Morehead State to host 66th Annual Choral Festival Nov. 1–2
MSU will welcome high school singers and their directors to campus for the 66th Annual Morehead Choral Festival Sunday and Monday, Nov. 1–2, in Baird Music Hall.
The two-day festival will offer students opportunities to develop their vocal skills, rehearse a variety of musical styles and perform under the direction of guest conductors Dr. Robert Ward of The Ohio State University and Dr. Nancy Menk of Saint Mary’s College in Indiana.
Ward will direct the SATB Festival Chorus, which includes soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices. He serves as director of choral studies at Ohio State, where he conducts the Men’s Glee Club and Chorale. His festival selections include “Sing Jubilate Deo,” “Over the Rainbow,” and “I Sing Because I’m Happy.”
Menk will conduct the treble chorus. She holds the Mary Lou and Judd Leighton Chair in Music at Saint Mary’s College, where she serves as professor of music, director of choral activities and chair of the music department. She also teaches graduate conducting at the University of Notre Dame. Her festival selections include “Cantate Domino,” “Daybreak,” “Crossing the Bar,” and “Back to Before” from the musical “Ragtime.”
Festival pianists will include Casey L. Cook, principal pianist for Ohio State’s choral studies department and ensemble area, and Mary Ellen McNeill (Class of 1991), a collaborative pianist based in Morehead.
Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, followed by afternoon and evening rehearsals. Scholarship auditions are also scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Monday’s activities include additional rehearsals and a performance by the MSU Concert Choir at noon.
The festival will conclude with a concert featuring the festival choruses at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, in Duncan Recital Hall.
Participating directors should return completed registration forms by Friday, Oct. 16. Forms may be emailed to bwhollihan@moreheadstate.edu or mailed to the Instructor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Brandon Hollihan, 120 Baird Music Hall, 150 University Blvd., Morehead, KY 40351. Early registration is encouraged to ensure space for participating singers.
Directors are asked to order the selected repertoire and rehearse with their students before the festival, so singers arrive prepared.
For more information, contact Hollihan at 606-783-2482 or his email. To learn more about its programs and other events, contact the Department of Music & Theatre at mtd@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2473.
