Black Mountain Youth Chorale to Present Spring Concert May 4

The Black Mountain Youth Chorale will present their spring concert under the direction of Aline Carillon on Sunday, May 4, at 3 pm, at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, located in the Old City Hall at 225 W. State Street.  For more information, contact 828/669-0930.

Carillon, a music educator who currently teaches music at The Learning Community school at Lake Eden, began the Chorale in September 2007, along with accompanist, Penny Rose. The two lead the group in weekly rehearsals at the Center.   Members of the Chorale are Jody Anderson, Mary Becker, Kassidy Bowman, Cole Douglas-Fields, Kacie Freudenberger, Emily Elliot Gaines, Emma Himelein-Wachowiak, Liza Pierce, Sierra Pierce, Rowan Smith, and Savannah Tracy.

The Youth Chorale provides an opportunity for local youth to participate in “community” in the arena of performing arts.  For grades 4-8, whether in private, public, or home school education, The Black Mountain Youth Chorale allows these students to learn choral literature written for young voices, including two and three-part harmonies.

Their premiere concert in November was a standing-room only event.  In the winter the Chorale performed with The Asheville Choral Society in their “Passages” concert, under the direction of Lenora Thom. 
 
Music for the May 4 concert features works by both classical and contemporary music composers.  Exposing these young voices to music from the masters, such as Handel and Humperdinck, is just as important as exposing them to pop music or from composers of today.   In addition to the two H’s, music by Andy Beck, Ken Berg, Stephen Lawrence, Ruth Elaine Schram, and Earlene Rentz will be on the program.  Carillon commented on the music, “It is important to choose music that is suited to the vocal range of this age group – to stretch their abilities, while not damaging their growing vocal chords.  Before voices change, there is a pure and lovely sound that these young people are working diligently to perfect, while learning diction, tone, and pitch.”   The Chorale accepts invitations to sing at area churches and will continue to find other public venues to perform their music, including an acceptance to perform in Hilton Head, SC in the fall.

The public is invited to Sunday’s concert in BMCA’s Main Floor concert room. Admission is a $5 donation at the door, which goes toward expenses of the Chorale.  Doors open at 2:30.