Vocal Performance Competition WinnersMarch 16, 2019
Three local high school seniors won Chester County Choral Society’s 27th Excellence in Vocal Performance Competition held on March 16, 2019, at the Exton Baptist Church, Exton.
 Sofia Bobrysheva, Mezzo-soprano.
Downingtown East HS.
1st Place
First place went to Sofia Bobrysheva, a mezzo-soprano who is a senior at Downingtown East High School and studies voice with Kim Kronenberg Russell of West Chester. While living in Canada, she studied voice, piano and music theory at the Royal Canadian Conservatory of Music. Sofia is a Tri-M Honor Society member and sings in Masterworks Choir in high school. She has placed third in the Alto II category for the 2019 PMEA Regional Choral Festival. She plans to attend West Chester University next year for a dual degree in Voice Performance and Music Education.
 Frankie Jacquette, Baritone. Bayard Rustin HS. Runner-up
Baritone, Francis Jacquette, won a Runner-up award. A senior at Bayard Rustin High School, he has spent much of his time focusing on instrumental music, playing flute, piccolo, tuba, French horn and trombone for the marching and concert bands. Frankie has participated in the 2018 PMEA District and Regional Choral Festivals. He has played the role of a Mission Band Singer in Guys and Dolls and Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins for his high school musical productions. Frankie will attend the University of Delaware in the fall to study music and mathematics and will be a member of the Marching Blue Hens.
 Elana Babbitt, Soprano. Great Valley HS. Runner-up
A Runner-up award was also won by Elana Babbitt, a soprano who attends Great Valley High School. Elana studies voice in the studio of Kim Kronenberg Russell. She has been singing from a young age and is a former member of the Chester County Youth Choir. Elana has a passion for musical theater which is evident from her past roles with West Chester Summerstage, Limelight Performing Arts, Barley Sheef Players, Stagedoor Manor, and Great Valley Middle and High Schools. Favorite roles include: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Maria in Sound of Music, Mayzie in Seussical, Dorothy Brown in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hedy LaRue in How to Succeed in Business. Elana awaits letters of acceptance from colleges and hopes to pursue studies in musical theater at a college of her choice.
The Vocal Competition recognizes, promotes and rewards the achievement of young singers. Since 2010, the late Honorable Charles B. Smith has sponsored the competition. The competition was adjudicated by Courtney Capriotti, Teresa Moyer and Tom Sitzler. Awards consist of a First place prize of $1000 cash, a Certificate of Achievement, and an award plaque, and two Runner-up awards of $500 cash and a Certificate of Merit. The awards will be presented at Chester County Choral Society’s Spring Concert featuring, “Favorite Opera Choruses”. Each finalist will have the opportunity to perform selections from the classical repertoire, as well as from musical theater. The concert will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 3:30 PM at Church of the Good Samaritan, 212 W. Lancaster Ave, Paoli, PA 19301. ANNOUNCING:
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For more than 20 years, the Chester County Choral Society has hosted the Excellence in Vocal Performance Competition to recognize and encourage talented high school seniors who reside, attend high school or study music in Chester County, PA.
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DATE: March 16, 9:00 - 2:00 |
The Competition exists to reward vocal excellence. Contestants compete for the following awards:
Please review the attached documents and application. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email Sue Sutter at:
Phone: 610-495-6685 or email at: stsutter@verizon.net
- First place, $1000 cash, Certificate of Achievement, and trophy plaque
- Two runners up, $500 each, Certificates of Merit
Please review the attached documents and application. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email Sue Sutter at:
Phone: 610-495-6685 or email at: stsutter@verizon.net
2019 Application Form
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Why Choruses Matter
"To sing like this, in the company of other souls, and to make those consonants slip out so easily and in . . .
>> READ MORE BELOW <<
"To sing like this, in the company of other souls, and to make those consonants slip out so easily and in . . .
>> READ MORE BELOW <<
Why Choruses MatterAccording to a study by the National Endowment for the Arts, one in 10 American adults sings weekly in a chorus. For most, choral singing begins in a school chorus, but millions of people carry their love of singing into adulthood. The broad appeal of choral singing is based in the unsurpassed opportunity it gives each singer to participate in an activity that involves them artistically, builds community, and results in a product of great beauty. In working toward a beautiful choral sound, people contribute to an artistic product greater than themselves and forge friendships that change the course of their lives. The synergy of this musical mission infuses choral organizations with energy and purpose that result in extraordinary contributions to their communities - through stellar performances and recordings of great works, the creation of new repertoire, innovative educational programs, and cooperative partnerships with other community organizations.
Choral groups and choral singers are diverse in the broadest sense: involving the old and young, in myriad musical styles from classical to gospel. Some choruses employ professional singers with significant music background and training. Professional choruses often set the standard of quality and beautiful choral sound. Some choruses are rooted in volunteerism, and their mission is to involve singers from the community who share the love of singing. Others aim to make the move from performing with only volunteer singers to including a core of paid professional singers. All of these various groups promote cultural excellence, community and national pride. Their performing venues are equally diverse -- from community festivals and shopping malls to major concert halls -- ensuring that choral music touches all members of a community, regardless of economic status, age, or ethnic origin. Choruses And Civic Engagement The fact that choral singing is a communal activity is especially significant today when we increasingly rely on Internet-based communications, rather than face-to-face interaction. Several recent studies have shown a significant decline in civic engagement in our communities. Robert Putnam, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government scholar (best known for his book, Bowling Alone) asserts that the significance of choral singing goes beyond music making, and even beyond the arts. He sees group performing as contributing directly "whatever the makeup of the group" to the social trust and reciprocity that is the basis of civic engagement. Putnam's work shows that the mere existence of choral groups helps foster America's democratic culture (see his web site, www.BowlingAlone.com). Putnam's colleague Tom Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar, gave a keynote address, "Choral Singing and Civic Engagement," at the Chorus America Conference in Toronto this past June. The Saguaro Seminar recently published a report, "Better Together," chronicling the "erosion of social capital in America" and outlining ways to reverse those trends. You can access this report through the web site, www.bettertogether.org. Other experts agree that political sociologists bemoaning the decline of community in America would do well to check out their local choral scene. For example, "Singing in a choir" is listed in the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's publication Social Capital, a checklist of activities that can promote social "connectedness." [This article was originally published by Chorus America.] |
To sing like this, in the company of other souls, and to make those consonants slip out so easily and in unison, and to make those chords so rich that they bring tears to your eyes. This is transcendence. This is the power that choral singing has that other music can only dream of." |