November 4, 2016
The first High School Holiday Festival Choir event will take place at Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Monday, Nov. 21, in Herod Hall Auditorium.
The Fine Arts Department currently is seeking interested high school choir groups and individuals to attend from surrounding schools in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
Karsten Longhurst, director of choral music at Northwestern, is asking that teachers register their choir groups or interested individuals through him at (580) 327- 8692 or krlonghurst@nwosu.edu by Friday, Nov. 11
The cost is $10 for each student to participate, and students will receive a packet of the prepared music to rehearse with before attending the festival.
Members of the Northwestern Chorale and University Singers, along with guest clinician Dr. Daniel Hall, will work with the students throughout the day, starting rehearsal at 8:30 a.m. The day will end with a concert at 6 p.m. in Herod Hall Auditorium to showcase the talents of the high school and university students.
The concert will be free and open to the public.
Hall, who is the director of choral activities and assistant professor of music at Ohio University, has traveled worldwide sharing his music with others. He has conducted choirs, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting, voice methods, composition, choral arranging and music education.
Longhurst said the music to be performed will be an in-depth variety of holiday festival music that will be both rhythmic and challenging to give an enriching experience into other cultures and customs. Hall also will be conducting one of his own compositions.
Longhurst said by attending the festival, the high school students will gain insight into the university’s Fine Arts Department, as well as learn more about their craft. This festival also will give high school choirs an opportunity to take what they have learned and add to their own school Christmas choir concerts.
“Our goal is to give students an awesome experience, and it will expose them to a lot of different styles of music,” Longhurst said.
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