Choir
Registration for the choirs is now open and all singers from grades 2-12 are encouraged to apply. Opportunities include the YOUNG MEN'S CHOIR which includes boys in grades 9-12 or younger boys who have changed voices. The YOUNG WOMEN'S CHOIR includes girls in grades 9-12. The CHILDREN'S CONCERT CHOIR features singers from grades 5-8. The CHOIR TOO is the training choir for children in grades 2-4 or those who are still working on their singing voice. Enrollment is open to all children and typically includes students from all three school districts, private and home-schooled children.
Dr. Peggy Detwiler of the Mansfield University choral music department has worked with the choir program in a number of capacities. She has spent a number of individual rehearsals with the groups over the years. She invited the choirs to sing with the MU Festival Chorus for Carl Orff's magnificent Carmina Burana both at MU on two different occasions. Dr. Detwiler invited the choirs to perform at other MU choir concerts, and arranged for the children's choir to be the choir-in-residence at the 2002 Pennsylvania American Choral Directors' Conference at Penn State with the renowned Jean Ashworth Bartle as the clinician.
“The Hamilton-Gibson Children and Youth Choir is recognized as one of the finest children's choirs in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania,” stated Dr. Detwiler. “They have sung for special events here at Mansfield University and have always presented themselves in a very professional manner. They sing great literature with beautiful choral tone. I recommend them wholeheartedly as musical ambassadors for Pennsylvania.”
The choirs also performed with the MU Symphony Orchestra and the Williamsport Youth orchestra singing Aaron Copland's AMERICAN SONGS.
For more information about the Hamilton-Gibson Choir program for children and youth, call the HG office at 570.724.2079.
