Participating Ensembles:
Appleton West High School - Chamber Choir
Appleton West's Chamber Choir is the top performing choir at the school. They represent a choral tradition that is now in its second century of musical excellence. As the resident concert choir, and artistic ambassadors from the school to the world, Kantorei has performed hundreds of concerts in the last three decades across America and in some thirty countries world-wide. Their high artistic standard and special zest for the performance of choral music has endeared them to audiences across the globe.
Kantorei has recorded a dozen compact discs and tapes representing all styles of choral music. Their recent disc "Christmas" features all freshly commissioned arrangements of familiar carols of the season. They have performed with orchestras including the renowned Milwaukee Symphony under the baton of Margaret Hawkins and Lee Erickson. The ensemble has sung for state and regional conventions of MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors Association, the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association, and for many collegiate and regional choral festivals. The choir has premiered works by American and international composers, and hosted dozens of major artists, conductors, composers, and teachers as part of their "Evening With . . . " concert series.
Kevin Meidl Kevin Meidl is conductor and music department chair at Appleton West High School.
Kevin Meidl is artistic director of the Appleton Boychoir, a treble voice choral program now in its 32nd season. He is founder and principal conductor with the Badger State Girl Choir. He is past director of the Fox Valley Symphony Chorus and vocal music instructor at Einstein Middle School.
His choirs have performed extensively for regional and state conferences of the American Choral Directors Associations, MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Wisconsin Area Kodály Educators, Intercollegiate Men's Choruses, Inc., and the Wisconsin Music Teacher's Association. In addition, his choirs have performed throughout the United States and across the globe singing in over thirty countries and for major world events such as the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day in Normandy France and forworld leaders including Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.
Kevin Meidl has conducted honors and all-state choirs throughout the country and is in demand as a guest clinician and adjudicator. Most recently, he conducted the 1,000 voice South Dakota All-State Chorus and Orchestra. As a speaker he has presented on a variety of subjects on national conventions programs for MENC and ACDA and has delivered keynote addresses at professional music gatherings across Midwest. He is past president of the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association and the North Central American Choral Directors Association.
Kevin Meidl is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, NAfME: The National Association for Music Education, the International Federation for Choral Music, the Voice Care Network, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Mayday Group. He was selected as Secondary Teacher of the Year in 1995-1996 for the Appleton Area School District and the Helble Outstanding Teacher at Appleton West in 2007-2008.
Chichester Singers
Voices from the City of Birmingham Choir
Since 1921, the City of Birmingham Choir has constantly thrilled and entertained audiences with a wide and often adventurous repertoire. Singing first in the historic Town Hall and, more recently, in the magnificent acoustics of Symphony Hall the choir has also enjoyed an enormously productive musical partnership with the city's internationally famous orchestra, the CBSO.
The choir includes most of the major choral works in their repertoire plus more challenging and newer compositions. The standard of performances draws consistent praise from both critics and audience.
The Choir is committed to supporting choral music making and has participated in Making Music's Adopt-a-composer scheme as well as running singing competitions and workshops for people of all ages. Currently they are helping to develop the next generation of choral performers with Voice Factory - an enterprising scheme providing vocal training for the Choir and encouraging the participation of young people in singing.
First Presbyterian Church Choir
Hickory Choral Society
Johns Creek Presbyterian Church Choir
Portsmouth Choral Union
With the appointment of Jonathan Willcocks as Musical Director in 1975 the Portsmouth Choral Union found itself with a dynamic young professional who espoused higher standards of singing, better stage presentation and more formality in auditioning both new and current members. He also operated with humour and a lightness of touch welcomed by both members and audiences; these influences rapidly became characteristic of the Choir as a whole. He was already composing and it was not long before the Choir commissioned and performed in 1980 his song-cycle Voices of Time. Since then Willcocks has continued to develop the repertoire widely, occasionally including his own compositions such as Riddle of the World, Worcester Mass, Magnificat, Great is the Glory, and Lux Perpetua and successfully finding the mix of works necessary to satisfy audiences, critics and members alike. He also widened the field of orchestral players employed by the Choir, and has played a large part in the the continuing development of Southern Pro Musica, now a widely-respected professional orchestra with whom the Choir frequently appears.
The tradition of encouraging younger people to take part in PCU concerts has continued. Outstanding young soloists emerging from the major national Music Conservatoires, and the 100-strong Hampshire County Youth Orchestra, are frequently employed, and works for combined adult and children's choir included in the programme when possible. With generous help from Southern Arts and Portsmouth City Council a Te Deum, by Portsmouth composer Ian Schofield, was commissioned and completed for premiere performance on 9 November 2002.
West Ranch High School Choir
Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde
The Choir has traveled extensively, singing in all the cultural capitals of North America and Europe and winning invitations to the most prestigious choral festivals. This past summer, Youth Chorale won a gold diploma at the World Choir Games!
AYS remains committed to music literacy, commissions of new American choral works, support of local musicians, presentation of innovative concert formats, free workshops for educators, and outreach to underserved children.
Pennsylvania Youth Chorale
The PYC is a community nonprofit children's choir based in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, PA. It was founded by Artistic Director, Eileen Finley, in 1977. The choir performs a varied program of great art music, international folk songs in different languages, contemporary American music, Broadway tunes, and has had the privilege of performing such major works as Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", Randall Thompson's, "Place of the Blest", Humperdink's "Hansel and Gretel" (selections), Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater", Bach's "St. Matthew Passion", and Britten's "St. Nicholas Cantata" and "A Ceremony of Carols".
This year the Senior Choir was selected by Distinguished Concerts International of NY to perform in a Treble Choral Festival in Carnegie Hall under the direction of the world renowned composer and conductor, Francisco Nunez.. This is the third time the PYC has been honored with an invitation to perform in this illustrious concert hall.
In the past the choir has performed in many other historic venues such as: the Senate Rotunda in Washington, DC; the Capitol Rotunda in Madison, WI; Faneuil Hall and Old North Church, Boston, MA; Historic Williamsburg, VA; the United States Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis, MD; Walt Disney World and SeaWorld, Orlando, FL; Bass Hall, Fort Worth, TX; York Minster and Gloucester Cathedral, England and Parliament House, Ottawa, Canada. The PYC has performed in 25 states and 6 Canadian Provinces, in the British Isles and in Germany.
The Chorale has produced 12 CDs: "PYC 20th Anniversary", "From Sea to Shining Sea", "Let There Be Peace", "Music Hath Charms", "Earth Song", "Prodigy: Beyond Genius", "Raise Your Voice!", "My Name Is Music" "The Sound of Music", "Come to the Music", "From Bach to the Beatles and Beyond" and "Songs Without Borders". The PYC can also be heard singing the world premiere of Robert Maggio's "Rachel and Her Children" on the Albany Records release of "The Wishing Tree".
Eileen Finley, conductor of the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Touring Choir, has studied music and choral conducting at the Kodaly Institute in Keschemet, Hungary, at Southeastern Massachusetts University; and at the Royal School of Church Music at Princeton University. She received her Masters of Music Education at the College of New Jersey and her Kodaly Certification from the Kodaly Center of America in Massachusetts.
Ms. Finley has considerable teaching experience at the graduate and undergraduate levels as well as 36 years experience teaching music in the public schools. She has taught courses and workshops at College Misericordia, College of New Jersey, Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, University of Pennsylvania, University of West Texas and Westminster Choir College.
Ms. Finley is the recipient of the "Citation of Excellence" from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, "Recognition of Excellence" from the Neshaminy School Board, "Citation of Appreciation" from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the College of Misericordia Alumni Award presented by the Music Department. She has been listed as an "Accomplished Teacher" by the Music Educator's National Conference.
Thomas Pullen Middle School Choir
Thomas Pullen Middle School Chorus - Thomas G. Pullen Academy is a K-8 school that provides the student body with an environment that promotes high academic standards through a rigorous arts program that enables students to reach their artistic potential. Each year the chorus majors are given various unique opportunities to perform, showcase their training and enhanced vocal skills. In 2011, the chorus performed at the BET Honors program supporting recording artists Common and Anthony Hamilton. Annually, they perform as members of the Prince Georges County Honors Chorus, performing at either the Kennedy Center or the University of Maryland alongside some of the greatest middle and high school talent in the county.
Also, the chorus competes yearly in the Maryland State Chorus competition receiving the highest scores for their performance. After completion of the eighth grade many of the chorus students are selected to continue their vocal training at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Suitland Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Baltimore School of the Arts to name a few.
Dawn Ba'th is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, in Washington, DC. She attended the Catholic University of American on a four-year scholarship where she obtained her Bachelors of Music in Music Education. Upon graduation, she taught music in the public and private sectors in grades K-8 for five years. Ms. Ba'th then founded and served as the administrator for a private school for grades pre k-6th for seven years.
She worked internationally as the coordinating supervisor for a cultural emersion program for fledgling youth in Africa for two years. While there, she obtained a position as journalist and television news anchor. When she returned to the United States, she gained employment as a studio technician at News Channel 8. After taking a short break she became a music teacher for the Prince George's County Public School system. Since coming to Prince George's County Public School, she has obtained her Master's degree from Trinity University in Administration Supervision. She is currently the Choral Music Director at Thomas G. Pullen K-8 Arts Academy. Under her leadership, the Thomas Pullen Middle School Chorus has performed with Multi Grammy Jazz Trumpeter Wallace Roney, Kronos Quartet, and at the BET Honors.
