12 December 2012 Edition - Fiddlehead Focus

Page 12
Fiddlehead Focus, December 12, 2012
A sweet sound, MPBN
features local talent in
holiday concert special
FORT KENT – The Maine
Public Broadcasting Network
invited a 17-year-old singing
sensation from Fort Kent, Melanie
Dorice Saucier, to join a
who’s who of Maine folk and
classical musicians for the
Christmas TV special, which the
network recently recorded at the
Husson University’s Gracie
Theatre in Bangor, Maine.
Performers included Noel Paul
Stookey, Jonathan Edwards,
Paul Sullivan, Rich Charette,
Laura Darrell, Lew Colby, John
McVeigh, George Lopez, Maggie
Coffin and the DaPonte
String Quartet, as well as Con
Fullam, organizer and songwriter.
Melanie performed “Minuit
Chrétien” “O Holy Night.”
To celebrate the 25th anniversary
of “The Maine Christmas
Song,” Fullam organized a special
Christmas in Maine concert
which MPBN began televising
this past weekend and throughout
the remainder of the month.
Fullam performs the song with
the Camden Hills Regional High
School Chamber Singers.
MPBN’s Suzanne Nance and
Maine humorist Tim Sample
hosts the show.
Melanie is no stranger to Suzanne
Nance and George Lopez.
The University of Maine at Fort
Kent invited her to perform a
duet with soprano Nance at the
UMFK Foundation Dinner on
the University’s campus in
2010, where they performed
“Barcarolle” from Offenbach’s
Les Contes d’Hoffman. George
Lopez, classical pianist and faculty
member of Bowdoin College,
accompanied them.
The concert first aired on Sunday,
Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. and again
that same evening at11 p.m. The
remaining MPBN air dates for
the special are: Sunday, Dec. 23
at 12 noon; and, Tuesday, Dec.
25 at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Melanie Saucier
Melanie is a senior at the Community
High School in Fort Kent
and a Pleasant Street Academy
student at the University of Maine
at Fort Kent. Melanie participated
in the Christmas in Maine 20th
Anniversary CD which she sang
“The Maine Christmas Song” in
French.
Campus Ministries to
host holiday concert
FORT KENT – The University
of Maine at Fort Kent’s Chi Alpha
Campus Ministries is inviting the
public to a special Christmas concert
Sunday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. at
UMFK’s Fox Auditorium.
Joel and Janna Gilbert are a
brother and sister team having
recorded two CDs together of
their own music. They have
gained much recognition in the
New England area.
Doug Elder of “The Wrecking”
has toured nationally with wellknown
bands such as Switchfoot
and Kutless. He also writes his
own music, which is heard on
radio and other popular music
outlets.
People may recognize these
artists from events such as
Soulfest in New Hampshire or
Soulquest at the Bangor Waterfront.
The Christmas concert will
feature holiday favorites as well
as original songs.
Organizers say having these
artists perform for this holiday
event is a wonderful opportunity
for the campus and community.