WestChesterBuzz.com

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

A recent choral performance by four southwest Ohio youth groups raised about $9,100 for the Alzheimer’s Association of Cincinnati.

Founded three years ago by Bret Albright, choral director at Taylor High School, and Anthony Nims, Lakota West choral director, this year’s Sing For A Cause featured more than 150 singers and 100 instrumentalists.

Shows were held March 23-24 at the College of Mount St. Joseph and included performances by both schools’ choral groups along with the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra and the May Festival Youth Chorus. The program was conducted by William White, director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

All groups joined together to perform the Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dong Nobis Pacem. Professional soloists Amita Prakash and Brandon Morales joined in the show.

“The spectacle of 250 high school students on stage performing together was something to behold,’’ Nims said.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East choir, Lakota East choir director Becy Huddilston, Lakota East chorale, Lakota East High School, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

All nine Lakota East and West high school choral groups have been invited to the Ohio Music Education Association’s statewide large group state competition.

That’s after the choral groups made district history – all large group choirs received superior OMEA ratings in a year.

The groups qualified for state competition April 26-27 at Lebanon Junior High School after earning the superior ratings at District 12 and 13 OMEA competitions held the weekends of March 9 and 16.

Four West and two East will go to Lebanon to compete, choral directors said.

To earn those ratings each group had to perform three rehearsed songs and then received a fourth piece that neither the students nor director had seen before. They had four minutes to review the unknown piece before performing it twice before a panel of judges.

Those groups earning the superior rating from Lakota East are: Eastside Voices, Men’s Ensemble, Women’s Ensemble Black, Women’s Ensemble Silver and Women’s Freshman Ensemble.

Both the Women’s Ensemble Black and the Women’s Freshman Choir plan to compete at Lebanon.

“I am so proud of the work my students have accomplished both in and out of the classroom,’’ said Becky Huddilston, Lakota East choir director.

“With so many difficult issues facing our students, these select students have moved mountains to make music a part of their school day and to be successful and accomplished in that choice.”

Lakota West groups receiving superior ratings in the large group category include Women’s Chorus, Chorale, Men’s Chorus and Freshman Chorus.

“Even in the face of the many challenges we’ve struggled with this year, out students’ dedication and passion have enabled us to continue the tradition of musical excellence at Lakota,’’ said Anthony Nims, Lakota West’s choir director.

Nims said all of his large choral groups – Women’s Chorus, Chorale, Men’s Chorus and Freshman Chorus – that qualified would compete in Lebanon.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East choir, Lakota East choir director Becy Huddilston, Lakota East chorale, Lakota East High School, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School

The Lakota West High School Chorale will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Dayton Road in West Chester, at 7:30 p.m. next Friday, May 11.

The choir group will be joined by Michael Young, baritone, who will be singing the role of Elijah; Alexandra Kassouf, soprano; Andrea Spencer, mezzo soprano; and Andrew Jones, tenor. All of the special guests are present or former graduate students from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Robert Nims, professor of music emeritus at Ohio Wesleyan University, will accompany the work on the piano.

The 80-voice Lakota West Chorale consistently earns superior ratings at the AA level at Ohio Music Education Association adjudicated events, has twice been invited to perform at the CCM Feast of Carols, has performed with the Cincinnati Brass Band and has presented concerts at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.

Tickets to performance of Elijah are $5 and will be available at the door.

For more information, visit LakotaWestChoirs.org.

Posted in: Events, School events, Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Crestview Church, Crestview Church West Chester, Crestview Presbyterian Church, Crestview Presbyterian Church West Chester, Crestview West Chester, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School

The Lakota West Chorale Choir will be the closing act in the Cincinnati Brass Band sponsored “Cincinnati’s Got Talent” annual Freestore Foodbank Charity Concert at Deer Park High School at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Other performances, announced by master of ceremonies Bob Herzog (Local 12 TV), include the Cincinnati Children’s Choir, The Irish McGing Dancers, crooner Nancy James, the Cincinnati Brass Band and more.

The Lakota West Chorale will sing one song (“Witness”) by them selves and then be joined by the Cincinnati Brass Band in a performance of a piece called “Homeland.”

This is the second time this year a choir group from Lakota West has been involved in a charity concert. In December, it was part of the second annual “Sing for a Cause” benefit concert with Taylor and Finneytown high schools. The recipient of this year’s $6000+ proceeds raised was the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Cincinnati Brass Band happens to have a few members with previous ties to Lakota West Band as well including Al Schmidt, a recently retired Plains Band co-director and Lakota West High School assistant band director.

For more information, see CincinnatiBrassBand.com or LakotaWestChoirs.org.

Posted in: Events, School events, Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Cincinnati’s Got Talent, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School

Lakota West Chorale director Anthony Nims has composed a special arrangement of “We Three Kings” for the Lakota West Chorale to perform at the Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The concert will feature five student groups including the chorale, men’s chorus, women’s chorus, freshman chorus and chamber choir.

Admission to the concert, which will be held at Lakota West High School, is free.

Prior to the concert, there will be dinner available from 5 to 6:45 p.m. The meal, which includes pizza, chips and a drink, costs $5.

Choir t-shirts will also be available for purchase at the concert for $12. Choir logo keychains are also available for $15 or as a thank you gift with a $30 Overtones booster sponsorship.

For more information about the choir, visit lakotawestchoirs.org.

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Tags: Tags: Anthony Nims, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School