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Enriching lives through song
Public Invited to Attend Annual Youth Choral Festival on Nov. 19
MECHANICSBURG (October 19, 2017) –The critically-acclaimed Susquehanna Chorale and three of its educational choirs will present theannual Youth Choral Festival on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 4:00 p.m. at the High Center, Messiah College, in Mechanicsburg. The public is invited to attend.
The intergenerational event features performances by the nearly 200 voices of the Susquehanna Children’s, Youth, and Young Women’s Chorales, as well as the Susquehanna Chorale.
The program will include selections from the traditional choral repertoire, art songs, and folk songs from around the world.The concert concludes with a special performance by the combined choirs of Mack Wilberg’sAnthem of Peace, conducted by Linda Tedford, Founder and Artistic Director of the Susquehanna Chorale.
“I am always deeply moved by the combined choirs’ singing of this piece,” Conductor Tedford said. “The text and the music are incredible reminders of the power of song, and when sung by over 150 singers of all ages, its impact is unbelievable.” The composition combines an Estonian folk song called The Power of Song with the American spiritual We Shall Walk in the Valley of Peace. It commemorates the “singing revolution” of 1987 to 1991, when the Estonian people chose to use the power of music instead of weapons to help liberate the country from the oppression of the Soviet Union, massing by the thousands to sing in the streets.
Tickets are available through the Chorale’s Web site, or by calling the Messiah College box office, (717) 691-6036. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Student tickets are $5. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
The Chorale’s educational choirs are an integral part of its mission. Students are chosen by audition, and rehearse each fall for about 10 weeks in preparation for this concert. They are taught sight-singing, vocal technique, and expressivity through a challenging repertoire representing a variety of musical eras and styles. Students representing 52 areaschool districtsand home-schooled children are involved.
The Children’s Chorale, directed by Judith Shepler, is composed of students from the fourth through the eighth grade. The Youth Chorale, directed by George Diehl, is composed of students from the ninth grade through freshman year of college, and the Young Women’s Chorale, directed by DruKepner, includes women from the same age group.
Ensemble-in-Residence at Messiah College, the Susquehanna Chorale is an auditioned choir known for its commitment to artistic and expressive performance of a wide-ranging repertoire. It was awardedChorus America’s most prestigious award, the Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence. In 2011, Conductor Tedford was honored by the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania with the Elaine Brown Award for lifelong commitment to excellence and leadership in the choral art. In 2013, she received Theatre Harrisburg’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region. The Chorale is funded, in part, by the Cultural Enrichment Fund, the capital region’s united arts fund, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
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