Celebrate Singing Choral Festival
The Celebrate Singing Choral Festival (CSCF) was created by the Ames Children’s Choirs (ACC) program in 2008 to provide the opportunity for school and community choirs to hear and perform with other choirs. This festival developed as an outgrowth of the ACC sponsored Midwest Children’s Choir Festival (MCCF), which includes select singers from children’s choirs throughout the state of Iowa. Music teachers who have participated in MCCF expressed an interest in having an opportunity for their entire choir to participate in a festival experience.
The inaugural CSCF celebrated the life of Carleen Anderson (1953-2006) who taught general music and 3rd Grade in Ames schools for more than 30 years. The following choirs participated in this festival:
4th-5th Grade Chorus, Edwards Elementary School, Ames
4th-5th Grade Chorus, Fellows Elementary School, Ames
4th-5th Grade Chorus, Meeker Elementary School, Ames
4th-5th Grade Chorus, Mitchell Elementary School, Ames
4th-5th Grade Chorus, Sawyer Elementary School, Ames
Chorale ~ Ames Children’s Choirs
Ragazzi Youth Choir ~ Nebraska Children’s ChorusThe festival was held at Ames Middle School. Each choir sang two selections separately and joined together as a mass choir of 270 singers to premiere a new arrangement of “How Can I Keep From Singing?” for two-part chorus and harp by Sylvia Munsen in honor of Carleen.
The next CSCF will be held in April 2010 and is open to any 4th-6th Grade choir in the state. Carolyn Jennings will write a new work to be premiered at the festival concert.
