Singing in Dover, Ohio
LOGAN — The Hocking County Children’s Chorus, a United Way agency, will travel to Tuscarawas County this weekend to perform in a new festival.
The HCCC will attend the inaugural Children’s Chorus Festival in Dover, Ohio this Saturday, April 23. The all-day event will conclude with a group performance Saturday evening.
"We will be joining with the Tuscararus Symphonic Children’s Chorus and Dayton’s Kettering Children’s Choir," HCCC Executive Director Therese Karnes said. Around 25 members of the HCCC will perform Saturday, she added, all from either the Junior or Senior HCCC choirs.
The HCCC was first invited to perform at the Children’s Chorus Festival in 2019, Karnes explained. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was eventually pushed back to 2022.
The event is to showcase and educate children’s chorus groups from around Ohio, Karnes said. "Music clinicians and experts are going to work with the chorus groups throughout the day; they work on not only the repertoire of what we’re singing and the musicianship, but there’s something called Dalcroze eurhythmics. It’s a focus on music theory and exploring the creative process."
During performances, each choir will present two or three of their own pieces, Karnes said. "And then all three choirs will be singing together.
In addition to the symphony performance, a musical piece was commissioned for the event. Philip Silvey, a composer, composed "What I Can Change," just for the occasion of the festival.
"(It’s) exciting that this piece has been commissioned, especially for us," Karnes said. "We are thrilled to be part of this world premier."Karnes expressed excitement for the returning ability to "sing together" again with other children’s choruses.
"It’s an exciting opportunity for our children to be able to perform alone and with other choirs; a whole new audience and have experience with other clinicians," Karnes said.
Expenses for the HCCC trip to the festival were covered by a grant, Karnes added. Each chorister will have at least one parent in attendance, their only expense being gas.
Suellen Rieder will be accompanying the HCCC. The festival will effectively close out this year’s HCCC season, Karnes said. Two weeks prior, the Chorus presented its annual spring musical, Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast Jr." to a crowd of over 1300 at the Logan High School Theatre.
Enrollment for the 2022-2023 Season will begin in July. The HCCC is open to children of all abilities, from grades first through 12. Children do not have to be Hocking County residents to join.
The HCCC performance Saturday evening is free to the public; it begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Dover High School auditorium, at 520 N. Walnut St., Dover, Ohio. More information on the HCCC can be found online at hockingcochildrenschorus.org/.