Bismarck State College is presenting its 18th year of ChoirFest where college singers combine with vocalists from 11 area high schools.
The educational music experience with guest section leaders and guest conductor starts Friday, Nov. 16, with all-day rehearsals and culminates in a grand festival concert a 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in Belle Mehus City Auditorium. General admission is $10 and $5 for students and seniors.
Added feature to this year's program are performances by five high school choirs selected by audition and two outstanding high school soloists.
"It is important that these choirs get performance opportunities outside their hometowns and witness other high school choirs perform," said Andrew Miller, ChoirFest coordinator and assistant professor of music. "It is also beneficial for audiences to see characteristics and accomplishments of other high school programs in our state."
With more than 360 singers on stage, conductor Miller has begun calling the festival chorus "Choir Mountain." Ten tiers of risers will extend from the bottom of the auditorium's orchestra pit to the back of the stage.
"It will be a powerful spectacle," he said.
The BSC Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and men's and women's ensembles perform, as well as Jubilaté of the Center Dakota Children's Choir and a new vocal group founded by Miller. Inspiraré is comprised of professionally trained singers and educators from the Bismarck-Mandan area.
Performing high school choirs with their directors are Bismarck High School (Mike Seil), Mott/Regent High School (Paul Peltier), Harvey Public School (Heidi Olson), Beulah High School (Phillip Voeller), Hettinger High School (Ryan Whipple). Each will perform two choral works.
Other schools with ChoirFest participants are Zeeland Public School (Trudy Fraase Wolf), Hebron Public School (Laurie Dahlen), New England Public School (Conway Heupel), Strasburg Public School (Jeff Ingerson), Northstar Public School - Cando (Lori Kurtti), and New Salem-Almont Public School (Rex Waddingham).
The concert program opens with Miller's arrangement of "The Circle of Life" from Disney's "The Lion King" featuring BSC bass soloist Payton Morris. High school choirs perform followed by the BSC choral groups. The Women's Ensemble features student soloists Samantha Holly and Jenna Lyon and is accompanied by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony String Quartet and percussionist Travis Reiger.
Eight community members comprise Inspiraré, whose selections contain vocal solos by Miller, Natasha Bach and Dawn Hagerott. Hagerott is BSC assistant professor of music and directs the BSC Men's Ensemble and Jubilaté.
Guest conductor Matthew Goinz of Tucson, Ariz., leads off the Festival Chorus finale with "Musick's Empire," a composition that tracks the history of music. Miller steps in to conduct Moses Hogan's "Elijah Rock," one of the world's most epic African American spirituals.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.
The educational music experience with guest section leaders and guest conductor starts Friday, Nov. 16, with all-day rehearsals and culminates in a grand festival concert a 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in Belle Mehus City Auditorium. General admission is $10 and $5 for students and seniors.
Added feature to this year's program are performances by five high school choirs selected by audition and two outstanding high school soloists.
"It is important that these choirs get performance opportunities outside their hometowns and witness other high school choirs perform," said Andrew Miller, ChoirFest coordinator and assistant professor of music. "It is also beneficial for audiences to see characteristics and accomplishments of other high school programs in our state."
With more than 360 singers on stage, conductor Miller has begun calling the festival chorus "Choir Mountain." Ten tiers of risers will extend from the bottom of the auditorium's orchestra pit to the back of the stage.
"It will be a powerful spectacle," he said.
The BSC Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and men's and women's ensembles perform, as well as Jubilaté of the Center Dakota Children's Choir and a new vocal group founded by Miller. Inspiraré is comprised of professionally trained singers and educators from the Bismarck-Mandan area.
Performing high school choirs with their directors are Bismarck High School (Mike Seil), Mott/Regent High School (Paul Peltier), Harvey Public School (Heidi Olson), Beulah High School (Phillip Voeller), Hettinger High School (Ryan Whipple). Each will perform two choral works.
Other schools with ChoirFest participants are Zeeland Public School (Trudy Fraase Wolf), Hebron Public School (Laurie Dahlen), New England Public School (Conway Heupel), Strasburg Public School (Jeff Ingerson), Northstar Public School - Cando (Lori Kurtti), and New Salem-Almont Public School (Rex Waddingham).
The concert program opens with Miller's arrangement of "The Circle of Life" from Disney's "The Lion King" featuring BSC bass soloist Payton Morris. High school choirs perform followed by the BSC choral groups. The Women's Ensemble features student soloists Samantha Holly and Jenna Lyon and is accompanied by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony String Quartet and percussionist Travis Reiger.
Eight community members comprise Inspiraré, whose selections contain vocal solos by Miller, Natasha Bach and Dawn Hagerott. Hagerott is BSC assistant professor of music and directs the BSC Men's Ensemble and Jubilaté.
Guest conductor Matthew Goinz of Tucson, Ariz., leads off the Festival Chorus finale with "Musick's Empire," a composition that tracks the history of music. Miller steps in to conduct Moses Hogan's "Elijah Rock," one of the world's most epic African American spirituals.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.