It is the love of what many harmonic voices can do for the soul that inspired the Department of Music at Warner Pacific to bring to campus this fall two very notable choral directors from the internationally recognized St. Olaf Choir, Dr. Anton Armstrong and Mark Stover.
The two-day “Calling & Community: A Choral Summit” brings 12 local high school choirs to Warner Pacific for a one-day clinic (either October 9 or 10) culminating each day in a celebration concert featuring that day’s choirs, an Honor Choir of accomplished high school voices, and Warner Pacific’s choral ensembles. This concert is open to the public ($10 in advance or $15 at the door).
High school vocalists participating in the Choral Summit will gain valuable lessons in maximizing their voices, improving note reading, overcoming performance anxiety, teamwork, and learning to lead through excellent conducting.
This Choral Summit is a wonderful occasion for high school students to experience the challenge of an excellent college environment.
“Students will see that we have a focused intensity with a touch of whimsy; are formal but not stuffy; fun but not immature; and serious about the craft while not arrogant,” remarks Dr. Kelly Ballard, WPC’s Associate Professor of Music and Choral Summit organizer.
The Warner Pacific Department of Music hopes these choir students will be able to easily visualize themselves in a college choir, perhaps even considering Warner Pacific as a place to pursue future study.
About Calling & Community: a Choral Music Festival
The Department of Music presents professional daily clinics and community performances celebrating local high school choral programs on Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10.
Students from 12 high school choirs will receive guidance and direction in vocal production and presentation with special guests Dr. Anton Armstrong, St. Olaf College’s Tosdal Professor of Music, and Mark Strover, Artistic Director of Magnum Chorum chamber choir based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
Choir students will also attend breakout sessions with Warner Pacific professors and students.
An 80-voice honor choir will be created from accomplished singers (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) from local high schools, as nominated by their choir directors. This group will rehearse together during the day under the direction of Dr. Armstrong and Mr. Stover.
The day will culminate in a Celebration Concert, open to the public, with performances by the Honor Choir, each high school choir, as well as the Warner Pacific choral ensembles.
About the Guest Conductors
Dr. Anton Armstrong is the Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, a private liberal arts college in Minnesota. With roots as a founding conductor for the Oregon Bach Festival’s Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy, a unique summer choral program for high school vocalists, Dr. Armstrong is the conductor of the internationally acclaimed St. Olaf Choir.
Mark Stover is the Artistic Director of Magnum Chorum, a 50 voice chamber choir based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also the Minister of Worship, Music, and Arts at Colonial Church in Minneapolis. Professor Stover will conduct the St. Olaf Chapel Choir and Viking Singers during the 2015-16 academic year.