MEGAN KIDBY
Scallion Editor
by ROGER CODA | Marketing and Communications.
The melodious voices of the Fredonia Chamber Choir, led by Dr. Vernon Huff, have struck a chord with judges. The Fredonia Chamber Choir is one of four choirs that will make their way to the semifinals of the American Prize for Choral Performance.
The 2023 American Prize for Choral Performance (university division, large program) is presented by the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts.
The description on its website states, “The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best-performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings.”
Works performed on the entry include “Laus Trinitati” by Hildegard von Bingen, arranged by Faith Morgan; “Drumsound Rises” by Daniel Elder; and “The Welcome Table” (traditional), arranged by Stacey V. Gibbs.
“This was our first year submitting recordings of the Chamber Choir to the competition, so this is really special for us to be semi-finalists for the American Prize,” said Dr. Vernon Huff. “The competition has a rolling announcement process, so after the semi-finalists were announced, the finalists began to be announced in each category. We hope to hear the results of the next round soon, but just to be included as semi-finalists in such fine company as these other choirs is phenomenal.”
Huff added, “It is my hope that this honor brings recognition that our students so deserve.”
Huff appreciates his choir members, and the singers highly regard him as well.
“He’s very regimented. He’s very organized … and he’s very empathetic,” said Daniel Novak, a junior music education and performance double major.
Michael Teti, a senior vocal performance major added, “Dr. Huff has found a way to strike the perfect balance of working really hard and putting a high expectation on the level of quality the music comes out [while] also keeping everything light-hearted.”
As the college chamber choir advances to the semifinals, they have proven that hard work, dedication and a passion for music can lead to remarkable achievements. With their sights set on the prize, this talented group of singers aims to inspire and uplift audiences with their harmonies.