Carnegie Hall's
2010–2011 National High School Choral Festival brings together selected
choirs from across the country with professional singers for a
one-of-a-kind, yearlong educational program, culminating in a final
performance at Carnegie Hall.
It all started with the announcement way back in September: Our group
had been selected to sing at Carnegie Hall! We were astonished by the
incredible opportunity, and also by the difficulty of the music. The
next months were filled with lots of hard work; we dedicated our
Saturday mornings from 9–12 to the cause of Berlioz. The rhythms and
notes of the piece were hard enough, but then, of course it had to be
written in Latin! And worst of all, there was no alto part! What on
earth was Berlioz thinking?
Well, when festival maestro Norman Mackenzie came to work with us, he
actually helped to fill us in on what Berlioz was thinking. Berlioz was a
crazy guy, but he sure knew how to write radical music. Mr. Mackenzie
taught us about so many things during that practice. He made the time
fly by, and it was one of the best, most enjoyable rehearsals that I
have ever had. The group as a whole also learned much during that
Saturday practice, not only about the translation and stories of the
text, but about all of the hundreds of elements that go into singing in a
chorus. Perfect vowel sounds, singing in tune, correct rhythms and
pitches, and doing it all in synchronization with the orchestra—it is
incredibly hard, but it will be amazing when it all comes together on
February 13.
We learned so much in just one practice, and we have a whole week of
that coming up in New York! I think I'm going to take notes so that I
can remember all of this valuable information and share it with others
later on. We are ecstatic for this opportunity—to be working with
professionals, to be under the direction of Mr. Mackenzie, to be in New
York City, and of course to be standing on the same stage that thousands
of famous musicians have stood on before us. It's going to be better
than anything I've ever experienced. I'm excited to make new friends in
the other choirs, both young and old. I feel so blessed and honored to
have been chosen for this concert of a lifetime, and I greatly thank all
of the people who made this opportunity possible.
—Sarah Dudney, Central York High School
2010–2011 National High School Choral Festival Participant