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Waupaca choirs travel to ?Big Apple?

The Waupaca High School Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Madrigal Singers had a busy month of March putting the finishing touches on some of their most difficult repertoire .

The choirs leave on Wednesday. April 24, via bus to travel to New York City, where they will participate in one of the country’s largest choral festivals on Friday, April 26.

This marks the 18th time the choir has traveled to “The Big Apple.”

In the past, the choir has received ratings of outstanding and excellent, as well as several other awards. including the Outstanding Choral Group, Outstanding Choral Program and the Adjudicator’s Award.

This year, the choirs will be competing against choirs from 12 different states and Canada.

“Of course, it would be wonderful to sweep the competition again, but that is not our focus. You never know the caliber of choirs that you will be up against. All you can do is go out and sing the best you know how and let the chips fall where they may. The experience all along the way is more important,” said Choral Director Dan Wolfgram.

The 80 voice Concert Choir, directors Wolfgram and Kira Morrissey, along with six other chaperones will depart from the high school at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 24.

They anticipate arriving in New York City around 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 25.

The choir will depart New York on Monday April 29 and arrive in Waupaca the following day, between 3 and 5 p.m.

This year, the Madrigal Ensemble will again shed its traditional costume and perform in the Chamber Ensemble category.

The rationale behind this, according to Wolfgram, is to “experience a whole new style of literature, which up unto this point has never been experienced by this group of students. This festival also attracts more Chamber Ensembles than Madrigal Ensembles for competition.”

While in New York City, all of the students will be seeing Broadway musicals.

The students will be doing a lot of sightseeing in mid and lower Manhattan.

They will visit Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Little Italy, Harlem, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios, Top of the Rock, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Empire State Building, Times Square, Broadway, Fifth and Park Avenues, Ground Zero, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, St. John the Divine, Carnegie Hall, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and other.

The main focus of the trip will be the competition and adjudication at the festival hosted by Heritage Festivals of Music on Friday.

The competition takes place in historic Riverside Church in Manhattan.

Choirs from all over the country will convene for a day of music making.

This marks the eighth year all three of these ensembles will combine to participate in a national festival.

While the choirs are waiting to perform, they will hear other choirs from around the country.

The choir has also been invited to sing at historic St. John The Divine.

The festival comes to a gala conclusion at the evening awards banquet.

The students will then participate in an evening cruise, ethnic buffet and dance.

The students will be staying at a hotel in New Jersey and will be sharing in many musical, cultural and educational experiences during

their stay in New York City.

Chaperones for this year’s trip are Wolfgram, Morrissey, Jeff and Patsy Servey, Kurt and Pam Harrington, Tim and Kathy Gauerke and accompanist Mike Barden.

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