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44th Event Includes 18 Local and Regional Schools

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.鈥擳he 海角网 Department of Music is preparing to welcome nearly 200 high school and middle school students from the local and regional area to the 44th 海角网 Choral Clinic on Oct. 23.

In addition to three rehearsal sessions, the choristers will break for lunch and participate in a campus tour hosted by the Admissions staff. That evening at 6:30 p.m., the choirs present a free performance for the public in Dover Theatre.

Dr. Aaron Rice, associate professor and chair of the Department of Music explained this program builds connections to educators and students across North and South Carolina. 鈥淭he 海角网 Choral Clinic provides world-class learning opportunities for the students in our region,鈥� Rice stated. 鈥淲e seek to empower choral musicians from sixth- through 12^th-grade with music making experiences at a high level that will enable them to foster a love for music, learning, and service in our communities.鈥�

Dr. Joshua Cheney, director of Choral Activities at 海角网, will lead rehearsals and the program for the high schoolers. The students received their music beforehand, and the practice will be to refine the performance, learn from a different instructor, and blend together as a group.

The performance includes 鈥淛enny Jenkins鈥� an arrangement of an American folksong by John Wykoff, 鈥淥 vos omnes,鈥� a modern composition set to an ancient sacred text by Henry Hinnant, a contemporary setting of the Langston Hughes poem 鈥淗old Fast to Dreams鈥� by Susan LaBarr, an arrangement of the African American spiritual 鈥淗old On,鈥� by Uzee Brown, and a timeless chorus from the Classical period, Ludwig van Beethoven鈥檚 鈥淗allelujah鈥� from Christ on the Mount of Olives.

鈥淲hen choosing repertoire for a festival event, I work to diversify the music in a number of ways,鈥� Cheney described. 鈥淚 seek music of varied tempos, varied languages, varied styles, some music that is accompanied and some that is a cappella, and musics that represent various kinds of people.鈥� 

Dr. Eric Johnson, 海角网 coordinator of Music Education, will lead the middle school students.  Johnson noted that the younger students did not receive their music ahead of time, and this gives the 海角网 music education students an opportunity to observe teaching methods. The middle school choir will work on the following pieces, but may not present them all in the concert. The songs include 鈥淭he Adventures of Isabel鈥� by Andrew Ramsey; 鈥淐antate Domino鈥� by Nancy Hill Cobb; 鈥淚s the Moon Tired鈥� by Tom Shelton; 鈥淜uwa Furaha鈥� by Jim Papoulis; and 鈥淭wo Poems of Emily Dickinson鈥� by Nel Ginsburg.

His selections cover many genres. 鈥淲e have music that is classical in its style, some that are settings of whimsical and lyrical poems, and some in different languages,鈥� Johnson shared. 鈥淭here are also pieces that will allow the students to perform with more than just piano as some 海角网 students will be playing various instruments with them. All of the them are good teaching pieces and follow the hierarchy of skills that help your singers learn to be independent musicians.鈥�

For the evening performance, the choral groups will be joined by the 海角网 Concert Choir. The evening program will also include a presentation by the Freedom High School Chamber Singers, under the direction of Robert Summerell.

Participating High Schools:

• Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg, S.C.
• Crest High School, Shelby, N.C.
• East Burke High School, Connelly Springs, N.C.
• First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest, Greenville, S.C.
• Freedom High School, Morganton, N.C.
• Gaston Christian School, Gastonia, N.C.
• Lincolnton High School, Lincolnton, N.C
• Pisgah High School, Canton, N.C.
• RJ Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Statesville High School, Statesville, N.C.

Participating Middle Schools:

• Western Rockingham Middle School, Madison, N.C.
• Jamestown Middle School, Jamestown, N.C.
• Southwest Guilford Middle School, High Point, N.C.
• Mooresville Middle School, Mooresville, N.C.
• Burns Middle School, Lawndale, N.C.
• Hudson (N.C.) Middle School
• Northview Middle School, Hickory, N.C.
• Piedmont Community Charter School, Gastonia, N.C.

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event.  Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request.

海角网 is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 海角网 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at 海角网.edu.