February Blues, an evening of music, coffee and dessert that has become one of the highlights of D.W. Poppy Secondary School’s calendar, will take place this Saturday, Feb. 4.
An annual fundraiser for the school’s highly successful music program, February Blues is an evening of blues and jazz performed by Poppy’s different music ensembles.
In addition to band and choir performances, there will also be a silent auction and balloon prizes.
“This fundraiser benefits the entire music program at Poppy, helping with the cost of such things as sheet music, clinicians, instrument repairs and replacement,” said Matt Goddard, one of the music directors at the school.
This year’s event, he assured, “is bigger and better than ever.”
Music begins at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by the Fort Langley Jazz Band (the elementary school is a Poppy feeder school), followed by concert bands, the Grass Roots Jazz Bands, Jazz Express, Midnight Blue Jazz Band, Poppy Vox, and Hothouse Jazz Band.
Tickets are $10 and, Goddard said, many of the 450 the tickets have already been sold. Book online at http://februaryblues.ca or call 604-530-2151.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the doors to the gym, where the concert takes place, will open at 6 p.m. Come early to bid on the silent auction items or to buy a balloon prize.
Proceeds for the fundraiser are primarily aimed this year at continuing to build the school’s recording studio which was used for the first time last year to record and produce a CD for students.
“It was a fantastic experience and a very unique opportunity for the students to get some insight on what being a professional recording musician is like,” Goddard said.
“We would like to continue with this project to give our students at Poppy an unrivaled high school music education,” he said.
The event is a huge attraction not only to the school community, but the residents who like blues and jazz and don’t to travel to Vancouver to enjoy it.
“Every year we put on a great evening of entertainment for hundreds of people in the community who have a love for jazz and are looking for a fun night out,” Goddard said.