Hamilton-Gibson Choirs Begin 14th Season of Community Choral Program for Youth
The Hamilton-Gibson Children and Youth Choirs will officially begin their 14th Season on August 19 at a special kick-off rehearsal at the Bogacyk Farm in Cherry Flats, announced Katherine Brennan and Thomas Putnam, directors of the community-based choirs. “It is amazing to see the growth of the choirs over the last 13 years,” said Ms. Brennan. “We've watched the program grow from just 18 singers in grades 4-8 back in 1996, to a full program for singers from all over the county in grades 2-12.”
Registration for the choirs is now open and all singers from grades 2-12 are encouraged to apply. Opportunities include the YOUNG MEN'S CHOIR which includes boys in grades 9-12 or younger boys who have changed voices. The YOUNG WOMEN'S CHOIR includes girls in grades 9-12. The CHILDREN'S CONCERT CHOIR features singers from grades 5-8. The CHOIR TOO is the training choir for children in grades 2-4 or those who are still working on their singing voice. Enrollment is open to all children and typically includes students from all three school districts, private and home-schooled children.
Each choir meets once a week and performs an autumn concert, a holiday concert at the Dickens of a Christmas Weekend, and a spring concert. The choirs also perform for local civic and church groups, and join with other choirs for joint concerts. Touring began early in the HG Choir history and since then the choirs have toured in Washington D.C., New York City (joining with the Newark Boy's Choir), Toronto (joining with the Hamilton, Ontario Children's Choir; who then came to Tioga County for a joint concert the following year.) The choirs also toured Prague in the Czech Republic, and Brazil. More recently the choirs embarked on a never-before-attempted plan to sing in all the counties in Pennsylvania. The choirs toured the Pittsburgh area in 2008 and the Philadelphia area in 2009. One of the highlights of the Philly tour being the invitation to sing the National Anthem at a Phillies game in front of over 60,000 people.
Since 2001, the choirs have performed the National Anthem at the Little League World Series in Williamsport. This year the date is Saturday, August 22 at the 8:00 game. Unfortunately the National Anthem is typically not televised. All singers in the choirs—including new singers—from grades 5-12 will perform the National Anthem. Attendance at the August 19 kick-off rehearsal and dinner are mandatory for participation in this event.
This year the choir (grades 5-12) will tour in the Erie area and be one of the featured choirs at the Erie Song Fest with the Erie Young People's Choir, an associate choir with the famed New York Young People's Choir. The tour will be November 6, 7, 8.
The tuition cost for participation is kept to a minimum with the gifts from local citizens who are committed to offering a quality community choral experience for local students. Choir fundraisers (primarily a chrysanthemum and poinsettia sale every fall and winter) help to keep costs low. Scholarships of up to half of the total cost are often available to families who are in difficult financial situations. “The board of Hamilton-Gibson Productions is very proud of the HG Choir program and we are eager to provide the opportunity to all interested singers in the area, regardless of their ability to pay the instructional fee,” said Craig Devenport, president of the HG Board. “The benefit to the children goes far beyond developing their singing voice to instilling an abiding sense of confidence, well-being, and wholeness.”
“The community choir program is one of the strongest aspects of our performing arts group,” said Pat Davis, HG board member and former music teacher. “The choral experience is a viable supplement to any school program and a wonderful way for student musicians from all over the county to meet new singers and like-minded young artists.”
Dr. Peggy Detwiler of the Mansfield University choral music department has worked with the choir program in a number of capacities. She has spent a number of individual rehearsals with the groups over the years. She invited the choirs to sing with the MU Festival Chorus for Carl Orff's magnificent Carmina Burana both at MU and the Corning Glass Center. Dr. Detwiler invited the choirs to perform at other MU choir concerts, and arranged for the children's choir to be the choir-in-residence at the 2002 Pennsylvania American Choral Directors' Conference at Penn State with the renowned Jean Ashworth Bartle as the clinician.
“The Hamilton-Gibson Children and Youth Choir is recognized as one of the finest children's choirs in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania,” stated Dr. Detwiler. “ They have sung for special events here at Mansfield University and have always presented themselves in a very professional manner. They sing great literature with beautiful choral tone. Thomas Putnam is an inspiring leader who has taken the group all over the world. I recommend them wholeheartedly as musical ambassadors for Pennsylvania.”
The choirs also performed with the MU Symphony Orchestra and the Williamsport Youth orchestra singing Aaron Coplands AMERICAN SONGS.
For more information about the Hamilton-Gibson Choir program for children and youth, call the HG office at 570.724.2079, email hamgib@epix.net, or visit the HG website at www.hamiltongibson.org
Hamilton-Gibson Choir Tours All 67 Pennsylvania Counties
Hamilton-Gibson Choirs will perform in every county in the state, announced director Thomas Putnam at the HG Choir Kick-off on Monday. The goal is to sing in all 67 counties within ten years. The incoming singers in second grade this year, potentially will see this goal accomplished, and all the other singers will realize they have been a part of something big.
“I’ve never heard of anyone—anywhere—initiating such a venture,” said Representative Matthew Baker. “Arlen Specter visits every county in one year, but to my knowledge no singing group has ever attempted this.”
The HG Choirs, which began in 1996 have toured to Toronto, New York City, Washington DC, Prague in the Czech Republic, and Brazil. Designated by the Tioga County Commissioners as the Tioga County Singing Youth Ambassadors; and by the Pennsylvania’s Legislature as Pennsylvania’s Singing Youth Ambassadors. As such, it seemed only right to direct attention to HG’s own home and sing throughout the Commonwealth.
The program consists of four choirs which perform both separately and together. Choir TOO, a training choir includes grades 2-4. The Concert Choir includes grades 5-8. The Young Women’s Choir includes girls in grades 9-12. The Young Men’s Choir includes boys in grades 9-12. Each singing group rehearses once each week: Choir TOO on Tuesdays, from 3:45-4:45; Concert Choir on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00; Young Men and Young Women meet on Mondays from 6:30-8:00. All rehearsals are in Wellsboro.
Each year the choirs select a theme. This year’s theme is The Animal Kingdom. “We’ve been amazed at the wide variety of music that includes references to creatures of all kinds, or have animals as the theme,” said Katherine Brennan, director of the training choir and the Young Women’s Choir. “Our concerts this year will definitely have a unique tone!”
“We work hard to keep the instructional fee affordable for families. When compared with many other activities available, the cost per week for choir participation is extremely low,” said Putnam. “There are scholarships available; we don’t want anyone to be hesitant due to a financial situation.”
For more information contact the Hamilton-Gibson office at 570-724-2079 or email at hamgib@epix.net
