Musicians perform with honors groups

The St. Croix Valley Music Educators’ Association held its annual Eighth Grade Honors Choir and Band Concert at UW-River Falls Saturday, April 26.

Eighth-grade students from Hudson, New Richmond, Prescott, St. Croix Central and Baldwin-Woodville were selected based on teacher recommendations to participate in either honors group.

The students rehearsed the music with their teachers prior to the concert. Guest clinician for the honors band was Dennis Lindsay, Stillwater High School band director. The guest clinician for the honors choir was Dr. Bob Demaree, choral director at UW-Platteville.

After rehearsing during the morning, both groups presented a concert that afternoon. The choir performed “Hebu Mandari” (Swahili for come now, dance), “The River Sleeps Beneath the Sky,” “Who Will Be a Witness” and “Dance, Dance, Dance.” The band played “Mississippi, “Rites of Tamburo,” “A+” and “Marching to Pretoria.”

The eighth-grade choir at Hudson Middle School is under the direction of Carol Dahle, and the eighth-grade band by Carl Meincke. The honors choir was accompanied by Dan Baumgartner, elementary music teacher at Rock School in Hudson.

Eighth-grade honors choir members from Hudson were Brooke Brokaw, Joy Horn, Brittany Hull, Samantha Law-Gotich, Nicole Lewandowski, Makenzie McGraw, Mollie Mear, Roth Dolan, Kelsey Hockenberger, Laura Lassen, Megan Magnuson, Korajane Merchak, Rosa Mullan, Julie Swanson, Meghann Swanson, Dallas Wiggs, Tony Caruso, Nick Caruso, Ehren Kluge, Andy Klanderman and Nick Pilarski.

Tags: education, hudson, honors, groups, musicians