… is picked to perform in national festival

The Ilion Chamber Choir, under the direction of Mark Bunce, has been selected to be a representative of the state of New York in the 2006 national music festival of states in Boston, Mass., celebrating America’s heritage through music. The Chamber Choir will perform and tour Boston from April 27-30 and present its program for the public on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Burton T. Seymour Auditorium at Ilion Junior-Senior High School.

The Ilion Chamber Choir consists of 36 students from grades nine through 12, who audition to be in this select group in addition to being involved in the high school chorus. The students rehearse outside of school and perform two regular concerts (a holiday classics concert and spring concert consisting of tour repertoire or a major choral work) throughout the year and throughout central New York at many events, including the Relay for Life and Utica Monday Nite. The Chamber Choir also represents Ilion on the Utica Symphony Holiday Pops Concert.

While in Boston, students will perform three concerts at Copley Square, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market Place and the Old North Church. Students will also tour the Freedom Trail, Salem, the House of Seven Gables, the Mayflower, Plymouth Plantation, other sites and attend a concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall.

The theme of the concert tour is “Let Freedom Ring.” Highlights include music by America’s first composer, William Billings (Chester), Aaron Copland’s “At the River,” Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” Moses Hogan’s “Lift Every Voice for Freedom,” John Rutter’s “Down By the Riverside,” Randall Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom” (a setting of four passages from the writings of Thomas Jefferson) and patriotic selections including “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America: Let Freedom Ring” and other works.

Boston is host to the National Music Festival of States for the entire year of 2006. The National Festival of States is organized by Music Celebrations International, Arizona. The goal of the organizers is to have at least one vocal and instrumental group from each of the 50 states in the National Festival of States. In the past, the Ilion Chamber Choir has represented New York in performances in Washington, D.C. and Toronto, Canada.