The Mennonite Children's Choir of Lancaster (MCCL) has slated its annual spring auditions for the 2020-21 choir year, but this year, due to COVID-19, auditions are being offered virtually in May. Auditions include matching pitch, singing in tune, using head voice, maintaining a melodic line while another line is being sung, and singing one prepared piece of music.
MCCL serves more than 160 singers. The performing choirs include singers in Carol Choir, grades two through five; Concert Choir, grades six through eight; and Chamber Choir, grades nine through 12. The choirs practice weekly on Tuesday evenings from late August through early May.
The choirs are led by artistic director Rosemary Blessing and director Sarah Wingard. Blessing holds degrees in piano performance and business administration from Eastern Mennonite University and has pursued graduate study in choral music. She maintains a private piano studio and teaches piano at Franklin & Marshall College. An active pianist in the Lancaster area, Blessing currently plays with the Allegro Orchestra. She is a founding member of the Beyond Ourselves chamber ensemble, a project pairing music and social justice, with annual benefit concerts promoting and supporting the global work of Mennonite Central Committee.
Wingard earned her bachelor's degree in music education from Messiah College with a concentration in voice and extensive study in piano. Growing up in Virginia, she sang with the nationally acclaimed Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir. She teaches elementary music and middle school chorus at the Locust Grove campus of Lancaster Mennonite School. She also sings and regularly solos with the Susquehanna Chorale.
Prospective singers should enter contact information at http://www.mennonitechildrenschoir.org/join/register/ to indicate interest in an audition. Wingard will respond with directions for how to schedule a virtual audition.
MCCL is also accepting registrations for two non-auditioned programs that are intended to develop vocal skills: Prelude Music for children in kindergarten and first grade and Choristers for second- through eighth-graders. Classes are held Tuesday evenings from September through November and again in February through April. To register, readers may visit the aforementioned website.
MCCL, a program of Lancaster Mennonite School, is open to the community. More information is available at http://www.mennonitechildrenschoir.org.
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