SVCC Presents 15th Anniversary Concerts

Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir performing Christmas Concert 2006

The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir (SVCC) will present its 15th anniversary spring concerts 7 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 24 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 25, at the Bridgewater (VA) Church of the Brethren.

Alumni and alumni families will be special guests as 150 children in the Preparatory, Treble, and Concert Choirs present some favorites from the past 15 years of singing as well as some new songs.

The Preparatory Choir, 36 children ages 8-11, will present "Old Carrion Crow" and "Firefly," arranged by SVCC alumnus Laura Anderson.

The Treble Choir, SVCC’s intermediate group of 40 children ages 10-15, will sing the Louisiana French folksong "Ton Thé," the Hebrew folksong "Hashivenu" and Andrew Carter’s new composition, "Bless the Lord." The Preparatory and Treble Choirs will combine for a baroque song, "Come With Hearts," and an American folksong, :Here, Rattler, Here" with choir parent and professional folksong artist Bill Wellington on banjo.

The Treble and Concert Choirs will join to sing "Prayer" by Brahms and "Sahayta," a multi-cultural favorite with African rhythms and languages with Dorrall Price on djembe.

The Concert Choir will present favorite songs including Purcell’s "Sound the Trumpet," Bach’s "Bist du bei mir" and Aaron Copland’s "Ching-a-Ring Chaw." Other compositions will include a new work, "Lake Isle of Innisfree" by Eleanor Daley, "Cantate Sing" by Wayland Rogers and the Canadian folksong. "Arcady." The set will conclude with the jazz selection, "A-Tisket, A-Tasketm," accompanied by bass player Lew Morrison and percussionist Matthew Coyle.

The combined choirs will sing long-time favorites, "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" by John Rutter. Alumni will be invited to join the choirs for these songs.

The choirs will be directed by Julia White, artistic director and founder, and Joy Anderson, assistant director. Accompanists are Maurita Eberly, pianist, and John Fast, organist.

Tickets are available from the EMU box office at 540-432-4582 from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are $12 adults, $10 students & seniors (65 and older) and $7 children under 12. Tickets will be $2 more at the door while available.

The SVCC, part of Eastern Mennonite University’s music department, includes 230 children in three auditioned choirs (ages 8-17), five young children’s classes ages ages 5-8) and a professional staff of five. The choir’s 15-year history includes domestic and international tours, production of ten compact discs and performances at numerous professional choral conferences, including American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference and Kodaly Association. The choir has performed in Hawaii, Italy and New York City.

The Concert Choir will perform at Carnegie Hall May 26 in New York City with the MidAmerica Children’s Choir Festival under the direction of Jean Ashworth Bartle of the Toronto Children’s Choir. The SVCC will join with three other children’s choirs for rehearsal and performance with full orchestra.

Auditions for the SVCC 2007-08 season will be held May 10-12 at EMU by appointment only. All children auditioning must have seen a concert and have a teacher recommendation. The SVCC is seeking children who can match pitch, have a desire to sing and are able to commit to the practice and performance schedule.

For more information, visit the SVCC website at www.emu.edu/svcc or call choir manager Judy Leaman at 540-432-4650.

— posted March 8, 2007