Concert Choir readies for exciting tour schedule

 Dr. Joel Schreuder, the choir’s director, said a lot of excitement awaits his group of about 40 singers, which has performances scheduled in three states in the coming months. The choir’s first big trip will be to showcase its talents to music educators from across the state. The choir was selected to perform Thursday, Nov. 15, at the annual Nebraska Music Educators Conference in Lincoln.

Each fall, educators who teach music to students ranging from elementary to college level gather on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for the NMEA conference. The CSC choir earned the opportunity to perform for the event after submitting recordings of three songs for a selection process this spring.

Schreuder said the performance will not only be a special experience for the students, but will provide increased visibility and publicity among Nebraska educators. The Concert Choir is one of about a half-dozen groups selected to perform and the only one west of Kearney.

“We’re doing some really difficult music. Normally, we learn 40 minutes of music for a concert. We only have 25 minutes on the stage at this event, so we’ve taken on some complicated music. It’s compressed, but it’s more challenging,” he said.

Schreuder said the event, along with a rigorous spring touring schedule, will serve as a building block for a bright future.

“We’re working really hard,” Schreuder said. “The choir is at least two-thirds freshmen and sophomores, so we’re young. The future is bright, and this event will only help improve our program.”

In most years fewer than a dozen students join CSC faculty members in making the 840-mile round-trip journey for the NMEA conference. While there, the choir members and others will have the opportunity to attend music education presentations, as well as watch the other performances.

Also, in conjunction with the concert, the CSC Alumni Office has scheduled a gathering near the concert site.

The performance, which is open to the public, will be at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, 1144 M Street, at 4:30 p.m., and the alumni gathering will follow across the street in the lower level of the Cornhusker Hotel.

The Concert Choir’s spring tour includes Rapid City, S.D., Colorado Springs, Colo., and Fort Collins, Colo. The CSC Wind Symphony and Concert Choir alternate touring schedules each year.

Schreuder said the concerts on the tour will be at venues that have a large pipe organ, the nearest of which is in Rapid City.

“Performing with a large million-dollar organ is an experience that most of our students have not had,” Schreuder said. “I want to give them experience in performing great music for choir and organ. These organs are the kind that you can feel in your chest when they’re being played.”

Members of the Concert Choir:

Zachary Banzhaf, Chadron, Neb.; Holly Bracht, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Nikki Bunnell, Alliance, Neb.; Dara Edwards, Ogallala, Neb.; Amy Graham, Valentine, Neb.; Sarah Hammer, Lakewood, Colo.; Zachary Henderson, Douglas, Wyo.; Heather Ann Hicks, Valentine, Neb.; Tanner Johns, Alliance, Neb.; Jens Johnson, Chadron, Neb.; Joelle Keith, Sterling, Colo.; Celina Leman, Douglas, Wyo.; Misha Mabey, Casper, Wyo.; Brendan Mead, Knoxville, Iowa; Mariah Mead, Gering, Neb.; Michael Mead, Gering, Neb.; Lauren Morris, Denver, Colo.; Shannon Neibauer, Great Falls, Mont.; Elizabeth ShaNae Orr, Hemingford, Neb.; Bailey Peden, Glendo, Wyo.; Derek Phelps, Sidney, Neb.; David Pilger, Sidney, Neb.; Nicoli Poitra, Chadron, Neb.; Tyler Prescott, Hastings, Neb.; Sergio Reyes, Penn Yann, N.Y.; Tracy Reyes, Crawford, Neb.; Christiane Roth, Hot Springs, S.D.; Benjamin Shelbourn, Valentine, Neb.; Kathryn Sullivan, Alliance, Neb.; Lane Swedberg, North Platte, Neb.; Arielle Tiensvold, Rushville, Neb.; Heather Walls, Loveland, Colo.; Jenna Whelchel, Harrisburg, Neb.; Lance Winters, Kimball, Neb.; Jacob Wirth , Sidney, Neb.