On Monday, March 11th, 4 of Lafayette’s 6 choirs held a Pre-KMEA concert at Central Christian Church in preparation for their attendance at KMEA assessment.

Each year, Advanced Women’s, Singers, Chorale, and Madrigals attend assessment and get a score from a judge. Each choir also receives a clinic from a professional music teacher, and sight reads for a score. The scoring is as follows: distinguished, proficient, apprentice, and novice, with distinguished being the best and novice being the lowest score.

Advanced Women prepared three songs: Festival Sanctus by John Leavitt, I Will Be Earth by Qwyneth Walker, and Niska Banja by Romani Dance arranged by Nick Page, which also features soloists Violet Updike, Flannery  Rayyans, Dory McDonald, and Ally Curry.

Lafayette Singers sung three songs for their repertoire. Zion’s Walls by Aaron Copeland arranged by Glenn Koponen, Verleih uns Frieden by Felix Mendelssohn, and Domaredansen, a Swedish folk song arranged by Drew Collins.

Lafayette Chorale performed Geistliches Lied by Johannes Brahms with Emma Owens on a solo, Esto Les Digo, a Brazilian folk song arranged by Fonseca, and Muie Rendera.

Lafayette Madrigals prepared four songs. Jagdlied by Felix Mendelssohn, My Sprit Sang All Day by Gerald Finzi, Prayer by Rene Clausen, and Wipip by Sydney Guillaume.
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All choirs who attended assessment brought home fabulous scores and did an outstanding job.

Courtesy Lafayette Times Student News
Zaida Bell-Frantz, Clubs Editor
March 18, 2019
https://lafayettetimes.org/8259/arts/pre-kmea-choir-concert/

The Lafayette Times is the official news source for Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky. We here at the Times are committed to providing reliable news relevant to the student body of Lafayette as well as parents, teachers, alumni, and the Lexington community.

The Lafayette Madrigal Singers gave an outstanding performance that garnered a first-place win in the Margaret Comstock Chamber Choir Competition on Friday February 22, 2019.  The event is held at the School of Music on the University of Louisville campus in Margaret Comstock Concert Hall.  The event is hosted by the world-ranked University of Louisville Cardinal Singers.  

This is the twelfth time the Madrigal Singers have won first place at this event.  The group competed against twelve other choirs from top choral programs in Kentucky. This competition demands high-quality repertoire selections and outstanding performance from ensembles.  Each choir is required to sing one common piece that is selected as the compulsory piece each year.  Choirs compete in two rounds for a panel of judges and clinician. After the first round performance, choirs received a clinic session coached by Dr. Kent Hatteberg (Director of Choral Activities at the University of Louisville).  The competitors are narrowed to three choirs that compete again in a second round for final placements.  Adjudicators for the event were Dr. Michelle Louer, Director of Music and Fine Arts at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Dr. Philip Copeland, Director of Choral Activities at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
"The clarity of rhythm and nuance is terrific.  You captured the essence of the poetry so beautifully.”  -Dr. Michelle Louer, Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

“Masterful work – really tremendous on so many levels.”  - Dr. Philip Copeland, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.