Choir Achieves Gold Distinction at Huntsville Festival of Music
The decision to support the Huntsville Festival of Music was an easy one for our organization. Its mission aligned perfectly with our charitable objectives - nurturing and supporting emerging musicians and vocalists of all ages. However, we faced another question - did our choir want to take part in the festival? Were we prepared to perform in front of a distinguished adjudicator and receive feedback on our performance?
Ultimately, we believed it was a risk worth taking. With the guidance and encouragement of our talented director, Louis Tusz, we diligently prepared two pieces of music that would also be included in our upcoming spring concert. Following the Festival syllabus, we were required to showcase our abilities with two diverse pieces, for a combined duration of no more than seven minutes. The selected music included R. Emerson's arrangement of "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" and "The Ground" composed by Ola Gjeilo.
On March 26, 2024, our choir took to the stage at the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church venue. Our esteemed adjudicator for the day was soprano Irene Ilic, hailing from Newmarket, Ontario. Irene, a highly accomplished musician herself with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Music, has trained singers of all ages in classical, musical theatre, and pop genres. She is a noted adjudicator known for her positive attitude and encouraging comments, serving on the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Board, Ontario Music Festivals Association (OMFA) Board, and the Ontario Registered Music Teacher’s Association (ORMTA).
And so, we sang... and what an incredible experience it was! In addition to grading our performances for the competition, Irene graciously spent an extra 15 minutes working with our choir, providing valuable insight and feedback on specific sections of each piece. She lauded our strengths and highlighted areas where we could further improve. Her delightful and personable approach made the entire experience incredibly positive and enriching.
As our time together came to an end, Irene presented the choir with a Certificate of Achievement, adorned with a Gold Distinction seal. Achieving an impressive score of 91 percent, the honor and thrill of being recognized on our debut at the festival cannot be understated. The entire choir was ecstasy and filled with a renewed drive to perform again on our musical journey.
The Huntsville Festival of Music not only provided the opportunity for us to support budding musicians but also allowed our choir to showcase our talent and receive invaluable feedback from an esteemed adjudicator. The experience left us feeling inspired and more committed than ever to our passion for music.
