Midwest Children’s Choir Festival

 

The Ames Children’s Choirs (ACC) program created the Midwest Children’s Choir Festival (MCCF) in 1996 to provide the opportunity for young singers in Iowa to hear and perform with nationally and internationally acclaimed choirs and performers. The first two festivals featured international choirs and included children’s choirs from Central Iowa in addition to the ACC Concert Choir performing separately and as singers in a mass choir. Since 2000, the festival has been held at Stephens Auditorium on the ISU campus and has included select Iowa singers in addition to featured Midwest choirs and the ACC Concert Choir to form a mass choir of 400 singers (primarily in 5th-7th Grades). MCCF 2000-2005 featured baritones Simon Estes and Timothy Kuhn as soloists. Since 2007 MCCF has featured living composers and the premiere of new works.

 

 

Featured choirs and performers for MCCF include:
2023

Dr. Derrick Fox
Catholic Youth Choir
Heartland Youth Choir

2019

Dr. Elizabeth McFarland
Siouxland Youth Chorus
Urbandale Middle School Chorus

2017

Dr. Susan Brumfield, conductor
University of Northern Iowa Children’s Choir
Concert Choir ~ Northfield Youth Choirs

2015

Dr. Sandra Snow, conductor
Heartland Youth Choir
Iowa Youth Chorus

2013

Dr. Weston Noble, conductor
(premiere of “Dream It” by Allen Koepke, commissioned by ACC)
Britten and Capriccio of the Madison Youth Choir, WI

2011

Rollo Dilworth, composer and conductor
(premiered “Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name”)
Cantabile Choir ~ Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs
Cantabile Girls’ Choir

2009

René Clausen, composer and conductor
(premiered “For the Beauty of the Earth”)
Allegro Con Moto ~ Allegro Community Children’s Choir
Cantus ~ Bentonville Children’s Choir

2007

Bob Chilcott, composer and conductor
(premiered “All things pass”)
Carl Sandburg Children’s Choir
Treble Choir ~ Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota

2005

Simon Estes, soloist
Concert Choir ~ Northern Illinois Children’s Chorus
Cantorei ~ Milwaukee Children’s Choir

2003

Timothy Kuhn, soloist
Concert Chorus ~ Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Northern Iowa Children’s Choir

2001

Simon Estes, soloist
The Chorale ~ Des Moines Children’s Choruses
Concert Choir ~ Saint Louis Children’s Choir

2000

Simon Estes, soloist
Laudate ~ Nebraska Children’s Chorus
Angelica Cantati (Minneapolis)

1999

Bel Canto ~ Nebraska Children’s Chorus

1998

Boni Pueri (Hradace-Kralove, Czech Republic)

1997

Jubilate (Budapest, Hungary)

1996

Schaumburg Jugendchor (Germany)