue High School gym. The concert will feature the combined choruses in grades five and six from the Academy Hill, Cape Cod Hill, Cascade Brook and Weld schools under the direction of Jane Parker and Andrew Buckland.

Also performing will be the chorus from the Mt. Blue Middle School, under the direction of James Perkins, and the Mt. Blue High School chorus, under the direction of Carol Shumway.

Patricia Hayden will serve as festival accompanist. Guest performers will include the Syncopations, Mt. Blue Voices and the Mt. Blue Middle School Show Choir.

The district Band-a-Rama will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, in the Mt. Blue High School gym. Performing will be the elementary beginner and intermediate bands from Academy Hill, Cape Cod Hill, Cascade Brook and Weld schools, under the direction of Karen Beacham and Darryl Pike.

Also performing will be the Mt. Blue Middle School band, under the direction of Pike, and the Mt. Blue High School band. under the direction of Beacham. The Mt. Blue High School Jazz Band also will perform.

Thursday, March 20, will feature the district String Festival with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade string orchestras from Academy Hill, Cape Cod Hill, Cascade Brook and Weld schools, under the direction of Nancy Beacham and Steven Muise. Also performing will be the Mt. Blue Middle School and Mt. Blue High School string orchestras. The Franklin County fiddlers also will perform.

After each concert the SAD 9 Music Boosters will sell Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream in the high school cafeteria. Proceeds from the ice cream sale will support the boosters scholarship program for students to attend summer music camps or summer lessons.

Scholarship applications will be available at each concert.

All concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, contact a school music teacher or Carol Shumway, chairwoman, SAD 9 Music Department, 778-3561.