A fresh new voice!

District High School Choral Festival to be Held at Northwest

By Brittany Greer

For The Observer

August 25, 2010

Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Department of Choral Activities will host an exciting weekend of music for area high school choral students during the annual District High School Choral Festival on Sept. 10-11.

The two-day event will culminate with a 1:30 p.m. performance Saturday, Sept. 11, in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Senatobia campus.

The District High School Honor Choir will collaborate with the Northwest Singers, according to Spencer VanDyke, director of Choral Activities and coordinator of the event.

“The college choir learns the music prior to the weekend. The high school students arrive Friday morning and receive their music packets,” said VanDyke. “Rehearsing together results in a large choral ensemble experience for both groups. Also, the music learned can be taken back to the high school choral programs and used in performances throughout the year.”

Through a director’s luncheon, the area high school teachers are able to meet and

discuss music and exchange valuable ideas and information with each other to enhance their teaching,  VanDyke noted.

“This is a great event, both for the district high schools and for Northwest,” he added.

Northwest Fine Arts division director Dr. Kenneth Sipley is the guest conductor. Dr. Saundra Bishop, director of keyboard studies, is the accompanist.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact VanDyke at

(662) 562-333 or e-mail svandyke@northwestms.edu.

Northwest Mississippi Community College Fine Arts division director, Dr. Kenneth Sipley (front) directs area high school students during last year’s District High School Choral Festival in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Senatobia campus. (Courtesy photo)