Davidson County high school and middle school choral students will get a chance to perform together at the upcoming Davidson All-County Chorus performance.
The performance of both choirs will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, at Finch Auditorium in Thomasville. Admission is $5 for adults, with proceeds supporting the event.
Each year middle school choir teachers from across Davidson County nominate up to 12 students from their school, and each high school teacher nominates up to 16 students, to form the All-County choir.
These nominated students come together one Sunday afternoon and on a Monday during the school day to prepare music that has been selected for them through the care and support of guest teachers and conductors who spend the time sharing their skills and talents with the students.
Teachers are charged with balancing the choir as carefully as possible to represent all the voice ranges needed. The entire event culminates with a concert that is open to the public to attend.
The middle and high school choirs rehearse and perform as two separate groups with a different conductor for each, but they perform a combined piece as one mass choir at the end of the concert
Francesca Sharp, a sophomore from Oak Grove High, loves participating in the All-County chorus.
“I have a lot of fun singing with other dedicated musicians as well as gaining the experience of singing in front of big crowds,” she said. “I also learn how to take on and learn from stage anxiety, so that is an added benefit.”
Research supports her feelings. A report on singdaptive.com says that “singing in a choir has been shown to boost self-confidence, mood, and overall well-being. When you sing in a choir, you are surrounded by like-minded people. This can make you feel more connected to others and give you a sense of belonging.”
Students selected for this year’s All-County choirs could not agree more.
“I enjoy the All-County chorus so much because it’s an opportunity to sing with so many other people,” said Andrew Flores Martinez, a senior singer from Oak Grove High. “It feels like being in a professional choir; hearing the strongest voices in the county in the same room gives me chills.”
In addition to the opportunity to sing and make music together, Maiah Vargas loves meeting students from other schools and the sense of community that All-County provides.
“I love how it forms a bond within the small choral community we have in Davidson County which I hope continues to grow,” she said.
This year’s All-County Middle School choir will be led by José Rivera, a professor of choral music education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the coordinator of music education. Rivera has conducted numerous honor and all-state choirs across the U.S. and abroad.
Rivera currently serves as president-elect of the North Carolina chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
The All-County High School choir will be led by Jaeyoon Kim, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Kim coordinates the vocal studies program and directs the UNC Pembroke Singers.
