Caleb Randall, 16, of Acton, a junior at Sanford High School, has been selected to perform with the National Association for Music Education’s All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir in Atlantic City, New Jersey next month. TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune

Caleb Randall, 16, of Acton, a junior at Sanford High School, has been selected to perform with the National Association for Music Education’s All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir in Atlantic City, New Jersey next month. TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune

SANFORD — Caleb Randall, 16, has been singing for as far back as he can remember — at Shapleigh Baptist Church when he was a little fellow, and around his Acton home, where music figured largely: his father is a member of a band, and other family members are also musically-inclined.

Randall was a member of the band and chorus at Acton Elementary School as a student there, and is involved in the chorus and band at Sanford High School.

These days, his voice has matured into a rich baritone. 

Next month, Randall, a Sanford High School junior, will be singing with the National Association for Music Education’s All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir at a four-day gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“We’ve never had anyone go to All-Eastern,” said his chorus teacher, Jane Kirton.

Randall, who was chosen from his score in the Maine Association for Music Education’s All-State competition, will be among several hundred high school students in the choir.  According to NAfME, the concert band and symphony orchestra will each have about on 150 instrumentalists; the jazz ensemble will have 20 instrumentalists, the treble voice chorus will have 120 vocalists, and the mixed chorus will have about 350 vocalists.

“Music has been a part of my entire life and has brought me lots of happiness,” said Randall from the chorus department at Sanford High School on Monday. 

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 It also keeps him busy — Randall is a a member of the concert band, chorus, chamber singers, jazz band, marching band and the Impact Percussion drum line at Sanford High School. As well, he is a member of the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble and the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra.

When he’s not singing, he plays the euphonium —  for the unfamiliar, it is somewhat similar to a tuba, but has a higher range.

Of his extensive repertoire, Randall says simply “the band helped me with chorus, and chorus helped me with band.”

He said the music being performed at the All-Eastern venue is comprised of some fairly advanced pieces. The choir will practice three of the four days of the April 5 to 8 event, and perform the last day. One piece will be sung in Latin, another in Italian, with two others in English.

Kirton said having a student selected to perform in the All-Honors Eastern Mixed Choir is very exciting.

“I could see this was going to happen when Caleb was in eighth grade,” she said.  He was a student at Acton Elementary School at that time, and the guidance counselor called to ask if he could job-shadow Kirton as part of his interest in pursuing a career as a music educator.

Several years later, that career path continues to beckon.

As to his musical tastes, Randall said he likes “a little bit of everything,” but listens mostly to musical theater, and takes part in all of the school’s musicals.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.


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