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Tabernacle harmony
By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE © St. Petersburg Times, published May 24, 2001 CRYSTAL RIVER -- Crystal River High School Chorus members traded the humidity and flatness of central Florida for a few days in the mountainous dryness of Utah when they traveled to Salt Lake City last month to participate in the International Choral Festival. They had been invited by Classic Concerts International through the recommendation of a judge who had seen them perform at the Florida Vocal Association competition at Florida State University, said choral director Rebecca Huffman. They performed a rendition of Ride the Chariot, arranged by William Harry Smith. Then came the hard part: finding the money to finance the trip. "Fundraisers," said Gen Clay, a student who went on the trip, "lots of them." "And parents," added Myeshia Von Blount, who also went. There were bowl-a-thons, car washes, candy and catalog sales, ad sales, coupon books and the help of the Choral Booster Club. Each student needed $550 to go and 27 students went. The students were very impressed with their accommodations. "We stayed in the Little America Hotel, which is a 4-star hotel," said Myeshia, "and we practiced in the Grand America Hotel which is the only 5-star hotel in Salt Lake." "I got lost in the bathroom!" said student Gen Clay. There were 32 schools participating in the festival, including some high schools and some colleges. The schools were divided into four choirs that practiced together. According to the program, Crystal River was in a nine-school choir. They practiced four times for two hours and then once again before the performance at the Mormon Tabernacle. Three conductors directed the performances: Will Kesling, head of the music department at the University of Utah; Moses Hogan, African American composer and arranger of spirituals, symphony director and recording artist; and Gwendolyn Wyatt, operatic singer soloist. The performance, Huffman said, was a tribute to Jester Hairston, an African American arranger of spirituals, who was a movie song track composer, an actor and an author. "It was really, really wonderful," Huffman said. "It was inspiring and musically and spiritually impactful. Many people in the audience were brought to tears." "Performing at the Mormon Tabernacle undoubtedly will be one of the most important choral experiences of these students' lives."
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