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Choirs of Note
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Choirs of Note™ is an annual choral festival and competition that features the finest high school choirs in Minnesota that audition for invitation. The festival is hosted in Marshall, MN, and headlined by Dr. Dale Warland, founder of the Dale Warland Singers. Choirs are adjudicated by distinguish music faculty from various universities throughout the United States. 2007 was the inaugural year for Choirs of Note™. Origin The Choirs of Note™ was founded in 2006, when choral luminary Dale Warland, founder of the Dale Warland Singers, agreed to headline the festival in 2007. The mission of Choirs of Note™ is to encourage high school choir programs, support students who wish to pursue a college degree, and to promote artistic excellence. The goal of the organizers is that every high school choir has the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the endeavor. Russell Svenningsen, Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies at Southwest Minnesota State University, and Gordon Crow, a local businessperson, co-founded the nonprofit organization. Dale Warland Choral Scholarship Fund™ A central feature of Choirs of Note™ is the Dale Warland Choral Scholarship Fund™. The fund exists to serve high school choir students who wish to pursue a college degree. In 2008, choirs participating in the two-and-a-half day affair will compete for $24,000 in scholarships, with $10,000 in funds going to the high school whose choir is judged best at the competition. The second-place choir will receive scholarship funds of $5,000, third-place receives $4,000, fourth-place collects $3,000, and fifth-place is awarded $2,000. Inaugural Competition On April 20 and 21, 2007 nine high school choirs from throughout Minnesota competed in the first Choirs of Note™. Participating high schools included Brainerd, Dawson-Boyd, Fergus Falls, Lakeview (Cottonwood, MN), Litchfield, Marshall, Morris Area, Murray County Central (Slayton, MN), and Worthington. The results of the adjudicated competition, and awards from the Dale Warland Choral Scholarship Fund™ were as follows: Brainerd, Director Brian Stubbs, 1st Place, $5000; Morris Area, Director John Kleinwolterink, 2nd Place, $2000; Fergus Falls, Director Michelle Danielson, 3rd Place, $1000. Each of the remaining schools received $500. 2008 Choirs of Note The 2008 Choirs of Note™ festival and competition is scheduled for May 1-3. This second annual event required high schools to audition for selection. Every one of the more than 450 high schools throughout Minnesota was sent invitations to audition. The five high school ensembles selected include Brainerd, Jefferson (Alexandria, MN), Marshall, Woodbury, and Worthington. Dr. Dale Warland returns as the headlining celebrity, and he is joined by five distinguished choral music educators from five universities renowned for their music programs. The adjudicators for 2008 are: Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt - The Ohio State University, Dr. Jeffrey Douma - Yale University, Dr. Jonathan Talberg - University of California, Long Beach, Professor David Weiller - University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Professor Judith Willoughby - Oklahoma City University. See Also
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