Chamber Choir, Whitman’s most advanced choral group, ventured to College Park Nov. 7, ready to learn and poised to impress in the University of Maryland High School Choir Invitational.
The festival, hosted by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and the University of Maryland School of Music, invited seven high school choirs from the Washington region to take part in a jam-packed day of choral showcasing and training.
Both the preparation for the event and the opportunity to get college-level feedback were beneficial to the students, choir director Jeff Davidson said.
“They’ve learned a lot of new music, and they got a chance to work with professors on the college level,” he explained.
The invitational lasted all day and featured a variety of different musical activities. In the morning, the high school students rehearsed their three group pieces and then split into smaller groups to work on their individual pieces.
Senior Irene Solaiman also appreciated the opportunity to work with collegiate choral directors.
“The two University of Maryland choir directors were fantastic,” she said. “Dr. Elpus was hilarious and Dr. Maclary was so engaging. Both worked so well with us and the music.”
After rehearsing for their own performance, students filled the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center to watch UMD music major graduate students perform scenes from the opera “The Magic Flute.”
The evening ended with a combined performance by all the high school choirs, who were later joined by UMD Chamber Singers and the University Chorale.
Students enjoyed performing in a center with such amazing acoustics, and it taught the choir the importance of adjusting to different performing environments, Solaiman said.
“The coolest part was singing with six other high schools and the Maryland singers” she said. “They were all amazing and well above average in vocal talent and personality.”
Davidson also praised this opportunity for the students to work with other choirs.
“They got a chance to sing with students from other schools and just meet kids from other schools who love doing what they do,” he said. “It was a great day.”
