BY PAT FARNELLI
Correspondent

High school singers from five counties and 34 schools joined their voices for the PMEA District 9 Chorus Festival, Feb. 3-5 at Lackawanna Trail High School. The festival culminated with a concert Friday evening.

Laura Tedford of Messiah College was the guest conductor. Harrison Ingemarson was the accompanist for the program. Student accompanists were Korena Kraynack of Elk Lake and Abbey Noss of Northwest Area.

The program began with “Holy Radiant Light,” an early

Greek hymn. “Come we now to the hour of setting sun, lights of evening round us,” the lovely and serene choral lyrics sang, of the lovely lights at end of day.

“The Last Words of David,” composed by Randall Thompson, were the musings of Israel’s greatest king. “He that ruleth over man must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds as the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.”

“My Shepherd will Supply my Need,” an American folk hymn, was composed with words by Isaac Watts in a paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm. The last sacred anthem was “Salmo 150” by Ernardi Aguiar of Brazil. The next section was a trio of songs about love and courting. “Johnny Said No!” featured the girls of the choir all singing their fantasies about winning the love and marriage hand of desirable Johnny, but “Johnny said no.”

”Dulaman,” the most complex song in the repertoire, featured the men singing in Gaelic about the seaweed of Ireland, which with its abundance and fertility reclaimed the coastal rocks for farming, making possible trips to the tailor, expensive shoes, and clothing. “Oh gentle mother, set the wheels in motion for me,” demand the eager, traditional Irish lyrics.

“O Whistle and I’ll Come to Ye” is a Scottish folk song about a secret romance, performed by the choir a cappella. The last three songs were sacred folk songs or spirituals. “Hark, I hear the harps eternal” featured tenor soloists Chris Ricci of Montrose and Griffin Stone of Dallas.

More than 300 students auditioned for a spot in the choir, and 20 were chosen on each part. The 160 district chorus participants then auditioned on Wednesday for the Regional Chorus Festival.

Participating students from Susquehanna and Wyoming counties included:
Blue Ridge: Lexi Button, Alto 1; Sequoia Marriott, Alto 1; Zachary
Morris, Tenor 2; Hunter Renwick, Bass 1.
Elk Lake: Rachel Zayleskie, Alto 1; Will Farnelli, Bass 2.
Forest City Regional: David Grosel, Tenor 1; Lucas Nevins, Tenor 2;
Alexander O’Neill, Tenor 2; Neal Albright, Bass 2.
Lackawanna Trail: Cassandra Brown, Soprano 2; Amanda Kinback, Soprano
2; Allison Decker, Alto 1; Yekaterina Grega, Alto 1; Alaina Jones,
Alto 2; Lauren Zotta, Alto 2; Matthew Kinback, Tenor 2; Matthew
Merolla, Bass 1; Nick Pawlukovich, Bass 1; Robert Titus, Bass 2.
Montrose: Felicia Wilcox, Soprano 1; Grace Wood, Soprano 1; Kyra
Ricci, Alto 1; Kira Karpov, Soprano 2; Tony Bennici, Tenor 2; Noah
Wilcox, Tenor 2; Mark Mayes, Bass 1; Christopher Ricci, Bass 1; Daniel Powers, Bass 1; Sean Quinn, Bass 1; Zebulun Swartley, Bass 2.
Mountain View: Adam Lynn, Tenor 1; Seth Fluck, Bass 1.
Susquehanna Community: Alyssa Rockwell, Soprano 1.
Tunkhannock: Julia Franko, Soprano 1; Alyssa Nichols, Soprano 2;
Hannah Chesner, Alto 1; Kylie Day, Alto 2; Sean Andres, Tenor 2;
Colin Franko, Bass 1; Gerald Mirabelli, Bass 1.