Children's honor choir auditions set for Sept. 6

Auditions for the 2018-2019 Sweetwater Board of Cooperative Educational Services Honor Choir Program will take place at the Sage Elementary School Sept. 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. 

Also, as auditions are open and ongoing, they may be scheduled at any time with the directors by contacting them. 

Children from third through eighth grade with unchanged voices are welcome to attend this audition and participate in a 5 to 10 minute painless audition with director Wendy Compton.

“In this program, there is a place for every young child wanting to be part of a choir,” Sarah Wessel said.

The Sweetwater BOCES Children’s Honor Choir program was established in 2001 by Wessel for the purpose promoting excellence in choral rehearsal and performance for children in Sweetwater County, providing group development in vocal performance, and sponsoring young singers the opportunity to perform in state and regional honor choirs. 

Also, it was created as a host choir for the 2002 All-State Honor Choir, which took place that year in Rock Springs with conductor Betty Berteaux of Maryland. The choir has hosted this event again two more times in Rock Springs, coordinated by Wessel, and once in Worland, coordinated by Compton.

Throughout the choir’s history, hundreds of singers, grades third through eighth, have performed in state, regional and even national honor choirs.

For the past two years, the choir program will be divided into two performing groups: the entry choir, or “VOCE,” under the direction of Wessel; and the more advanced group, called “CANTABILE,” under the direction of Compton.

“VOCE” singers who want to advance to “CANTABILE” in this season, need to attend the Sept. 6 auditions.

Throughout 2018-2019 year the SBOCES Children’s Honor Choir will perform several holiday and spring concerts throughout the area, and perform in the 2019 Music Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Now entering it’s 17th year of performance, the SBOCES Children’s Honor Choir now meets for regular mandatory rehearsals on Thursdays at the Sage Elementary School from 6:15-7:30 p.m. from September through May,  following the scheduling of Sweetwater County School districts No. 1 and No.2, observing holidays planned by those districts. Rehearsals will begin Sept. 13.

For any information, contact Compton at 307-431-6781; or Wessel at 307-389-8815.