Six county vocalists to perform at state

Six members of the Sweetwater County Board of Cooperative Educational Services Children's Honor Choir have been chosen to perform in the Wyoming American Choral Directors Association 135-voice All-State Children's Honor Choir, which will perform in Sheridan Saturday, June 4.

Members were chosen by their directors, Wendy Compton and Sarah Wessel and the host organization in Sheridan. The members attending from Sweetwater County are Helena McManus, Makayla Johnson, Cassandra Morley and Maggie Smith of Rock Springs, and Abby Smith and Avah Kellhofer of Green River.

The choir will be under the direction of Robyn Reeves Lana, founder and managing artistic director and conductor of the Cincinnati Children's Choir, ensemble-in residence of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department. She is also an adjunct professor at Xavier University where she directs the Women's Chorus. Recognized for her work with children and youth, she has conducted international, state and regional honor and festival choirs.

Lana has chosen for the WYACDA Children's Honor Choir rehearsal and performance a wide variety of musical selections to including, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" a traditional spiritual arranged by Rollo Dilworth; "Canticle to the Spirit," by Eleanor Daley; "Annabel Lee" (text by Edgar Allan Poe), arranged by Leeann Ashby; "Kuwa Furaha," (Be Joy), by Jim Papoulis; "The Wise Old Owl," music by Cynthia Gray; and, "Sesere eeye," traditional song and dance from the Torres Strait Islands, as taught by Matthew Doyle.

The six singers of the SBOCES choir have been preparing this music with their local directors and will travel with their parents to Sheridan. They will continue rehearsals with Robin Reeves Lana, and perform at 4 p.m. June 4, at the Sheridan Junior High School Auditorium.

The concert is free and open to the public.