JSerra Choirs Take First in Heritage Festival Competition in San Francisco
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA, April 24, 2009 – JSerra Catholic High School’s Chamber Choir and Advanced Women’s Ensemble took first place gold awards in their respective divisions at the Heritage Festival in San Francisco. They competed against 45 other choir groups from throughout the United States and earned sufficient points to compete in the prestigious Festival of Gold competition in New York in 2010. Along with the individual honors, the choirs were awarded the overall trophy for division 2A, schools with 800 to 1,600-student enrollment. Student Tomohiro Majima was also recognized with the Maestro Award for his violin accompaniment on the composition “Vine Hulpe di la Munte.”
“This is a remarkable achievement considering that JSerra’s choral program began less than two years ago,” observed Tom Waszak, JSerra principal. “It’s an important recognition of the outstanding commitment, hard work and talent of our choral students.”
Dr. Jocelyn Jensen, Director of Choral Studies for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, served as a judge for the Advanced Women’s Ensemble. She told JSerra’s students: “You’ve painted a vocal picture which was breathtakingly beautiful, but also technically demanding and intellectually stimulating. Congratulations on the challenging literature, the multiple languages, the artistry of the performance … all came together at the right moment. A truly memorable performance!”
Dr. Patrick Patton, Vocal Director of Casper College in Wyoming, served as a judge for the Chamber Choir. He told JSerra students, “Wow! I am going to turn off my tape recorder and just listen. We are all fortunate and blessed to have heard you today. While other choirs are singing more of the contemporary compositions, you have taken us to literature of the great composers of the past and have performed them masterfully. I sincerely hope I get the chance to hear you again.”
Submitted By;
Jim Graves
Andrew Alvarez
