Nickerson makes concert stop in hometown

Contributed photo/Karen Donato
VISITS  — Rick Nickerson, seated demonstrated the pump organ at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton to some of his music students from Windham High School. Thirty-eight students came to Houlton last weekend to perform and tour the area.
By Karen Donato
Special to the Pioneer Times
    Rick Nickerson, director of music at Windham High School brought the Windham Chamber Singers; 38 select vocalists, to the Court Street Baptist Church last Friday evening. The sanctuary was filled with many former high school friends and teachers who were familiar with Nickerson’s musical success. They were not disappointed as the group delighted the audience with more than a dozen selections accompanied by Darrell Morrow on the piano. A few of the selections performed were, “The Earth Song”, “Fields of Gold”, “Aquarius” and the rendition of “Shenandoah” was outstanding.
    The son of Ted and Jan Nickerson, Rick grew up in the Alfred Street neighborhood of Houlton with his brother Randy and sister, Robyn. He attended local elementary schools and graduated from Houlton High School in 1981. He earned his bachelor’s degree in vocal music education and the master’s in choral conducting from the University of Maine. He received his doctor of musical arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
    For the past 24 years he has been the director of choral activities at Windham HS, where he conducts three choirs and teaches courses in music theory and music history. Nickerson also is the minister of music at the North Windham Union Church and the conductor of the “Magic of Christmas Chorus” with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
    Touring with this group is an annual event and has included other parts of the United States, Europe and Canada, but this year an extensive tour of Maine evolved. Discovering that many students had limited experience traveling north of Portland, the itinerary was set to include a variety of stops including Skowhegan, Albion, Clinton, Pittsfield, Bangor, Smyrna Mills, Hodgdon, Houlton and Presque Isle.
    The students enjoyed seeing unfamiliar regions including Mount Katahdin and historic downtown Houlton. Nickerson said that Windham does not have a ‘downtown’, so when the students arrived here on Friday afternoon they went exploring in Market Square and the Main Street shops. They returned to the church with bags of candy from Uncle Willey’s Candy Shoppe and other memorabilia. They also enjoyed crossing the Gateway Bridge and playing Frisbee in Monument Park. Following the Friday night concert, students spent the night with host families, a few even staying in nearby Woodstock, N.B.
Contributed photo/Karen Donato
REMINISCING — Rick Nickerson, music director at Windham High School brought a select group of vocalists to the Shiretown over the weekend. One of the highlights of returning to his hometown was his visit with one of his first vocal music teachers, Gladys Tarbell, a long time teacher at Houlton High School. Mrs. Tarbell was thrilled to have a front row seat for the musical performance.
    On Saturday, they gave a special presentation at Madigan Estates where Nickerson reminisced with his former junior high school vocal teacher, Gladys Tarbell. Tarbell enjoyed every minute of their visit and gave Nickerson and his group great accolades at the conclusion. Nickerson’s mother had worked at the Madigan complex when he was a child and he recalled walking there to wait for his mother after school each day. He said that he got to know many of the residents while he waited for his mom to be done work. So this was a significant visit for him.
    From Houlton, the group toured the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton, viewed the windmills in Mars Hill and the University of Maine at Presque Isle, with a final concert at St. Mary’s Church in the Star City.
    The popular Windham music program under Nickerson’s leadership also includes a 150-member Concert Choir and from that group, the 38 select singers for the Chamber group.
    He likened the success of the Windham program to the basketball teams led by Terry Spurling at Houlton High School when Nickerson was growing up.
    “As an elementary student I knew all the players by names and the stats for each one,” said Nickerson. “I looked up to those players.”
    “In Windham,” said Nickerson, “the students aspire to be part of this music program. The younger children look up to the members of the musical groups and their goal when they reach high school is to be part of this program. Students, who gain this honor, also sign a contract to uphold a certain reputation, such as good grades, citizenship and dependability. They must maintain these standards in order to participate.”
    Nickerson and his group have appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and the CBS “Morning Show”, and in their own prime time holiday special broadcast on WGME-TV. The have performed for two presidents, including a command performance at the White House for the Congressional Ball. On Easter Sunday, 1998, they made their debut at Carnegie Hall.
    The Chamber singers have appeared in concert with artists including, Rick Charette, Kenny Rogers, Andy Williams, John Rutter, Ray Cornils, Josh Groban, Jodi Benson, Susan Egan, Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), Capathia Jenkins, Sutton Foster and as special guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
    The Windham Chamber Singers have released three commercial recordings on the Pine Point record label. Their 1995 debut album, “A Holiday Portrait”, has currently sold over 25,000 copies worldwide. Nickerson and this group were also recognized on the “NBC Nightly News” in a segment of “Schwarzkopf’s America.”