BES, PFE Students Join 2019 Elementary Honors Chorus
Posted on 11/06/2019
Transylvania County Schools is proud to announce that six student musicians have been selected for the 2019 North Carolina State Elementary Honors Chorus clinic this weekend in Winston-Salem.
Evie Crider, Odin Cleveland, Sophia Purcell, and Wylie Dodson from Brevard Elementary, and Haley Fort and Emma Stevens from Pisgah Forest Elementary, will travel with music teachers Sarah Moser (BES) and Carolyn Smith (PFE) to the annual convention of the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA).
Over 600 students submitted recorded auditions of the Latin song, “Sanctus,” by this year’s guest clinician, Andrea Ramsey. Students at BES and PFE tried out locally in September before each school submitted candidates for honors chorus.
These fifth-graders will join over 200 other chorus members in fourth, fifth and sixth grades for an all-day rehearsal on Saturday, Nov. 9, and a performance at noon on Nov. 10 in the beautiful Stevens Center at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, in Winston-Salem. Admission is free.
Dr. Andrea Ramsey is an internationally active composer, conductor, scholar, and music educator experienced with adolescent and children’s voices, as well as high school and collegiate voices. She enjoys regular opportunities to conduct all-state and divisional level honor choirs, festival events at Carnegie Hall and serves as a principal conductor for the Pacific International Young Women’s Choral Festival in Eugene, Oregon.
A native of Arkansas, Ramsey has experienced in her own life the power of music to provide a sense of community, better understanding of our humanity and rich opportunities for self-discovery. A number of her original compositions will be in the repertoire for the concert.
These young singers have already been preparing for this weekend’s clinic with pieces such as “Honeybees,” “El Mar,” and “Sanctus” by Andrea Ramsey, along with works by other composers. This opportunity is open to students of teachers who are members of NCMEA, the professional organization which sponsors the convention.
The purpose of this Honors Chorus is to provide students with the opportunity to develop their abilities to the greatest possible extent. It is an honor to be selected and to perform for this gathering of music teachers during their convention, devoted to professional development and sharing best practices.
Congratulations and safe travels to these talented young musicians!