The guest conductor will be Lee Nelson of Wartburg College, formerly of St. Cloud State University, and the guest voice clinician will be Steve Boelhke of the Minnesota Valley Men's Chorale.
The concert will include performances by the Staples Motley High School Men's Chorus, the Wartburg College Ritterchor Men's Choir, and The Staples Area Men's Chorus, as well as solos from the Voice Clinic.
The festival chorus will include the groups listed above, plus high school men from Albany, Bertha-Hewitt, Brainerd, Browerville, Eagle Valley, Little Falls, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Pelican Rapids, Pequot Lakes, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Sauk Centre and Sebeka.
This will be the seventh year for the festival, which provides young men in high school choirs in the central Minnesota area the opportunity to work under some of the very best choral directors in the state.
Participating schools are not limited to bringing only their "best" students; they can bring one, four or all of their male singers to the festival. Rehearsals and workshops will be held during the afternoon.
At no charge to participating schools, the Staples Area Men's Chorus books the facility, hires a guest conductor and a voice teacher, buys the music, and provides an evening meal.
Concert tickets are available through the Centennial Auditorium Box Office at (218) 894-5416 or (800) 213-6877. Advance sale tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets purchased the day of the festival will be $10 for adults and $5 for students.
This project is made possible with financial assistance from the Five Wings Arts Council and the Minnesota State Legislature.
