Large Group
Festival Information
Date:
Friday, April 4
Location:
Jack Brit High School in Fayetteville, NC
Transportation:
AT & T Charter Bus Lines and CA Charger Buses (for 6th
graders)
Attire:
Performing Arts Attire
Boys: Tux pants, black shoes, black dress shoes, tux shirt, white under
shirt,
studs and button cover
Girls: Performing arts long
black skirt, brocade blouse, black, opaque knee-hi’s
black character heels, hair – half up/half down
Cost:
$10.00 for lunch – probably Cracker Barrel
Departure:
7:30 – MS Circle – do not bring laptops or books.
Leave them in your Locker.
Return:
3:30 or earlier
We will travel to Fayetteville on April 4 departing at 7:30 from the MS circle (hill). Please bring money for lunch. More than likely we will eat at Cracker Barrel, so $10.00 should be plenty. Do NOT bring snacks/candy for the bus ride. We will provide everyone a bottle of water and a snack for the students. Make sure you WEAR your chorus outfit to school. There will be no where to change. We will change clothes before our return trip home, so DO bring an appropriate change of clothes for the ride home. If you happen to have an athletic contest upon return to school, you should bring your uniform with you so you are ready to hop off the bus and head directly to your game. Do not bring your laptop or books on the bus, unless you just want to bring a book to read. We will use the time to socialize and sing.
For parents and students who are new to festival, let me take a minute to explain exactly what festival is. For each group classification we participate in, we must prepare two selections. Usually, we select one piece from a state list of choral music selections and another of choice. All music must be considered a “serious” piece of choral literature. Upon arrival, we usually listen to at least one choir before we head to the warm-up area. When it is our turn, we head to the warm-up area to prepare for our performance (about 15 minutes). After our warm-up, we head to the performance arena and perform two selections. Adjudicators listen and critique our performance on paper (and possibly on cassette tape) and award us an overall rating for our performance. After we perform for the audience and judges, we head to the sight-reading room. There we are given a rhythm example that we study (no rehearsal – just study) and then perform for a rating. We do the same for sight-singing. That is the last component of the judging. We then head back to the auditorium to await our next performance time. During our “wait time”, we have the opportunity to listen to other choral groups from the Eastern part of the state. In many ways, this portion of the day is the most valuable. Students learn so much from listening (and watching) other choral groups. After our last group performs, we will change clothes, head to lunch and then return to Cary Academy.
It is a wonderful field trip, performance opportunity and learning experience for our singers. Participation in festival is considered a major performance grade for the third trimester. It is a day trip and everyone is expected to participate. I will need parents to volunteer to chaperone and even more importantly, drive a CA Charger Bus (we need to take two of them for the 6th graders – we don’t all fit on the charter bus). If you are willing to drive a CA Charger bus and/or chaperone on this trip, please let me know. It will involve traveling with us, keeping students focused while listening to other groups perform and assist with overall care of the students. Please indicate on the permission slip if you are willing to chaperone. Also, make sure to MARK YOUR CALENDARS for April 4 (Large Group Festival) so you don’t have any conflicts such as doctor or dentist appointments. This date has been on the chorus web site since the fall.
Jacquie Holcombe