St. Peter’s Lewes to host student jazz concert March 27

Temple University student Jacqueline Johnson will return to Lewes to perform with the Cape Henlopen High School jazz ensemble at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 27, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, at 2nd and Market streets, Lewes.

Johnson began her singing career in the choir at Apostolic Faith Church in Millsboro. At Cape, she played clarinet and bass clarinet in the band, sang in the choir, began singing with its jazz ensemble during her sophomore year, and became the ensemble’s singer until she graduated. As a junior, she sang to a packed house at Bethany Blues in Lewes when the student jazz ensemble opened that year’s True Blue Jazz Festival.

At Temple, Johnson is studying jazz education while singing in various ensembles and voice classes.

“Furthering my career as a singer is something I’m interested in, but in teaching as well,” she said. “I’m excited to continue learning and experiencing the music world here, where I get to learn from many great Philadelphia artists.”

During the concert, Johnson will “gig” with Cape students Sara Dawson, bass; Liam Wiedmann, drums: Elliott Bastian, guitar; Ben Koly, clarinet/tenor saxophone; Josh Turek, trumpet; and Conor Wiedmann, bass/trombone. “Gigging is a performance that we’re doing together,” said Johnson.

This summer, she will return to work in Lewes at the Station on Kings. “And I’m going to do a lot of gigging with some of the people I’m playing with on Sunday and some of the members I’ve played with in the past,” she said.

The jazz concert is one of several events at St. Peter’s this season presented by the St. Cecilia Music Guild, which for the past six years has provided a broad spectrum of music programming. All concerts are free, but a freewill offering at the door is welcome. T.J. Thomas, music minister at St. Peter’s, said that this concert replaces the previously announced performance by the Dr. Valerie Capers Jazz Quintet, which is now canceled.